Chuvannaral ചുവന്നആരൽ / ചെരാല
Genus: Ficus
Botanical name: Ficus lacor
PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
Sanskrit: Bhidura, Dridapraroha, Hrasvaparna
Hindi: Kamandal, Paakar
English: Grey fig, Java fig, Java willow, Sour fig, Spotted fig, Strangler fig, Wavy-leaved fig tree, White fig
Malayalam: Chuvannaral, cherala
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Chuvannaral is a medium sized tree which grows to a height of 24- 27m and up to 32m tall in wetter areas. This tree is a fig tree belonging to the group of trees known as strangler figs, which is because its seeds can germinate on other trees and grow to strangle and eventually kill the host tree.
Chuvannaral has two marked growth periods in its Indian environment: in spring (February to early May), and in the time of the monsoon rains (i.e. June to early September). The new leaves are a beautiful shade of reddish pink and very pleasing to the eye.
This medicinal plant is useful to treat cough, bronchitis, fever and cold. In folk medicine meadowsweet is used as a diuretic, for rheumatism of joints and muscles for gout for bladder and kidney diseases and for headaches. The herb is used for stomach complaints with hyperacidity, prophylaxis and therapy of stomach ulcers and for diarrhoea in children. the treatment of jaundice.