Cuntappanna ചൂണ്ടപ്പന
Genus: Caryota
Botanical name: Caryota urens Linn
PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
Sanskrit: Sreetala
Hindi: Mari, Mari ka jhat
English: Elephant’s palm, Fish-tail palm
Malayalam: Cuntappanna, Anappana, Eerampana
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Cundappanna is species is solitary-trunked to 12 metres (39 ft) in height and trunk 30 centimetres (0.98 ft) wide. Widely-spaced leaf-scar rings cover the gray trunks which culminate in a 6 metres (20 ft) wide, 6 metres (20 ft) tall leaf crown. The bipinnate leaves are triangular in shape, bright to deep green, 3.5 metres (11 ft) long, and held on 60 cm long petioles. The obdeltoid pinnae are 30 cm long with a pointed edge and a jagged edge.
The tender leaves are sweet and cooling and are useful in vitiated conditions of pitta. The pulp of the fruit is good for hyperdipsia and fatigue. A paste made from the nut is good for hyperdipsia and fatigue. A paste made from the nut is good for hemicrania.