Clerodendrum serratum, Bharangi

Serrate Glorybower
Bharangi (Ayurveda)
Kandoorbarangi (Siddha)
San Tai Hong Hua (TCM)

Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, vol. 52 (1825)

Clerodendrum serratum
(Photo by Yercaud-elango) (Wikimedia)

Botanical name:

Clerodendrum serratum (syn. Clerodendron serratum, Rotheca serrata)
In TCM, Clerodendrum serratum var. amplexifolium is also used.
In parts of India, C. indicum (syn. C. siphonanthus) is used synomymously.

Parts used:

Root (Ayurveda)
Stem (Unani)
Whole herb (TCM)

Temperature & Taste:

Cool, dry. Bitter. Slightly toxic

Uses:

WHOLE HERB / LEAF:
1. Clears Heat and Damp: (TCM)
-Diarrhea, Dysentery
-Strangury
-Joint pain from Wind-Heat-Damp

2. Clears Heat and Toxin, Disperse Swelling: (TCM)
-pain and swelling of the Throat
-Toxic Sores, Abscess, Carbuncles (TCM, Ayurveda)
-Fever (Ayurveda); Malaria (TCM)
-Scrofula, Cervical Lymphadenitis, Genital Ulcers
-Root is also used for this function

3. Moves the Blood, Clears Stasis: (TCM)
-localised pain, Bruising, Trauma
-Blood Stasis
-Amenorrhea, Dysmenorrhea
-Root is also used for this function

4. Externally:
-promotes wound healing

ROOT:
1. Clears Phlegm-Heat, Stops Cough and Wheezing:
-Cough, Bronchitis, Asthma (Ayurveda)
-Sinusitis
-Scrofula

2. Settles Wind, Stops Spasms:
-Tremors
-Paralysis, Facial Paralysis

Dose:

Root and Whoile Herb can be used in similar doses
Powder: 3–6 grams
Decoction: 10–20 grams (API)

Substitutes:

1. Abies webbiana
2. Solanum surattense

Main Combinations:

1. Cough, Asthma:
i. Clerodendrum Bharangi root with Ginger
ii. Clerodendrum Bharangi with Calamus
iii. Clerodendrum Bharangi with Solanum indicum
iv. Clerodendrum Bharangi with Adhatoda, Licorice, Datura, Long Pepper, Raisin (as in Kanakasava of Ayurveda)
v. for Wind-type Cough, Clerodendrum Bharangi with Raisins, Long Pepper, Ginger, Zedoary, mixed with Treackle and Oil.
vi. Clerodendrum Bharangi with Licorice, Black Pepper, Raisins, Inula racemosa, Aloeswood, made into a linctus wirth Honey and Ghee (Ayurveda)
vii. Clerodendrum Bharangi with Sacred Basil, Tinospora, Ginger, Solanum xanthocarpum (equal parts as a decoction)
2. Amenorrhea, Clerodendrum Bharangi (root) with Sesame seed, Trikatu (Black and Long Pepper, Ginger), mixed with Ghee and Jaggery. (Ashtaanga Hridaya)
3. Scrofula, Lymphadenitis, Clerodendrum Bharangi with China root, Indian Bdellium (Gugulu), Sulphur, Turpeth root, Costus, Triphala and Trikatu (Black and Long Pepper, Ginger), mixed with Ghee, Sugar Candy and Honey. (as in Madhusnuhi Rasayana of Ayurveda)