Wrightia tinctoria

Dyer’s Oleander, Blue Dying Roseberry, Pala Indigo plant, Sweet Inderajo/Indrajao
Shveta kutaja, Indrayava (seed) (Ayurveda)
Nila Palai (Siddha)
Lisan al-Asafeer (Arabic)
Inderjao Shireen (seed) (Unani)

Wrightia tinctoria
Edward’s Botanical Register, vol. 11 (1825)

Wrightia tinctoria
(Photo by Vinayaraj) (Wikimedia)

Wrightia tinctoria seed
(Photo by Vinayaraj) (Wikimedia)

Botanical name:

Wrightia tinctoria (syn. Nerium tinctorium)
Also reportedly used include W. tomentosa, W. rothii, W. arborea
Wrightia tinctoria is called the ‘female’ or ‘sweet’ variety (Ayurveda and Unani respectively); Holarrhena antidysenterica is called ‘male’ or ‘bitter’ variety (Ayurveda and Unani respectively).

Parts used:

Bark, Seed

Temperature & Taste:

Warm, dry

Uses:

BARK:
1. Astringes to Stop Leakage:
-Dysentery (bark, seed) (Ayurveda)
-Hemorrhoids

2. Clears Heat and Toxin:
-Skin diseases (bark) (Ayurveda)
-Cough, Bronchitis
-Convalescence after Fever
-Fever; leaf tips are also decocted for Fever
-antidote to snake bite (internally and bark paste topically)

3. Externally:
-Bark, leaf infused in coconut oil, or the latex is applied to Wounds
-leaf paste is applied to toothache

SEED:
1. Warms and Strengthens the Kidneys:
-Seminal deficiency; Aphrodisiac; Impotence (bark is also used as an aphrodisiac; Unani)
-Kidney deficiency, excess or frequent urination
-Diabetes
-Infertility

2. Kills Worms:
-seeds are used to Kill Worms

BUDS
The buds are used to clear Stones.

Dose:

Powder: 2–6 grams

Comment:
1. This is the ‘Sweet’ type of Indrayava, the Bitter being Holarrhena antidysenterica. The Sweet type (Wrightia) has tonic properties and is used as an aphrodisiac. The Bitter variety (Holarrhena antidysenterica) is stronger to clear Heat and Poison.

Substitute:

1. The bark of this plant is closely allied to Holarrhena antidysenterica. It is regularly used as an substitute for Holarrhena. In Unani, Inderjao Talkh (bitter variety) is equated with Holarrhena antidysenterica and Inderjao Shireen (sweet variety) with Wrightia tinctoria
2. Walnut and Centaurea behen are substitutes for the Seed in Unani.

Corrective:

Coriander seed (Unani)

Main Combinations:

1. Kidney deficiency, excess or frequent urination, Wrightia, Tribulus seed, Celery root and seed,
2. Paralysis, Facial Paralysis, Rheumatism, and Arthritis, Triphala, Bdellium, Wrightia, Celery seed, Calamus, Long Pepper, Asafetida (as in Electuary of Bdellium of Unani)
3. Vomiting, Diarrhea, Acid Gastritis, Wrightia with Trichosanthes dioica, Coriander fruit as a decoction with sugar and honey. (Charaka)
4. Dysentery, Wrightia, Garden Spurge (Euphorbia hirta), Neem, Bauhinia racemosa
5. Skin diseases, Wrightia bark with Euphorbia hirta, Toddalia asiatica and Clitoria ternatea in Coconut oil and applied topically.
6. Psoriasis, Wrightea leaf extract (50 mls), Coconut oil (100 mls), apply externally.

Major Formulas:

Electuary of Bdellium (Unani)
Majun Salab (Electuary of Orchid) (Unani)
Laboob Kabir

Cautions:

None noted