Botanical Name
Tamarindus indica Linn.
Family
Caesalpiniaceae
Introduction
Latin name Tamarindus = the distorted form of the Arabic name tamarindus – hind meaning ‘ripe date of India’; indica Indian. Scientific classification: The tamarind belongs to the subfamily Caesalpinioideae, family Fabaceae (formerly Leguminoseae). It is classified as Tamarindus indica.
Names in Different Indian Languages
- English: Tamarind tree
- Hindi: Amli, imli
- Kannada: Huli, amli
- Malayalam: Puli, kolpuli, valanpuli
- Sanskrit: Amlikaa, chincha
- Tamil: Puli, amilam
- Telugu: Cintapandu, amlaki, cintacettu
- Unani: Tamar
Synonyms
- Amli, Amlikaa, Suktaa, Chukraa, Chukrikaa, Chinchaa, Chandikaa, Tintidika
- Tamarindus occidentalis Gaertn.
- Tamarindus officinalis HK.
Morphology
It is a fast-growing tall tree and is known by these names — chincha, tintini, mali, ambalt, chinch, tamarind. Leaves — compound, leaflet 20 to 40, round in shape. Flowers – in bunches, yellow in color and boat-shaped. Legume— 7 to 12 cm long. Seeds are called chinchoke in Marathi.
Distribution & Habitat
Throughout India
Chemical Constituents
Tartaric, citric, malic, acetic, potassium tartarate, etc. In the seed, there is 65% carbohydrates. Orientin, vitexin, iso-orientin and iso-vitexin, tamarindienal
Properties
- Rasa: Amla (Sour)
- Veerya: Ushna (Hot)
- Vipaka: Amla (Sour)
- Karma: Grahi, deepana, ruchyam, hridyam, sulaghnam, kaphaghni
- Laxative, carminative, digestive, astringent, cooling, diuretic, antimicrobial, antifungal, anthelmintic, antiviral, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory
Indication
- Pandu, vataroga, vrana, sopha, ajirna
- Anaemia, ulcers, wounds, fever, skin disease, cough, piles
Part Used
Whole plant
Dosage
- Leaf juice: 10-15 ml
- Powder: 2-4 g
- Decoction: 50-100 ml
Uses
Tamarind and its seeds are applied externally on inflammation. Fruit is very good in taste and is used in anorexia, polydipsia, indigestion, and liver disorders. In heart diseases, sherbet is given. Kshara is used in retention of urine and abdominal pain. Pulp and sherbet reduce the complications in fever. In cholera, tablets of traits of tamarind and Semecarpus anacardium + salt are very useful.