''Vachellia leucophloea'' ( hi, रेवंजा), also called ''reonja'', is a moderate-sized
tree
In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...
native to South and Southeast Asia.
Distribution
''Vachellia leucophloea'' grows natively in India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
Medicinal uses
The bark extracts of ''Vachellia leucophloea'' are used in Pakistani traditional medicine as an astringent, a bitter, a thermogenic, a styptic, a preventive of infections, an
anthelmintic
Anthelmintics or antihelminthics are a group of antiparasitic drugs that expel parasitic worms (helminths) and other internal parasites from the body by either stunning or killing them and without causing significant damage to the host. They may a ...
, a
vulnerary
Wound healing refers to a living organism's replacement of destroyed or damaged tissue by newly produced tissue.
In undamaged skin, the epidermis (surface, epithelial layer) and dermis (deeper, connective layer) form a protective barrier agai ...
, a demulcent, an expectorant, an antipyretic, an antidote for snake bites and in the treatment of bronchitis, cough, vomiting, wounds, ulcers, diarrhea, dysentery, internal and external hemorrhages, dental caries,
stomatitis
Stomatitis is inflammation of the mouth and lips. It refers to any inflammatory process affecting the mucous membranes of the mouth and lips, with or without oral ulceration.
In its widest meaning, stomatitis can have a multitude of different cau ...
, and intermittent fevers and skin diseases.
[Imran Imran, Liaqat Hussain, M. Zia-Ul-Haq, Khalid Hussain Janbaz, Anwar H. Gilani, Vincenzo De Feo, "Gastrointestial and respiratory activities of ''Acacia leucophloea.''" '']Journal of Ethnopharmacology
The ''Journal of Ethnopharmacology'' is a peer-reviewed medical journal covering the traditional medicinal use of plants and other substances. It is the official journal of the International Society for Ethnopharmacology. The journal is included i ...
'' Volume 138, Issue 3: Pages 676-682. An ethanolic extract ointment has shown marked wound healing activity in trials.
Culinary uses
The bark is used to prepare a spirit from sugar and palm juice, and in times of scarcity it is ground and mixed with flour. The pods are used as a vegetable, and the seeds can be ground and mixed with flour.
Other uses
The wood is sometimes used to make attractive furniture and other implements, though it can be difficult to work with and is not durable.
References
* R N Kaul (1963): Need for afforestation in the arid zones of India, LA-YAARAN, Vol 13
* R C Ghosh (1977): Hand book on afforestation techniques, Dehradun.
* R K Gupta & Ishwar Prakasah (1975): Environmental analysis of the Thar Desert, Dehradun.
leucophloea
Flora of Rajasthan
Forages
{{Mimosoideae-stub