Common Name: Lodhra

General Information

Symplocos racemosa is an evergreen tree usually growing around 4 - 6 metres tall, occasionally to 8.5 metres[, ].
Known as 'Lodhra' in Ayurveda, the plant is a commonly used medicinal herb in India, where it is gathered in large quantities from the wild for local use and for trade[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Nepal, northeast India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, southern China, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam

Habitat

; at elevations up to 1,400 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	5.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

Symplocos racemosa is a popular herbal remedy in India, known as 'Lodhra' in the Ayurvedic system of medicine. It is used, both on its own and in combination with other herbs, in the treatment of a wide range of conditions.
The bark is most commonly used. It is said to be cooling, antiinflammatory, aphrodisiac, mildly astringent, emmenagogue, expectorant, febrifuge, haemostatic and stomachic[]. It is a specific remedy in the treatment of uterine complaints, vaginal diseases, menstrual disorders; menorrhagia and leucorrhoea (The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India). It is also used in the treatment of bowel complaints, diarrhoea, dysentery, vaginal ulcers, skin diseases, inflammatory affections, fevers and liver disorders[, ].
A decoction of the bark is used as a mouthwash to treat bleeding gums, as an eye bath to treat eye diseases and as a wash to treat ulcers[, ].
The bark is boiled in water to form a gelatinous mass, and then applied topically to treat micro fracture or dislocated bones[].

The flowering parts of the plant are used against snakebite[].

The leaves are stomachic and antidiarroeal[]. An infusion is used in Vietnam in the treatment of gastralgia due to an excess of stomach acidity[].

The bark contains the alkaloids colloturine, harman (loturine) and loturidine[, ].
Glycosides, isolated from the ethanolic extract of the stem bark, are highly astringent and are reported to be responsible for the medicinal properties of the bark[].
Betulinic, oleanolic, acetyl oleanolic and ellagic acids are also reported from the plant[].
The bark extracts have been reported to reduce the frequency and intensity of the contractions in vitro of both pregnant and non-pregnant uteri of animals[].
A fraction from the bark, besides showing action on uteri, was spasmogenic on various parts of the gastrointestinal tract and could be antagonized by atropine[].
The bark extracts were found to inhibit the growth of E. coli, Micrococcus pyogenes var. aureus, and enteric and dysenteric groups of organisms[].

Other Uses

An extract of the bark is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a humectant and skin conditioner[].

The bark contains a red colouring matter[].
Many species in this genus accumulate aluminium, especially in their leaves and bark. Those species where the leaves turn yellow upon drying contain the largest quantities of aluminiun (up to 4.2% dry weight). Thus many Symplocos species can be used as the source of a yellow dye, and can also be used as a mordant[, , ].
A yellow dye is obtained from the flowering parts of the plant[].

Propagation

Seed -

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