Salamalia malabarica is a large deciduous tree known by several names including Red/silk cotton tree. It has horizontal branches arranged in whorls of 5-7 with large palmate leaves with 5-7 leaflets. Flowers are red and numerous, appearing towards the end of bare branches. Fruit are oblong or ovoid capsules splitting into 5 leathery valves containing smooth black seeds embedded in white silky wool. The tree is used traditionally to treat various diseases related to vata, pitta, and kapha doshas. Extracts from different parts of the plant such as bark, flowers, fruits, and gum are used externally and internally to treat inflammation, bleeding, diarrhea, menor

1. Salamalia malabarica
(zfNdnL)
 Classical categorization :-
purishbirjaniya,sonitsthapan,bednasthapana,kasayskandha (c.) pringvadi
(s.)
 Latin Name:- Salamalia malabarica Schott&Endle.
 Family Name:-Bombacaceae –-zfNdnL s'n_
 Sanskrit Name:-
df]r,lklR5n,/Stk'ik,l:y/fo',s+6sf9o,t"lngL
 Nepali Name:-l;dn
 English Name:-Red/silk cotton Tree

2. Botanical description:-
 A large desiduous tree about 45 mt tall and girth 12mt with
horizontal branches arranged in whorls of 5-7 in no. leaves
large ,palmate. leaflets 5-7 in no. long
petioled,lanceolate,10-20cm long. Flower
red, numerous,appearing towards the end of bare
horizontally spreading branches,fleshy elliptic petals with
woolly hair outside,recurved, Fruit capsules,oblong or
ovoid,10-13cm long,splitting into 5 leathery valves, seeds are
smooth, black,embedded in white silky wool
 Flowering in dec-march
 Fruiting during march-may

9. Varieties
 Bhavamishra has mentioned two varieties:-
 1. Salmali (salmalia malabarica)
 2. Katu salmali (Eriodendron anfructuosum DC)
Distribution:- 200-900mt. East to west

10. Major chemical constituents:-
 Bark exudate- Gallic & tannic acid,D-galactopyranose
 Stem bark- B-sitosterol
 Root bark- Lupeol
 Seed- Lupeol
 Flower- hentriacontane,hentriacontanol,gossypol
etc.

11. Properties(Guna)
 Guna- laghu,snigdha,pichhil
 Rasa- madhur (gum-kasay)
 Vipak- madhur(gum-katu)
 Virya- sitt

12. Uses:-
 Dosh prayog:-Root-vatt-paittik diseasesFlower,fruit&gum-kapha-paittik
diseases
 External uses:-Stem bark is applied externally in
imflammation,burnning sensation,juice or powder is applied in
bleeding,thorn are powded with milk and paste is applied over pimpels.
 Internal uses:- the gum is efficacious remedy for
diarrhea, dysentry,haemoptysis of pulmonary
tuberculosis,leucoreah,menorrhagia,blood vomitting, flower are good in
raktpitta,hamorrhoids,&menorrhagia, young fruit in
calculas,dysuria,nephritis, tap root nourishes sukrs dhatu, gum in
premature ejaculation, & nocturnal emission.

13. Actions:-
 Dosh karma:-vattpitt samak,gum-kaphapitt samak
 Systemic External:-Bark-sothhar,dahprasaman,flower-
raktsodhak,gum-stamvan,vranropan,thorn-lekhan,varnya
 Internal DS:-gum-stamvan
 CS:-flower&gum-rakt stamvan
 RS:- young fruit-kash-hara
 US:- “ “ mutral
 Rep.S:- tap-root-vrisya,gum-sukra-stamvan&flower-
aartvarodhi
 Suitability:- fruit-balya&brinhan

14. Some classical therapeutic uses:-
 Atisara- cold infussion of petioles with yastimadhu &
honey (s.ut.-40)
 Vrana- bark & bala mula externally. (c.ci.25)
 Pradara- flower are cooked with ghee & rock salt and given
orally.(B.P)
 Rakta-pitta- gum cooked with milk given orally. (c.ci.-13)
 Virya vridhi- powder of tap root. (s.ci.-10)
 Pliha vridhi- hot infussion of flower with rajika churna
orally.

15. Parts used:- Root, flower,fruit,gum
Dosage:- Root powder 5-10gm
Flower juice 10-20ml
Fruit powder 3-6gm
Gum 1-3gm
Important preparation:- Salmali ghritt