Family : Apocynaceae

English : Devil Tree

Hindi : Chattiyan

Gujarati : Saptaparni

Sanskrit : Saptaparna

Part used : Bark

Botanical Description: An evergreen tree with bitter bark. Leaves simple, verticillate, oblong lanceolate shining above, coriaceous, cuneate at the base. Flowers are white or greenish white, in terminal umbellate cymes. Flowering and fruiting is from September to March.

It occurs in forest and is well cultivared.

Modern Pharmacological Action: The plant has been reported for anticancerous anti-tussive, anti-asthmatic and expectorant anti-inflammatory and analgesic antipyretic, anti-ulcerogenic, antipsychotic, anxiolytic, antioxidant and free radical scavenging, immunostimulating, hepatoprotective, wound healing, antinociceptive, antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic, hypoglycaemic, antiarthritic, antidiarrhoeal and spasmolytic.