Family : Zingiberaceae

English : Spiked ginger lily

Hindi : Kapurkachali

Gujarati : Kapurkachli

Sanskrit : Sati, KapurakacaliRhizome

Part used : Leaves

Botanical Description: A perennial rhizomatous herb. Leaves are elliptic, simple and entire. Flowers yellow in spikes. Fruits globose, seeds small and globose. Flowering and fruiting from August to December.

It is cultivated in subtropical Himalayas.

Modern Pharmacological Action: The benzene extract of rhizome of H. spicatum possessed significant analgesic activity. Essential oil extracts from the rhizome of H. spicatum showed antimicrobial activity. Petroleum ether and chloroform extracts showed inhibitory activity against gram (+), gram (-) bacterial cultures, including a strain of methicillin and vancomycin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and fungal cultures. Terpenoid compositions of the rhizome of H.spicatum also showed significant antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella flexneri, Pasteurella multocida and Escherichia coli. Ethanol extract of fruits of H. spicatum was reported to possess antibacterial and antifungal properties against Salmonella sps. Escherichia coli and filamentous fungi. Terpenoid compositions of rhizome of H. spicatum were found to possess antioxidant activity.