Gymnema lactiferum

Last updated

Ceylon cow-tree
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Gymnema
Species:
G. lactiferum
Binomial name
Gymnema lactiferum
(L.) R.Br. ex Schult.

Gymnema lactiferum, the Ceylon cow-tree or Ceylon cow plant, is a species of climbing perennial shrub native to India and Sri Lanka. [1] [2] In Sanskrit it is called ksirakakoli. James Emerson Tennent described the use of the plant in his account of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and wrote it was "evidently a form of the G. sylvestre ". [3] The milky juice of this plant has been said to be used as a substitute for milk and cream, but it is believed to contain enough of the poisonous principle peculiar to the order (a poisonous substance that is specific to the order) to cast a doubt upon this reputed use. [2]

Related Research Articles

Cinnamon Spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus Cinnamomum

Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus Cinnamomum. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakfast cereals, snackfoods, tea and traditional foods. The aroma and flavour of cinnamon derive from its essential oil and principal component, cinnamaldehyde, as well as numerous other constituents including eugenol.

Sri Lankan rupee Currency of Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan Rupee is the currency of Sri Lanka, divided into 100 cents. It is issued by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. The symbol ₨ is generally used, but the currency code "LKR" is occasionally used to distinguish it from other currencies also called rupee.

James Emerson Tennent

Sir James Emerson Tennent, 1st Baronet FRS, born James Emerson, was a British politician and traveller born in Ireland. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society on 5 June 1862.

Lourenço de Almeida was a Portuguese explorer and military commander.

<i>Nepenthes distillatoria</i> Species of pitcher plant from Sri Lanka

Nepenthes distillatoria is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sri Lanka. It was the second Nepenthes species to be described in print and the first to be formally named under the Linnaean system of taxonomy. It is therefore the type species of the genus.

<i>Dīpavaṃsa</i>

The Dīpavaṃsa is the oldest historical record of Sri Lanka. The chronicle is believed to be compiled from Atthakatha and other sources around the 3rd to 4th century CE. Together with the Mahavamsa, it is the source of many accounts of ancient history of Sri Lanka and India. Its importance resides not only as a source of history and legend, but also as an important early work in Buddhist and Pali literature.

Frank Wall (herpetologist)

Colonel Frank Wall was a physician and herpetologist who lived in Sri Lanka and India.

S. J. V. Chelvanayakam Sri Lankan politician (1898–1977)

Samuel James Veluppillai Chelvanayakam was a Ceylon Tamil lawyer, politician and Member of Parliament. He was the founder and leader of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) and Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) and a political leader of the Ceylon Tamil community for more than two decades. Chelvanayakam has been described as a father figure to Ceylon's Tamils, to whom he was known as "Thanthai Chelva".

<i>Ideopsis vulgaris</i> Species of butterfly

Ideopsis vulgaris, the blue glassy tiger, is a butterfly that belongs to the crows and tigers, that is, the danaid group of the brush-footed butterflies family.

Galle Face Green

Galle Face is a 5 ha ocean-side urban park, which stretches for 500 m (1,600 ft) along the coast, in the heart of Colombo, the financial and business capital of Sri Lanka. The promenade was initially laid out in 1859 by Governor Sir Henry George Ward, although the original Galle Face Green extended over a much larger area than is seen today. The Galle Face Green was initially used for horse racing and as a golf course, but was also used for cricket, polo, football, tennis and rugby.

Dominion of Ceylon 1948–1972 monarchy in South Asia (now Sri Lanka)

Between 1948 and 1972, Ceylon was an independent country in the Commonwealth of Nations, that shared a monarch with other dominions of the Commonwealth. In 1948, the British Colony of Ceylon was granted independence as Ceylon. In 1972, the country became a republic within the Commonwealth, and its name was changed to Sri Lanka.

<i>Senna auriculata</i> Species of legume

Senna auriculata is a leguminous tree in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. It is commonly known by its local names matura tea tree, avaram or ranawara, or the English version avaram senna. It is the State flower of Telangana. It occurs in the dry regions of India and Sri Lanka. It is common along the sea coast and the dry zone in Sri Lanka.

Edwin Wijeyeratne

Sir Edwin Aloysius Perera Wijeyeratne, known as Edwin Wijeyeratne, was a Sri Lankan lawyer, politician, diplomat, and one of the founding members of the Ceylon National Congress and the United National Party. He was a Senator and Minister of Home Affairs and Rural Development in the cabinet of D. S. Senanayake. He thereafter he served as Ceylonese High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Ceylonese High Commissioner to India

Prehistory of Sri Lanka

The prehistory of Sri Lanka covers the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and early Iron Age of the country until the Pre Anuradhapura period in 543 BC.

<i>Gymnema</i> Genus of plants

Gymnema is a genus in the family Apocynaceae first described as a genus in 1810.

Maliban Bakery product manufacturer in Sri Lanka

Maliban Biscuit Manufactories, is one of the largest manufacturers, distributors and marketers of bakery products in Sri Lanka. Maliban is a privately owned limited liability company.

Butterflies of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is home to 245 species of butterflies with 23 of these being endemic to the island. Of the 245 species, 76, are listed as threatened nationally, while Ceylon Rose is designated as critically endangered.

John Leonard Kalenberg van Dort was a 19th-century Ceylonese artist of Dutch Burgher descent.

Bibliography of Sri Lanka Wikipedia bibliography

This is a bibliography of works on Sri Lanka.

Hamilton Canal

The Hamilton Canal is a 14.5 km (9.0 mi) canal connecting Puttalam to Colombo, passing through Negombo in Sri Lanka. The canal was constructed by the British in 1802 and completed in 1804. It was designed to drain salt water out of the Muthurajawela wetlands. The canal was named after Gavin Hamilton, the Government Agent of Revenue and Commerce.

References

  1. Huber in Abeywickrama (ed.), Revised Handbook of the Flora of Ceylon 1(1): 45 (1973)
  2. 1 2 Gilman, D. C.; Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905). "Gymnema"  . New International Encyclopedia (1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.
  3. "Tennent's Ceylon 1860. v1_p1_c03". lakdiva.org. Archived from the original on 2005-10-23.