Wikstroemia INDICA (L.) C.A. Mey.


Synonym : Wikstroemia purpurata (L.) Druce
Wikstroemia rotundifolia (L. f.) C.A. Mey.
Wikstroemia subcoriace
Bangla Name : Sotopata salago.
English Name : Small-leaf Salago.
Family : Thymelaeaceae
Disease : Depression
Description : A small slender bushy shrub, about 60 cm tall. Leaves subcoriaceous, crowded, oblong or obovate, rounded at tip, base cuneate, 2.5 cm long. Flowers in very short, terminal fascicles. Perianth-tube glabrous, yellow, 1 cm long, lobes short. Drupe ellipsoid, scarlet, 5 mm long.
Distribution : Hill forests of Chittagong.
Chemical Constituents : A new lignan – wikstromol along with arctigenin, matairesinol and pinoresinol have been isolated from this plant. Plant also contains wikstrosin and daphnoretin (Rastogi & Mehrotra, 1993).
Uses : The root and stem bark are considered vesicant and purgative, mixed with salt and ginger is given as a purgative. It is also used as a fish poison. Wikstromol contained in the plant showed CNS depressant activity in rabbits (Rastogi & Mehrotra, 1993).
Habit : Shrub