Pandavara Batti (leaf burns like the wick), India & Sri lanka

Pandavara Batti is a species of beautyberry plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is found in Western Ghats of India and Sri Lanka and in India, found in Konkan, North Kanara, Western Ghats, Dakshina and Uttara Kannada. It is a small tree with about 5m tall. Leaves simple, opposite; elliptic to broadly elliptic; apex acute or acuminate. Purplish flowers show branched axillary cymes. Fruit is 3-4 seeded globose drupe. Fruits provide food for wildlife. They are sometimes used to make herbal medicine. The leaves are also food for wildlife.

Scientific name is Callicarpa Tomentosa, its family is verbenaceae. Pandavara Batti is considered a medicinal plant since ancient times and in the scriptures, maharishi charak called it “urine bleaching” (Purifying urine and decolorizing its color and “purish collectable” and Facilitating the flow of stool and increasing it). It is a group of herbs. Various masters of ayurveda have also classified it in different classes as herbs in their texts.

Pandavara Batti is a large shrub or small tree about 5 m tall. Bark grey, smooth. Branchlets are quadrangular, densely velvety. Leaves are simple, opposite, carried on stalks 2.5-7.5 cm long, densely white velvety. Leaf blade is 10.5-25 x 5.5-15 cm, elliptic to broadly elliptic or ovate, tip pointed to long-pointed, base narrow, thinly leathery, glaucous, densely white velvety beneath. Secondary nerves and reticulation are impressed above, midrib raised above. Secondary nerves are 6-9 pairs. Inflorescence consists of branched cymes in leaf axils. Flowers are purple, stalkless. Fruit is a round drupe, black, shining, 4 pyrenes; seeds 3-4. Velvety Beauty Berry is found in open disturbed evergreen to semi-evergreen forests in Peninsular India and Sri Lanka, and throughout Western Ghats, up to 1400 m.

It is such a plant that when a little oil is applied on the leaf, that leaf burns like the wick of a lamp and starts giving light. It is said in the legends that when the pandavas went to exile, they lit the tree by applying oil to the leaves and burning them. Due to which the name of this plant was given as pandava batti or “Pandavara Batti” which means torch or torch of the pandavas.

Decoction of the bark used in fever, hepatic obstruction and skin diseases; leaves boiled in milk and used as wash for aphthae of mouth; flower and fruit used in epilepsy, diseases of nervous system, haemorrhage, oedema, cardiac diseases and dysuria.

A paste of its bark is applied on the forehead for the treatment of headache. Priyangu bark powder is also used to rub on gums in inflammation and irritation of gums and to be used in face packs to improve the complexion of the face.

Medicinal use of Pandavara Batti or Pandava Batti:-

• Its fruits are somewhat astringent in taste, somewhat like berries, but they are used in making wine and jellies.
• A paste of its bark is applied on the forehead for the treatment of headache.
• Priyangu bark powder is also used to rub on gums in inflammation and irritation of gums and to be used in face packs to improve the complexion of the face.
• Priyangu bark powder is used as a dusting powder to control bleeding from wounds.
• A decoction of the bark of priyangu (callicarpa macrophylla) is given in a dosage form of 30-40 ml to stop internal bleeding in cases of peptic ulcer, internal hemorrhoids.