|
Botanical Name :
Orchis mascula
Sanskrit Name:
Salabmisri
English Name :
Salep Orchid
Family : Orchidaceae Subfamily
Part used: Whole
Plant
Description of
Orchis mascula:
The early Purple Orchis, common in English woods, is in flower
from mid-April to mid-June.Bulb growing to 0.6m.A single
flower-stem rises from the tuberous root, bearing flowers that
as a rule are of a rich purple colour, mottled with lighter and
darker shades, though often found of every tint from purple to
pure white. Each flower has a long spur which turns upwards. The
leaves are lance-shaped and do not rise far from the ground,
giving a rosette-like effect, and are irregularly blotched with
dark purple markings, which help to render the plant
conspicuous. In woods and meadowland, the plant often attains a
height of a foot or more, while on exposed and breezy downs it
is seldom more than 6 inches high.
|
 |
|
Uses:
cooked root is a source of 'salep', a fine white to
yellowish-white powder that is obtained by drying the tuber and
grinding it into a powder. Salep is a starch-like substance with
a sweetish taste and a faint somewhat unpleasant smell. It is
said to be very nutritious and is made into a drink or can be
added to cereals and used in making bread etc. One ounce of
salep is said to be enough to sustain a person for a day.
Medicinal Uses: Salep is very nutritive, astringent,
expectorant and demulcent. It has been used as a diet of special
value for children and convalescents, being boiled with water,
flavoured and prepared in the same way as arrowroot. Rich in
mucilage, it forms a soothing and demulcent jelly that is used
in the treatment of irritations of the gastro-intestinal canal.
One part of salep to fifty parts of water is sufficient to make
a jelly. The tuber, from which salep is prepared, should be
harvested as the plant dies down after flowering and setting
seed.
Disclaimer:
The authenticity of the above
information are not verified and established by us. You are
requested to get it verified. The above given information are
collected from various sources may be used for academic purpose.
|
