Saturday, April 10, 2010

NARRA (Pterocarpus spp.)


Good morning everyone. Another tree with medicinal value found in the Philippines. I’m sure if many have this plant you can use it to cure some ailments. There are a total of 96 Philippine medicinal trees under 83 genera and 38 families. I want to share the most seen trees here.

Narra is a medium to large tree with an irregular fluted trunk, attaining a height up to 40 m and a diameter up to 200 cm. It thrives best in flats and gullies, on most sandy loam or day loam soil. It is found in association with dipterocarp species and needs sufficient moisture for its growth.

Medicinal Value:

■ Shredded bark and the fluid taken orally for the treatment of dysentery and diarrhea.

■ Herbal teas and pills made from narra extracts have been popularized in the Philippines for treating a range of diseases and ailments including leprosy, menstrual pain, flu, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes.

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