|
|
|
FAMILY
Punicaceae
SPECIES
Punica granatum
DESCRIPTION
This small, deciduous tree, occasionally with spiny branches, has beautifully colored foliage in spring and autumn, showy, fragrant, scarlet summer flowers, and shiny apple-sized fruit. |
USES
The sweet juice is used to make grenadine, a flavoring cocktails, sherbet, and pickles. the sour pulp is boiled to make pomegranate syrup which gives perfume and sourness to Middle Eastern cuisine. Seeds dried with their aril give the sour Indian condiment anardana. the rind is used to treat dysentery, and the root bark to combat tapeworm. the fruit, rind, and bark yield fabric dyes. |
REMARK
The pomegranate is an ancient symbol for fertility.
GENERAL USES
A red dye is obtained from the flowers and also from the rind of un-ripened fruits. The dye can be red or black and it is also used as an ink. It is coppery-brown in color. No mordant is required. A fast yellow dye is obtained from the dried rind. The dried peel of the fruit contains about 26% tannin. The bark can also be used as a source of tannin. The root bark contains about 22% tannin, a jet-black ink can be made from it. Plants are grown as hedges in Mediterranean climates. Wood -very hard, compact, close grained, durable, yellow. Used for making agricultural implements. |
|
MEDICINAL USES
The pomegranate has a long history of herbal use dating back more than 3,000 years. All parts of the plant contain unusual alkaloids, known as 'pelletierines', which paralyze tapeworms so that they are easily expelled from the body by using a laxative. The plant is also rich in tannin, which makes it an effective astringent. It is used externally in the treatment of vaginal discharges, mouth sores and throat infections. The whole plant, but in particular the bark, is antibacterial, antiviral and astringent. This remedy should be used with caution, overdoses can be toxic. The flowers are used in the treatment of dysentery, stomach ache and cough. Along with the leaves and seeds, they have been used to remove worms. The seeds are demulcent and stomachic. The fruit is a mild astringent and refrigerant in some fevers and especially in biliousness. It is also cardiac and stomachic. The dried rind of the fruit is used in the treatment of amoebic dysentery, diarrhea etc. It is a specific remedy for tapeworm infestation. The stembark is emmenagogue. Both the stem and the root barks are used to expel tapeworms. Use this with caution, the root bark can cause serious poisoning. The bark is harvested in the autumn and dried for later use. The dried pericarp is decocted with other herbs and used in the treatment of colic, dysentery, leucorrhoea etc. |
|
|
|
