Black Caraway

BOTANICAL NAME:

• Carum bulbocastrum

FAMILY:

• Umbelliferae                                     

SYNONYM(S):

• Carum nigrum Royle
• Bunium persicum(Boiss) Febtesch

URDU NAME:

• Kala zeera 

REGIONAL NAME:                  

• Bengali: Jira.
• Persian:Kamun ,Kermani
• Hindi: Shah zira, Kala zira
• Pashto: Tura zankay
• Kashmiree: Gun Yun
• Arabic: Kamun

UNANI/TIBBI NAME:

• Zira Siah

ENGLISH NAM:

• Black caraway
• Bulbous Caraway

HABITAT:

• A common plant in dry arid regions of Gilgit, Baltistan, Chitral, Swat,   Hazara, N.WF.P and Baluchistan

DESCRIPTION:

• A 15cm tall glabrous herb
• Root: tuberous
• Bark: soft, corky and spongy.
• Leaves: 2-3 pinnate. Lower petiole ate, upper sessile.
• Rays: 6-16, 3.8cm long, unequal
• Pedicles: 3-4 times longer than flowers.
• Flowers: white, petals1mm long.
• Fruits: 3-4mm dark brown with prominent thin ridges
• furrows1-vittate;vittae large

PART USED:

• Seeds

TASTE:

• Bitter pungent

TEMPERAMENT:

• Hot 2°, dry 3°

PERIOD OF OCCURRENCE:

• It is cultivated in the plains as a winter crop whereas in hilly areas as summer crop.

PROCEDURE & TIME OF COLLECTION:

• In summer the fruit bearing parts of the mature plants are trimmed And dried

CONSTITUENTS:

• Essential oil

SUBSTITUTES:

• Zeera safaid/Curmin(Cuminum cyminum Linn)

ACTIONS AND USES IN UNANI SYSTEM OF MEDICINE:

Pharmacological action:

• Carminative
• Bitter
• Astringent
• Stomachache
• Diuretic
• Expectorant

Therapeutic uses:

• Used as a digestive and in flatulence, increases appetite, cures hiccough

DOSES:

• 3-5 gm

CORRECTIVES:

• Kateera/Tragacanth(steruculia urens Roxb)       

IMPORTANT UNANI FORMULATIONS:

• Jawarish Kamoni

ASTROLOGY:

• Mars