51-FICUS RELIGIOSA L.
Local names: Pimpal, Peepal
Family: Moraceae
Location: Y. B. Chavhan college of Pharmacy.
Characters: Large, glabrous, sometimes epiphytic trees, bark greyish, leaves coriaceous, alternate, ovate ratund, narrowed upward, receptacles sessile, in axillary pairs, male flowers few, sessile, near the mouth of the receptacle. Tepals 3, broadly ovate, stamen one, gall and female flowers shortly stalked, either without perianth or with 5, lanceolate tepals, achenes minute, ovoid, brown. Planted near temples, and other places, throughout the district.
General use: Fruits are edible which is sweet in taste. The wives worship the plant for good health of the husband. Fibre used for cordage. Leaves used as cattle feed.
Medicinal use: Bark astringent, useful in gonorrhoea, bark infusion in scabies, leaves and young shoot purgative. Fruits laxative, seed cooling. The paste of the leaves and young shoots is used externally on skin disease. Plant parts used on cholera, dysentery, rheumatism and small pox.
Veterinary use: Leaves used in foot and mouth diseases and bronchitis. Bark used for wounds constipation and cough.