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Specimen profile
Clearing Nut Tree
Strychnos potatorum · Loganiaceae
Skt · Kataka — “That which clarifies and purifies contaminated water”Hindi · NirmaliMal · ThettamparalTam · Tetran-kotai
A medium-sized tree whose hard seeds are celebrated for purifying muddy water and soothing eye disorders.
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Strychnos potatorum is a celebrated forest tree famous for its non-toxic seeds that act as natural water flocculants. When rubbed against the inside of an earthen pot, the seeds cause suspended silt and bacteria to precipitate. In Ayurveda, Kataka is prized for clarifying vision, dissolving urinary calculi, and curing stubborn chronic diarrhea.
Identification markers
Gnarled blackish bark, opposite ovate glabrous leaves with 3 to 5 basal veins, and small globose black berries containing circular button-like seeds.
Rasa
Madhura, Kashaya, Tikta
Guna
Guru, Ruksha
Virya
Sheeta
Vipaka
Madhura
Prabhava
Chakshushya (vision-clarifying)
Dosha effect
PK- V+
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