Introduction :- Jeevaka is one among the jeevaniya gana quoted by | |l|. Jeevaka consists of dried and fresh pseudo-bulb of Microstylis wallichii Lindl. (Fam. Orchidaceae), a short stemmed terrestrial herb up to 25cm in height, distributed throughout India on hills at an altitude of 2000 -3000 m.
Botanical name :- Microstylis wallichii
Family :- Orchidaceae
Taxonomy :-
Kingdom : Plantae Subkingdom : Viridaeplantae Phylum : Tracheophyta Subphylum : Euphyllophytina Infraphylum : Radiatopses Class : Magnoliopsida Subclass : Liliidae Superorder : Lilianae Order : Asparagales Genus : Microstylis Species : Wallichii
Synonyms :-
||| l||| l|||||
Vernacular names :-
English : Jeevak Hindi : Jeevak Malayalam : Jeevakam Telugu : Jeevakamu Tamil : Jeevakam
Geographical distribution :- Throughout India on hills at an altitude of 2000 -3000 m
Morphology :- A terrestrial, pseudo bulbous, 5-25 cm in height, perennial, tender herb. Its stem is underground, spreading, fibrous roots downwards, ribbed.
Leaves : Usually 2-4, sessile or petioled, 7.5-12.5 cm long, ovate-lanceolate, often discolored, light green acute with prominent veins, leaves in whorls on the nodes directly raised upwards, angular, attenuate, stem covered by basal leaves forming a tubular structure. Flowers : 7.5-20 cm long, flower small shortly stalked in terminal raceme, about 10 mm in diameter, yellowish-green with purple centre. Fruits : 6 chambered capsule. Seeds : Minute, powdery, ovoid. Pseudo bulbs : 3-9 cm long & 1-3 cm in diameter, conical, fleshy, smooth, shining in pairs, new look like garlic cloves, greenish-white, covered with membranous sheath, slightly mucilaginous, remain alive over long period.
Jeevaka and Rishabhaka are strength promoting, cooling and spermatopoetic. They aggravate Kapha. They cure aggravated Pitta, daaha (burning syndrome), vitiated blood, kaarshya (emaciation), shosha (consumption) and kshaya (phthisis).