Pharmacognostical Evaluation and Phytochemical Screening of Neolamarckia Cadamba

Abstract

Neolamarckia Cadamba Miq; syn. Anthocephalus Kadamba (Family: Rubiaceae) commonly known as ‘Kadamba’ in Ayurveda1 is a large deciduous tree between 37.5-45meter height. The stem of younger trees appears greyish-green with smooth bark. As it gets older, the bark gets rough and grey with longitudinally fissured. Leafs glossy, dark green, opposite, simple pulvinus base sub sessile to petiolate, broadly ovate to elliptical-oblong, entire, apex marinate and venation pinnate. The flowers that appear from August to October are orange to yellow. Inflorescence in clusters, terminal globose heads, subsessile and fragrant. Fruitlets numerous with upper parts containing 4 hollow or solid structures. Seed trigonal or irregularly shaped. The trees found in the greater part of India in moist localities in West Bengal, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and peninsular India [1-2].