Tamarindus Indica

• Botanical Name : Tamarindus Indica
• Family Name : Caesalpiniacae
• Common Name : Tamarind, Tamarindo, Tamarin, Sampalok
• Part Used : Roots, Fruits, Seeds
• Habitat : Throughout india, especially in the south india and often cultivated.
• Product offered : Seeds, Fruit, Fruit pulp

Uses : The seeds are also edible and valuable for human consumption and are commonly sold on local markets in many countries. They are peeled and roasted or boiled. Leaves, flowers and fruits provide good animal fodder, but can also be used for various foods A red dye can be obtained from the leaves and a yellow dye from the flowers. Over-ripe fruits are used to clean and brighten silver, copper and brass, and Indian silver smiths polish their goods with a strong infusion of roots mixed with sea salt. The fruits are widely used as a remedy against fever, intestinal diseases and diarrhoea. The pulp is used against malaria and on wounds and haemorrhoids. Powdered seeds are used against dysentery. Pulverised bark ashes are used for colic and digestive disorders. It cures dysentery and boils on human skin. The fruit pulp is used as a laxative, the bark is used to cure sore throats, the leaves are used for stomach problems, and the roots are used to treat heart pains. Crushed leaves are put on wounds and abscesses. Juice from crushed leaves is taken with porridge to stop vomiting. The pulp is used for making sauces, curries and beverages. Due to its denseness and durability, tamarind heartwood can be used in making furniture and wood flooring. A preparation from the seed is useful for sizing cotton, woolens and jute fabrics and dying silk. The seed oil serves as a varnish for toys, dolls, idols, etc. Tamarind leaves and flowers, dried or boiled, are used as poultices for swollen joints, sprains and boils. Lotions and extracts made from them are used in treating conjunctivitis, as antiseptics, as vermifuges, treatments for dysentery, jaundice, erysipelas and hemorrhoids and various other ailments.