Nattukkottai  (poison ivy)

🌿 Botanical Name: Toxicodendron radicans. 

🌿 Herbal Uses of Nattukottai Poison Ivy

(Note: This plant is highly toxic. Traditional uses are based on localized, cautious applications. Extreme care is advised.)

1. Traditional Detoxifier (Strictly Controlled Folk Use)

• Purgative: Leaves used in trace amounts as a purgative in traditional medicine to “cleanse” the body.

• Fever Management: Decoction sometimes used in rural areas to induce sweating and reduce fever.
  
  

2. Respiratory & Digestive Disorders

• Cough & Asthma: Crushed leaves used in very small doses in traditional practice to ease chronic cough and asthma symptoms.

• Indigestion & Constipation: Decoction given in extremely diluted form to stimulate bowel movement (dangerous if misused).
  
  

3. Anti-Parasitic (Ethnoveterinary Use)

• Deworming Livestock: Dried leaf powder mixed with fodder in minute quantities to expel intestinal worms in cattle and goats.
  
  

4. Anti-Microbial (Topical Use Only)

• Wound Cleaning: Leaf decoction applied externally to clean minor wounds or skin infections.

• Anti-Fungal: Used traditionally to relieve athlete’s foot and ringworm infections when applied topically.
  
  

5. Insecticidal & Pesticidal

• Natural Pesticide: Leaf extract sprayed on crops in some rural communities to deter pests.

• Insect Repellent: Crushed leaves placed near grains or stored items to repel insects.

6. Spiritual / Ritualistic Uses

• Used in Protection Rituals: In some local traditions, the leaves are used to ward off evil or cleanse a home energetically.

🌿 Toxicological Warning:

• Extremely Poisonous: Contains cleistanthin A & B — dangerous to kidneys, heart, and lungs.

• Symptoms of Poisoning: Nausea, vomiting, electrolyte imbalance, heart failure, kidney failure, respiratory distress.

• Used in Suicides: Unfortunately common in self-poisoning cases in South India.
  → Always consult an experienced herbalist or Ayurvedic doctor. Never self-administer.

🌱 Plant Description

• Type: Medium-sized deciduous shrub or small tree

• Height: 10 to 20 feet (3–6 meters)

• Leaves: Alternate, oblong-lanceolate, smooth margins

• Bark: Gray to pale brown, smooth

• Rhizome: Not applicable

• Odor: Leaves have a faint but distinct odor when crushed

🌸 Flowering & Fruit

• Flowers: Small, yellow-green, unisexual (male and female flowers on the same or different plants)

• Inflorescence: Axillary clusters

• Fruit: Capsule with lobes; each lobe contains seeds

🌱 Propagation

• By Seeds: Naturally propagated through mature seed pods

• Germination: Takes 2–4 weeks under warm, moist conditions

🗓️ Harvest Time

• Leaves: Harvested throughout the year; most potent during dry season

• Fruits: Not typically used medicinally