Abstract
Indian hawthorn (Pyracantha crenulata (D. Don) M. Roem. Syn., Crataegus crenulata Roxb. Fam. Rosaceae) is endemic to the Himalayan hills. In the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand (India), it is known locally by the name “Ghingharu”. Pyracantha is a bushy and profusely branched very thorny shrub, with dark green leaves, that grows wild in barren, rocky, and dry grasslands. It is generally 2.4–3.0 m in height and the plant is laden with orange-red to dark red fruits during fruiting season (Fig. 1). In the Himalayan hills of Uttarakhand, it grows in areas from 900 m to 2500 m above mean sea level in Pine and Quercus forests (Osmastan 1926). The stem bark is dark brown and becomes glabrous when old. The white inflorescence is a compound corymb having many flowers. Flowering takes place in April to May and the fruits ripen in June to September. Pyracantha flowers are hermaphrodite (bisexual) having 20 stamens and one ovary. This perennial, deciduous, and thorny shrub is commonly known as Indian hawthorn or Ghingharu.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Andrade-Cetto A, Heinrich M (2005) Mexican plants with hypoglycaemic effect used in the treatment of diabetes. J Ethnopharmacol 99:325–348
Anna S, Oszmian J, Aneta W (2007) Antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds of Hawthorn, pine, skullcap. Food Chem 103:853–859
Anonymous (2009) Annual Report. Defence Institute of Bio-Energy Research (DRDO). Haldwani, Uttarakhan
Anonymous (2011) Annual report. Defence Institute of Bio-energy Research (DRDO), Haldwani
Barnes BV, Zak DR, Denton SR, Spurr SH (1998) Forest ecology. Wiley, New York
Bird R (ed) (1990) Growing from seed, vol 4. Thompson and Morgan, New Jersey
Brandis D (1921) Indian Trees: an account of trees, shrubs, woody climber, bamboos & palms, indigenous or commonly cultivated in the British Indian empire. Constable & Company, Ltd., London, p 294
Chang Q, Zuo Z, Harrison F, Chow MSS (2002) Comparision of the pharmacokinetics of Hawthorn phenolics in extract versus individual pure compound. J Clin Pharmacol 42:605–612
Chauhan NS (1999) Medicinal and aromatic plants of Himachal Pradesh. M.L Gidwani, Indus Publishing Company FS-5, Tagore Garden
Gamble JS (1972) A manual of Indian timbers: an account of the growth, distribution, and uses of the trees and shrubs of India and Ceylon, with descriptions of their wood-structure. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh Publication, Dehra Dun
Gomez KA, Gomez AA (1984) Statistical procedures for agricultural research, 2nd edn. A Wiley Inter Science Publication, New York, pp 20–30
Guven K, Yucel E, Cetintas F (2006) Antimicrobial activities of fruits of Crataegus and Pyrus species. Pharm Biol 44:79–83
Kunkel G (1984) Plants for human consumption : an annotated checklist of the edible phanerogams and ferns. Koeltz Scientific Books, Koenigstein, p 393
McMillan BP (1985) Hardy woody plants of North America. Grower Books. ISBN0-90136-21-6, USA
Negi PS, Singh R, Bhakuni DS, Ahmed Z (2009). Crataegus: A multipurpose plant of Himalayan hills. Technical pamphlet, DIBER (DRDO) Haldwani
Osmaston AE (1926) A forest flora for Kumaon. Periodical Experts Book Agency, Delhi
Peschel W, Bohr C, Plescher A (2008) Variability of total flavonoides in Crataegus –Factor evaluation for the monitored production of Industrial starting material. Fitoterapia 79:6–20
Sheat WG (1948) Propagation of trees, shrubs and conifers. MacMillan and Co.Limited, London
Singh R, Negi PS, Arya MC, Ahmed Z (2012) Propagation techniques of Crataegus crenulata. Indian Forester 138(2):169–172
Tassell MC, Kingston R, Gilroy D, Lehane M, Furey A (2010) Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Pharmacogn Rev 4:32–41
Wagner H, Grevel J (1982) Cardioactive drugs IV. Planta Med 6:98–101
Walker AF, Marakis G, Simpson E, Hope JL, Robinson PA, Hassanein M, Simpson HCR (2006) Hypotensive effects of hawthorn for patients with diabetes taking prescription drugs. Br J Gen Pract 56:437–443
Weber E (2003) Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, p 352
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Singh, R., Negi, P.S., Dwivedi, S.K. (2018). Indian Hawthorn (Pyracantha crenulata). In: Singh, B., Peter, K. (eds) New Age Herbals. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8291-7_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8291-7_7
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-10-8290-0
Online ISBN: 978-981-10-8291-7
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)