Witnessed by: Ayurveda · Unani
Himalayan fir (Abies spectabilis), of the Pinaceae family. Large evergreen conifer with whorled branches and a spire crown; native range: temperate and sub-alpine Himalaya, 2500–4000 m, from Afghanistan to Bhutan. Globally recognized as talisapatra in Sanskrit, talispatra / badar in Hindi, zarnab in Arabic, and Himalayan silver fir, East Himalayan fir in English. The part used is leaf (needle). Flat, dark-green needles silvery beneath, resinous and camphoraceous when crushed, the taste warm, pungent and bitter.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
HIMALAYAN FIR
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- Himalayan fir
- Scientific name
- Abies spectabilis (D.Don) Mirb.
- Family
- Pinaceae
Form
- Part used
- leaf (needle)
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Ayurveda
- pungent (katu) · bitter (tikta)
- Unani
- aromatic · bitter
Temperature
- Ayurveda
- heating (ushna)
- Unani
- hot & dry (2nd degree)
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- Unani
- lungs · heart · stomach
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Ayurveda
- kasahara (antitussive), swasahara (relieves dyspnoea), deepana-pachana (appetiser and digestive), kaphaghna (expectorant), chhardighna (antiemetic)
- Unani
- munfis-e-balgham (expectorant), muqawwi-e-meda (stomachic), muqawwi-e-qalb (cardiac tonic), kasir-e-riyah (carminative)
Cautions
- Contraindications
- high pitta and hyperacidity; ulcerative conditions
- Toxicity
- well tolerated in food-doses; large amounts of the heating powder may irritate the stomach
This is the card. Sign in for the full four-tradition entry — the aligned TCM · Ayurveda · Western · Unani reading, actions, dosing and cautions.