Witnessed by: Ayurveda · Unani
Black oil plant (Celastrus paniculatus), of the Celastraceae family. Large woody climber with drooping panicles and scarlet-arilled seeds; native range: hill forests and scrub throughout India up to moderate altitude. Globally recognized as jyotishmati in Sanskrit, malkangni in Hindi, malkangni in Arabic, and intellect tree, staff tree in English. The part used is seed and its expressed oil. Small red-brown seeds yielding a hot, acrid, bitter oil that bites the tongue and warms the throat.
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.
BLACK OIL PLANT
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- Black oil plant
- Scientific name
- Celastrus paniculatus Willd.
- Family
- Celastraceae
Form
- Part used
- seed and its expressed oil
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Ayurveda
- bitter · pungent (tikta, katu)
- Unani
- pungent · bitter
Temperature
- Ayurveda
- heating (ushna, tikshna)
- Unani
- hot & dry (3rd degree)
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- Unani
- brain · nerves · joints
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Ayurveda
- medhya (nootropic), vata-kapha-hara, dipana (digestive), tikshna (penetrating), vednasthapana (analgesic)
- Unani
- muqawwi-e-dimagh (brain tonic), muharrik-e-asab (nervine stimulant), muhallil (resolvent), musakkin-e-alam (analgesic)
Cautions
- Contraindications
- high pitta, heat and bleeding states; pregnancy
- Toxicity
- the oil is strongly heating and irritant; overdose causes burning, sweating and gastric distress
This is the card. Sign in for the full four-tradition entry — the aligned TCM · Ayurveda · Western · Unani reading, actions, dosing and cautions.