Witnessed by: Ayurveda
Stone flower (Parmotrema perlatum), of the Parmeliaceae family. A foliose (leafy) lichen forming spreading grey-green rosettes of papery lobes on bark and rock; native range: a lichen growing on the bark of trees and on rocks in the humid hill forests of the Indian subcontinent and across temperate and tropical uplands. Globally recognized as saileya, shilapushpa in Sanskrit, chharila, charela, patthar phool, dagad phool in Hindi, and stone flower, black stone flower in English. The part used is the whole dried thallus. Grey-green to blackish, thin papery lobes, earthy-aromatic when warmed, the taste faintly bitter, sweetish and tongue-gripping.
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.
STONE FLOWER
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- stone flower
- Scientific name
- Parmotrema perlatum (Huds.) M. Choisy
- Family
- Parmeliaceae
Form
- Part used
- the whole dried thallus
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Ayurveda
- astringent (kashaya) · bitter (tikta) · sweet (madhura)
Temperature
- Ayurveda
- cooling (sheeta virya)
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Ayurveda
- hridya (cardiac tonic), grahi (absorbent, binds the bowels), pittakaphahara (pacifies pitta and kapha), vishaghna (antitoxic), dahaghna (relieves burning), vasti-roga-hara (relieves urinary disorders)
Cautions
- Contraindications
- dries the tissues and may aggravate vata; used cautiously in cold, vata-predominant conditions
- Toxicity
- no significant toxicity at culinary and customary medicinal doses
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