''Microcos paniculata'' is a flowering shrub native to China and south-east Asia including India. It's also included in Indian Ayurveda. It is sometimes added to Chinese

herbal tea Herbal teas, also known as herbal infusions and less commonly called tisanes (UK and US , US also ), are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Oftentimes herb tea, or the plain term ...

, having a mildly sour taste. In

traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medicine, alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logica ...

the plant is believed to help the digestive system, and it is also used for other health problems including colds,

hepatitis Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver parenchyma, liver tissue. Some people or animals with hepatitis have no symptoms, whereas others develop yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), Anorexia (symptom), poor appetite ...

diarrhea Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin ...

heat stroke Heat stroke or heatstroke, also known as sun stroke, is a severe heat illness that results in a body temperature greater than , along with red skin, headache, dizziness, and confusion. Sweating is generally present in exertional heatstroke, ...

, and

dyspepsia Indigestion, also known as dyspepsia or upset stomach, is a condition of impaired digestion. Symptoms may include upper abdominal fullness, heartburn, nausea, belching, or upper abdominal pain. People may also experience feeling full earlier ...

. None of these alleged claims have shown to be effective in clinical trials. The herb may have a

placebo A placebo ( ) is a substance or treatment which is designed to have no therapeutic value. Common placebos include inert tablets (like sugar pills), inert injections (like Saline (medicine), saline), sham surgery, and other procedures. In general ...

effect.

Common names

*Burmese - ''Myaya'' (မြရာ) *Hindi - ''Shiral'' (शिरल) *Marathi - ''Shirali '' *Konkani(Goa)- ''Asali'' *Tamil - ''Visalam '' *Malayalam - ''Kottakka '' *Kannada - ''Biliyabhhrangu '' *Bengali - ''Asar '' *Sinhala - ''Keliya'' (කෑලිය) /'' Kohu-kirilla'' (කොහු-කිරිල්ල)

References

paniculata A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a panicle are of ...

Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{Grewioideae-stub