Kamarkas Gum Powder – Butea monosperma Gum Resin – Flame of the Forest – Palash Gond

Kamarkas Gum Powder – Palash Gond

Latin : Butea monosperma Gum Resin

Salvia plebeia

Other Names : Palash gum – Flame of the Forest, Palash gond, Bengal Kino, Palash, Tisso Flowers, Bastard Teak, Flame Of The Forest, Palash Phool, Tesu Phool, Tesu Beeja, Gond Chuniya, Kamarkas,Dhak, Palah. Palas, dhak, Bol uri,  Chhola, chichra, chinchra, desukajhad, Brahma vriksha, brahmavriksha, kamata, Brahmavriksham, camata, chamatha, Pang-gong, Kakracha, palas, paras, phalas, phulas

Parts Used : Gum/ Resin of the Tree

Chemical constituents : Contains Kino Tannin & Gallic Acids.

Kamarkas looks like Reddish black brittle glistening pieces. Smells like light resinous odour and sticks to the gum, when chewed and makes the saliva bright Red.

It is almost entirely soluble in alcohol and entirely in ether and partly in water.

Ayurvedic classification :

Guna (Quality)                               : Laghu (Light) / Ruksha (Dry)

Rasa (Taste)                                    : Katu (Pungent) , Tikta (Bitter), Kshaya (Astringent)

Veerya (Potency)                            : Ushna ( Warming)

Vipaka (Metabolism – After Digestion)  : Katu (Pungent)

Dosha                                              : increases Vata, Decreases Kapha & Pitta Doshas