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Banana

Category: Medical Plants
Date Posted: 2005-12-28

BANANA (Lagerstroemia speciosa)

Banana tree grows from 4 to 15 meters high, characteristically shedding off its leaves once a year. It can be identified easily through its flowers, which are lilac purple and have petals with wavy margins. The parts which have medicinal uses are leaves, fruits, roots and bark. The following are its uses and applications:

* For treatment of diabetes, edema or to ease urination
Dry for a week 28 old leaves, 11 ripe fruits, 50 of young leaves.
Boil any of the above in 1 cup of water for 45 minutes until it is reduced to 1/5 cup.
Re-dilute the te3a to 1 cup and divide this into 3 parts to be taken 1 hour before meals.

*For fever
Place 1 teaspoon of the bark pweder in 1 cup boiling water (infusion)
Cover for 10 to 15 minutes and drink

*For jaundice, edema, dizziness
Boil 10 pieces of roots, 6.5 cm long and 2.5 cm wide per piece, in 10 cups of water for one hour and drink.