Common Name: Banapsa
English Name: Common Blue Violet, Sweet Violet
Botanical Name: Viola odorata Linn.
Family: Violaceae
Description: The heart shaped leaves often with scalloped or slightly serrated edges are dark green, smooth or sometimes downy underneath, and grow in a rosette at the base of the plant. Roots are creeping and send out runners. Depending on soil and light the flowers may be from deep purple or blue to pinkish or even yellow whitish. All have 5 petals.
Chemical Constituents: Salicylic acid methyl ester, saponins, alkaloids.A glucoside, Viola-quercitin, is also a constituent found throughout the plant and especially in the rhizome.
Properties: It helps in the treatment of congestion, coughs and sore throat. It also acts as a mild laxative. Recent studies have shown the presence of glycoside of salicylic acid in Common Violet leaves, which explains its efficient use in cases of headaches and body pains. It has anti-septic, anti-inflammatory, laxative and expectorant properties. It can be helpful in cases of various respiratory conditions, but also in treatment of headaches, insomnia, dizziness and exhaustion.
Used in the following MATXIN products: