Scaevola taccada

DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY
MEDICINAL PLANTS

Scaevola taccada (Gaertn.) Roxb.

Family: Goodeniaceae
Common Names: Beach naupaka, Beach cabbage, Fan flower or Half flower
Vernacular Names: Safed modak (Hindi), Bhadraksha (Sanskrit), Vella muttagam (Tamil), Vellamodakam (Malayalam)
Plant Description
Scaevola Taccada is a large evergreen shrub, found on tropical beaches of Indian Ocean.
Habit: Shrub or small tree
Height: upto 3m
Leaves: Alternate, gathered mostly towards the ends of the branches, alternate, obovate, obtuse, entire, glabrous, tapered at the base into a stout petiole.
Flowers: White, calyx lobes 5, the tube about equal in length, spreading elliptic obovate corolla, Style stout, stamen 5
Stem: Succulent, soft wooded, pale green, pithy
Fruit: Drupe, 2 cm diameter, furrowed with ripe and crowned by the persistent calyx lobes.
Beneficial Properties
 Edibility
 Young leaves cooked as a potherb
 Fruit is also edible
 Medicinal Properties

 Juice of ripe fruit used for cleaning opacities of the eyes and improve dimness of vision.
 Decoction of roots used for beriberi and certain syphilitic affections; also for dysentery.
 As a cataplasm, fruit is used for tumors; internally, induces menstruation.
 In India, decoction of leaves and bark used for tachycardia.
 Used as diuretic.
 Bitter leaves eaten to relieve indigestion. Poultice of leaves applied to headaches, tumors and swollen legs. Juice of berries used for sore eyes
 Other Uses
 Leaves smoked like tobacco
 In Malaysia, used for making wooden nails and pegs for boats.
 Pith from stems and thick branches used for preparing sun-hats and floats; also, pressed flat to make rice paper.
 Used for soil stabilization and for wind and salt spray protection in coastal zones.