Pharmacognostic Investigation of Leaves and Bark of Cochlospermum Religiosum Linn

Cochlospermum religiosum (Linn.) Alston. (Bixaceae) otherwise known as Yellow silk cotton tree.Traditionally, the plant is used in the treatment of cough, asthma, jaundice, tuberculosis, inflammation, gonorrhea, fever and dysentery. In the present studymicromorphological investigations and the physicochemical analysis of Cochlospermum religiosumleaves and stem bark were carried out.The macromorphological examination indicated simple, palmately lobed, alternate distichous leaves possessing the prominent parallel venation, acute apices and crenate margin. Similarly, smooth, fibrous, ash coloured bark containing an orange-coloured gummy exudate observed. The microscopy of leaves presented a dorsiventral lamina, long filamentous unicellular uniseriate covering trichomes, anomocytic stomata, annulated lignified xylem vessel, mucilaginous brown matter, starch grains and prisms of calcium oxalate whereas the microscopic examination of the bark indicated lignified cork cells, thick-walled lignified sclereids, bundles of lignified fibres, rounded starch grains, elongated cellulosic medullary rays, tetragonal and rosette crystals of calcium oxalate. Thequalitative analysis of inorganic elementsexhibited the presence of aluminium, sodium, calcium, chlorides and ironin leaves and the bark ofCochlospermum religiosum.The present investigation on pharmacognostic characters and analytical standards of Cochlospermum religiosumwill provide a diagnostic tool in the authentication and the assessment of its quality.