Name common in English: jacaranda; to palisander, palissandre (these two last names correspond to the Jacaranda species cuspidifolia that has the same applications in traditional medicine that gualanday, J. mimosifolia D. Don).
Tree of 20 mts. of height and still more, trunk of 50 cm. of diameter of off-white, well graft, raised color gray yellowish and of extended glass. Leaves opposed of about 26 cm. in length, pinnadas with numerous foliolos, pelúcidos in the beam and vellosos in envés; flowers of about 4 cm. in length and 1,5 cm. wide, of blue color and something violet in terminal panículos of about 15 mm in length, corola campanulada with tube widened in the base; estambres didínamos, with segments of 1/5; capsular, ovoid fruit depressed, rough winged seeds, of dark color.
Propagation: mainly by seed, but another method not very used is by stake.
Uses reported by the oral tradition: The Gualanday is one of the remedies that more fame has to cure the sifilíticas affections, fights cutaneous affections, neuralgias and pains the bones. Also it cures the hemorroides, the várices, the different affections from the liver, eczemas, forúnculos and everything what it has to do with the impurities of the blood.
Approved drug: leaves (although the crust is the richest drug in active principles).
Origin and other aspects: original of tropical America, mainly of the north of Suramérica. It is cultivated as it plants ornamental in many parts of the world.
Traditional medicine uses: the decocción by the root is used like diaforético. The syrup by the root is used specially against the venereal diseases and the furunculosis makes sure that in one week the furunculosis cures; in addition it is used against the hemorroides, the várices, the affections of the liver, eczemas and impurities of the blood. The decocción of the crust or the roots is used in washings to heal ulcers (including the venereal), arthritis, várices, varicela, rebellious sores, hurt and escrófulas. By oral route it is used to cure sífilis, blenorragia, diabetes, pain in the bones, reumatismo and arthritis; in form of garglings, to heal the affections of the throat. The decocción or the syrup of the leaves or the crust, taken by oral or applied route in hot baths on the affected part, considers a remedy to alleviate sífilis and blenorragia chronic; as well as other venereal, cutaneous and rheumatic diseases; also the chancros, bubones, the inveteradas ulcers of the mouth, impétigo, the soriasis, the furunculosis, flemones, the hemorroides, the várices, eczemas, the affections of the liver, neuralgias and pains the bones; in order to regularize the menstruation and like diurético, purifying of the blood, antianemic vulnerario and. The decocción of the leaves or the crust by oral route is used against ulcers and externally it is used in vaginal washings. The dust of the dry leaves, dusted on the ulcers is used like disinfectant.
Chemical composition: jacarándico acid, jacaranona, jacoumárico acid, acid ursólico and other substances.
Verified properties of gualanday scientifically: the extract of the leaves is a powerful antiseptic in vitro in cultures of Stafilococcus aureus and Neisseri gonorrheae. In cases of impétigo infantile, with the use of the extract in form of ungüento, the total resolution of the injury in a lapse of 48 hours is observed. The lotion of gualanday presents/displays activity on the acne. The Jacaranda behaves like antitumorlike agent (Piñeros and Others, 1988).
Recommendations: almost all the species of the Jacaranda sort are used frequently as medicinal plants in Colombia, in addition it attributes more or less equal therapeutic properties to them. When the preparation is used externally, and only in these cases, it is recommended to mix it with potassium iodide to increase his action.
Warnings: in no case they are possible to be ingested prepared mixed with potassium iodide, these are solely for external use or washings. In general the use must be external because the Gualanday is cytotoxic (Ogura, 1977).