Medicinal herbs of Chhattisgarh, India having less known traditional uses XXXVIII. Sawan (Echinochloa sp. Family : Poaceae)

Research Note - Pankaj Oudhia
© 2001,2002,2003 Pankaj Oudhia - All Rights Reserved

Sawan is not a new name for the paddy growers of Chhattisgarh. It is one of the common herbs grow with cultivated paddy crops. In the literatures of weed sciences, it is described as obnoxious weed that competes with paddy crop for light, moisture and nutrient and reduces the yield upto great extent. A lot of research works have been done on control of this so called weed. Over dozen of Indian research institutes and many scientists are still engaged in search of new chemical tools to manage this weed in paddy fields. They are organizing field demonstrations at farmer's field to convince them that how the new chemical tools are effective against Sawan. Every year, many tons of lethal chemicals are dumped in paddy fields which are damaging our ecosystem very badly. The paddy growers are living with both paddy and Sawan since generations. They are well aware how to manage the weed in crop fields in ecofriendly ways. The paddy growers of Chhattisgarh, particularly the senior growers are not ready to use chemicals to control this weed. They are aware that in times of severe drought in early days, the grains of Sawan have saves their life as substitute to paddy. They are also aware about the nutritive value and use of Sawan as fodder for their cattle. Now a days, due to heavy population pressure and increased illegal encroachments in pasture lands, it is very difficult to get fresh fodder.

Common names of Sawan around the world.
S.No.	Languages/Regions/Countries	Names
1	America	Billion dollar grass
2	Bengal	Samra shama, Sanwa, Saon, Shama. Shamula, Syamadhan
3	Bihar	Sama, Sanwan, Sawan
4	Canarese	Same, Save
5	Chinese	Shan Tzu
6	English	Japanese Barnyard Millet
7	Gujarati	samo, Samoghas, janglisamak
8	Hindi	Samak, Sanwa, Sawa, Sawan, Shama
9	Kashmir	Karin, Soak
10	Malay	Padi barong
11	marathi	Janglisama, Samul
12	Persian	Bajri
13	Sanskrit	Avipriya, rajadhanya, Shyama, Tribija
14	Sinhalese	Welmarrku
15	Tamil	Kudraivallipillu, Raipillu
16	Telugu	Bonta chamalu, Bontashama, Chama, Chamalu, Sawa
17	Uriya	Samu

The so called unwanted plants named by the weed scientists, are providing fodder to the cattle and saving its lives. It is common belief among Chhattisgarh paddy farmers that the presence of Sawan in crop fields is beneficial because this herb is having the unique capacity to extract the nutrients in more better ways as compared to average paddy plants. They allow the initial growth of Sawan in field and later burry it in soil to convert it into nutritious manure. The old plants are removed by the farmers through hand weeding and with the help of collected plants, they prepare rich manure and later apply it in crop fields. In India, due to increasing population, the number of unemployed natives is increasing. The method of hand weeding provides employment opportunity to rural youths. It stops the use of chemicals for weed control. Also, through hand weeding, they get freshly uprooted plants that can be used either for manure preparation or for preparation of herbal formulations. Like other herbs on this earth, Sawan also possess valuable medicinal properties and uses. Although the traditional healers aware of its traditional medicinal uses are less in number but they have sufficient knowledge to establish it as medicinal herb. The senior traditional healers still remember that in early days Sawan was under cultivation as minor millet crop in tribal belts of Chhattisgarh. They blame the new technology and introduction of high yielding varieties of food crops, that have replaced this valuable crop. During my ethnobotanical surveys in different parts of Chhattisgarh, I have seen many variations in Sawan herbs I personally feel that the researchers working on this herb, must visit Chhattisgarh to observe these variations in different parts. As medicine, Sawan is used alone or in combination with other herbs in treatment of liver related troubles. The healers use it very frequently with Bhui aonla (Phyllanthus amarus). As medicine, whole herb is used, preferably before flowering. In many parts of Chhattisgarh, the healers use it in treatment of Jaundice. The traditional healers of Chhattisgarh, use the whole herb in treatment of dysentery. Many times its over dose can result in the problem of constipation. The healers suggest the patients, in such cases to take a glass of milk to nullify the bad effects of its overdose.

The traditional healers of Narharpur region, suggest the patients having the problem of piles, to rub the fresh leaf juice of Sawan in affected parts in order to get relief from intense pain. The senior paddy growers of Durg region informed me that in early days, when the medicinal rice varieties were under cultivation in Chhattisgarh, the removal of Sawan from crop fields was not allowed. According to them, the presence of Sawan in crop fields play an important role to increase the medicinal properties of medicinal rice varieties. This is new information for me. Through this article, I would like to request the young researchers working on weeds to focus their studies on this aspect also. The above mentioned traditional medicinal uses of Sawan have not been reported earlier. This article is first written document on this aspect. Unfortunately, I have yet not found the medicinal uses of Sawan in different reference literatures related to indigenous systems of medicine in India. Total 7 species of Echinochloa have been reported in India. In Chhattisgarh, E. colona and E.crusgalli are common. Both species are known as Sawan. I am describing the botany of both species, I have noted from reference literatures. Botanically, E. colona (Syn. Panicum colonum syn. Millium colonum syn. Oplismenus colonum syn. Echinochloa zonalis) is a slender, tufted, quick-growing, annual, having height upto one meter; leaf flat, glabrous, 5-20x4-11 mm; Inflorescence simple racemes, rather distant; spilkelet ovoid or ovate-elliptic, upto 3.2 mm long, Fruit broadly elliptic, Plano-convex. Botanically E. crusgalli (Syn. Panicum crusgalli syn. Milium crusgalli syn. Pennisetum crusgalli syn. Echinocloa hispidula) is a tufted annual, having height upto 1.2 meters; Leaf linear, flat, 7.5-52.0 cm; Inflorescence usually more or less branched, upto 5.0 cm long; spikelet upto 4-8 mm, awn present; Fruit ovoid caryopsis. There are many herbs present in Chhattisgarh, declared by the weed scientists as harmful weeds .Through the articles, I am trying to document the traditional medicinal knowledge about these so called weeds for the future generations. I am confident, that like present generation, the future generation will also not consider these valuable medicinal herbs as weed.

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