Liñga
Sesamum indicum
Other
scientific names
S. orientale
Common names
Ajonjoli (Span.)
Gingely-oil plant (Engl.)
Lañga (Bik., Tag., Ibn., Bis.)
Lañgis (Pamp.)
Leñga (Ilk.)
Liñga (Tag.)
Linga (Sbl.)
Liñgo (Tag.)
Loñgis (If.)
Luñga (Bis., Sul.)
Sesame, gingely-oil, teel (Engl.)
Botany
· An erect, annual, hairy
herb, 50 to 80 cm in height.
· Leaves: oblong or ovate, 3 to 10 cm long, the lower ones
lobed, the middle ones toothed, and the uppermost subentire, the
leaf stalks from 1 to 5 cm long.
· Flowers: sepals lanceolate 6 to 7 mm long and imbricate.
The corolla is about 3 cm long, hairy and whitish or with purplish,
red, or yellow marks. Stamens 4, inserted.
· Fruits: capsules which are 2- or 4-celled, oblong about
2.5 cm long, erect, and splitting halfway or quite to the base
at maturity. The seeds are small and black.
Properties
Has a high percentage of fixed oil
which can be used as an antirheumatic in massage treatment.
Sweet tasting, neither warming nor cooling.
Seeds are considered emollient, nourishing, tonic, diuretic, and
lactagogue.
Constituents
Fixed oil, 47-59%;
lecithin; choline; phytine; globulin, 22%; sesamin.
Distribution
Cultivated throughout the Philippines.
Occasionally, in open waste places as an escape plant.
Parts used and preparation
· Seeds
· Collect seeds as soon as the
fruits ripen, harvest the above ground portion, sun-dry and collect
the seeds, dry again.
Folkloric
uses:
· Chronic constipation: Take roasted seeds, alone,
with honey, or mixed liberally with other foods.
· Oil extracted from seeds used for massage therapy.
· Juice of the plant used for treating head lice.
· Lotion from leaves and roots used for healthy hair
growth and color restoration.
· Burned stalks applied to hemorrhoids.
· Plaster of ground seeds applied to burns and scalds.
· Leavs with equal parts of sesame
oil and lime water are a popular dressing for burns and scalds.
· Decoction of
seeds with linseed used for coughs.
· Decoction of seeds laxative for children.
· The oil of seed used for treatment of ulcers and
suppurating wounds.
· White seeds promote menstruation.
· Diseases of the kidney or liver
associated with dizziness, tinnitus, and haziness of vision: get
see preparation from 8 to 14 gms and mix with equal volume of
Morus leaf preparation. Powder, add honey and water and drink.
· Alopecia (baldness) due to prolonged illness: fry seeds,
crush and add sugar, then eat 1 to 2 tbsp daily.
· Mucilaginous juice of the plant is used by women to destroy
headlice.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
Cultivated for culinary use.
