Ushna

Description

Ushna at sknatural is Parmelia perlata. It belongs to family “Parmeliaceae”. Generally people use the lichen (whole) beaten into pulp after being boiled or
bruised in mortar. It is Cold and dry in first order with astringency/warm and dry in first order. White color is good quality while black is bad.

In its raw form, black stone flower lacks significant taste or fragrance. Nonetheless, upon exposure to heat, particularly hot cooking oil or ghee, it emanates a unique earthy, smoky flavor and aroma. This characteristic of black stone flower holds particular importance in the tempering process of preparing various Indian dishes.

A prevalent lichen, characterized by large, leafy, sliver-grey thalli, features broad, rounded, and overlapping lobes. These lobes exhibit marginal cilia and linear marginal soralia, containing fine soredia along the edges of mature lobes.

Other names:

Arabic Name(s): Rumman Barri, Shaibat, Shaibah
Urdu Name(s): Chharela, Pathar Ka Phool, Pariyo, Ushna
English Name(s): Usnea (Lichen), Yellow Lichen, Stone Flowers, Rock Moss.

Properties:

Referred as febrifuge, exhilarant, antiseptic, astringent, resolvent, emollient, demulcent (formerly considered more effective) diuretic, sedative, soporific. Externally useful emollient and astringent.

Recommended dosage:

3 to 5 g. Long term use may cause some harmful effects on intestines.

Medicinal uses:

Chharela, with its long-standing tradition, plays a significant role in treating various ailments such as diarrhoea, dysentery, dyspepsia, amenorrhoea, and dysmenorrhoea. It also features in febrifuge preparations, functioning as a cardiacal, stomach, and liver tonic. Additionally, it contributes to refrigerant tonic formulations, not only easing pain but also serving as poultices applied to the renal and lumbar regions, stimulating a copious flow of urine.

Furthermore, Chharela serves as a liniment for headaches and as incense to alleviate headache symptoms. People apply its powder  topically to promote wound healing. It is utilized to resolve inflammations, strengthen vision, and alleviate early-stage epiphoric conditions by properly calcined lichen applied to the eyes. Moreover, it enhances the fragrance of oils used on the head, hair, or body.