Description
Stone Flowers
Latin name: Parmelia perlata
Sanskrit / Indian name: Shaileyam
- Parmotrema perlatum, commonly known as black stone flower or kalpasi, is a species of lichen used as spice in India
- The species occurs throughout the temperate Northern and Southern Hemispheres
- Typically used in meat dishes like nahari, Bombay biryani, Goat meat stews, it is also used in vegetarian dishes
- It is one of the ingredients in East Indian Bottle Masala, used for cooking Meats, fish and vegetables
General information:
Stone Flowers are lichens growing in rosettes or spreading irregularly over the substratum, which gives the appearance of a flower. It is mainly composed of fungal mycelia, which forms a network enclosing algal cells.
The plant has astringent, bitter, acrid, cooling, anti-inflammatory and aphrodisiac properties.
Usnic acid is the key active component of Stone Flowers, which have antimicrobial and anti fungal properties.
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