Rohitaka means a healer. This is quite a well reputed plant and found in most ayurvedic classics. But its botanical identity is often regarded as controversial. More than three quite different plants have been given this same name in the literature. But its identity is clearly indicated by its rural and descriptive names such as rohera (as Chakrapani, a commentator on Charaka gives), dadima cchada and dadimapushpaka (with leaves and flowers like that of dadima). All of these are undoubtedly applicable to another plant botanically called Tecomella undulata seem (roheda in Hindi).
However this plant is restricted to the Western India and Deccan. It is very likely that because of this reason, another plant called Aphanamixis polystachya (wall) parker (which was previously called Amoora rohitaka W & A ) has been used particularly in the Eastern parts of India.
This Aphanamixis polystacliya (wall) parker comes under the family Meliaceae, to which neem belongs. This is also a large sized tree growing to a height of thirty to seventy feet, bearing an extensive canopy of green and dense leaves.
Leaf is also big and of the size of one to three feet. Leaflets are from three to nine inches long and nearly two inches broad. Fruits are slippery, shining, round, somewhat like that of neem and yellow in colour orsometimes reddish slightly and fleshy. Seeds contain an oil which is extracted and used medicinally as in neem.
It is also called tikta raj (the king of the bitters). pitta raj (the royal medicine for pitta doshas), roda and rayana in Sanskrit; harm hada in Hindi and muncha kunda in Telugu.
This is probably a native of Sikkim Himalayas but is also found in many parts of theEastern India.
The bark of the stem and the oil from the seed are the parts of the tree that are used medically.
The bark is pungent, astringent, restorative, in fact a rasayana (or elixirising) and strengthening. This has been found useful in such afflictions like the enlargement of spleen and liver and also in tumour and stomach troubles.
However it is probably correct to presume that what is described as rakta rohita in ayurvedic claissics mainly refers to Tecomella udulata Seem and the pharmaceutical proprietory drugs or Yogas they mention mostly use this plant as their ingredient. But, this does not reduce the value of Aphanamixis polystachya (wall) Parker.in any way.
Here is an instance of a substitute drug which has caused some confusion in a few quarters. This can however be easily clarified by a careful scrutiny of all the factors involved. Such cases of confusion in the minds of modem readers are quite a few in the literature on Ayurveda.