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CLASSIFICATION

ORDER	: Lamiales
FAMILY	: Acanthaceae
GENUS	: Justicia L.
SPECIES	: adhatoda L.
BOTANICAL NAME	: Justicia adhatoda L.
SYNONYMS	: Adhatoda vasica Nees
COMMON NAME	: Malabar nut, adulsa, vasaka.
TAMIL NAME	: Eadadad, Adathodai.
HINDI NAME	: Adosa, Bansa.

PLANT DESCRIPTION

HABITAT :  It is a common herbaceous pant, found around the Indian subcontinent. This herb is distributed throughout Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Indonesia, as well in Panama.

HABIT:  A perennial shrub, with branched taproot system. It high up to 2.5 mtr.

LEAVES:  Opposite, elliptic- lanceolate, obtuse or acute at base, entire up to 18cm long. Petiole 1.5-2.5cm long, secondary veins 10-13 pairs.

INFLORESCENCE:  A dense terminal spike up to 7.5cm long on a peduncle up to 8 cm long.

FLOWERS:  Bracteate- leafy bracts, bracteolate – bracteoles leafy and enclose the bud, sub sessile, complete, hermaphrodite, zygomorphic, pentamerous, hypogynous, large, hite. Calyx made up of 5 sepals, polysepalous but slightly conate at the base, quincuncial, pale green in colour. Corolla made of 5 petals, gamopetalous, bilipped, 2/3 bilabiate personate, consisting of a posterior curved lip of two petals and an anterior lip of three petals, anterior most middle petal of the anterior lip is raised and strongly nerved, white, coronary outgrowths are present at the throat of the corolla Androecium of 2 stamens, polyandrous, epipetalous, laterally placed, filaments thick and long, external anther lobe is higher than inner, dithecous, basifixed, introse. Gynoecium bicarpellary,syncarpus, superior, bilocular, carpels medianly placed, one or two ovules in each locule, axile placentation, an ovular disc is present below the ovary, style simple, long hairy, stigma slightly bifid.

FRUIT:  Clavate capsule up to 2cm long and contracted below into a solid stipe.

SEEDS:  1 or 2 in number, size of 5-6 mm. sub orbicular, compressed, glabrous and rugose.

MEDICINAL USES

FOOD ALLERGY:  Eliminates free radical and stimulate digestive fire, hence helps to reduce vomiting sensation and digestive disorders like in food allergic conditions.

NASAL ALLERGY:  Found very effective in breathing problems, cough, and cold, asthma, rhinitis, sinusitis and bronchitis.

SKIN ALLERGY:  It helps to emove intestinal worms, and relieves in generalized pruritis.

DIURETC:  Relieves in hypertension and in kidney related disorders.

IMAGES

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