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CLASSIFICATION

ORDER	:  Lamiales
FAMILY	:  Acanthaceae
GENUS	:  Justicia L.
SPECIES	:  simplex D. Don.
BOTANICAL NAME	:  Justicia simplex D. Don.
SYNONYMS	:  ---
COMMON NAME	:  Simple Justicia
TAMIL NAME	:  ---
HINDI NAME	:  ---

PLANT DESCRIPTION

HABIT:  Simple Justicia is a wiry perennial herb.

STEM:  Stems prostrate and rooting at the nodes, thinly bifariously velvet-hairy.

LEAVES:  Leaves are ovate-elliptic, 1.5-3 x 0.7-1.7cm, pointed, narrowed at base, thinly hairy on both surfaces; leaf-stalk 0.3-1.2 cm.

FLOWERS:  Flowers are borne in short, simple, hairy spikes, at branch-ends, sometimes slightly interrupted below, 1.5-5 x 0.5-1 cm, flower-cluster-stalk 2-4 cm. Bracts are similar to and equalling sepals. Sepal-cup is about 6 mm, 5-lobed with one lobe reduced in size, sepals linear-lanceshaped, scarious-margined with green midrib. Flowers are pink,about 6 mm, hairless except for a few hairs on lip, lower lip bent downwards, very shallowly lobed. Anthers do not protrude out.

FRUIT:  Capsule are about 6 mm, hairless or with few hairs on tip.

MEDICINAL USES

Justicia simplex D. Don. belonging to the family of Acanthaceae has been traditionally used for treatment of rheumatism, inflammation and bronchitis.

The plant is traditionally considered as an anticancer medicine and is used by healers of Karnataka to treat various types of cancers.

IMAGES

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