Scientific Name
Other Names
Life Form
Synonyms
Family
Medicine - The plant has been used in Ayurveda. The leaves, roots, flowers, and bark have been used to treat coughs, colds, asthma, to liquefy sputum, and as a bronchodilator. They are also used for bronchial catarrh, bronchitis, and tuberculosis (Gulati et al., 2016).
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan
It grows in open forests, scrublands, wastelands, and along roadsides. Tolerates a wide range of elevations.
Its leaves are so bitter that livestock avoid them, as reflected in its Malayalam name meaning "untouched by goats."
It is an erect shrub or small tree growing up to 8 m tall.
Stem is erect and woody, with quadrangular (four-angled) branches when young, becoming rounded with age. The bark is grayish-brown and slightly rough.
Leaves are simple, oppositely arranged on the stem, and lanceolate to elliptic in shape. They are 5-15 cm long and 2-5 cm wide. The upper surface is smooth and glossy green, while the lower surface is paler green with prominent veins. Leaf margins are entire (smooth).
Flowers are borne in white spikes at the terminal ends of branches or in leaf axils. Each flower is small, tubular, and white with a purple or violet blotch on the lower lip. They have five unequal lobes and are about 2-3 cm long.
Fruit is a small, oblong capsule, about 1-2 cm long and 0.5 cm wide. It is green when young, turning brown at maturity, and splits open to release several small, black seeds.
Flowering: Throughout the year, with peaks in March and monsoon season
Fruiting: Follows flowering