Justicia adhatoda

Floral Description:

According to flora of Pakistan:

• An erect much branched, gregarious, evergreen shrub, up to 2 (-2.5) m.
• Stem ± quadrangular to nearly terete, young shoots greyish-pubescent Leaves with (1-) 1.5-3.5 (-4.5) cm long petioles; lamina elliptic-lanceolate, 10-20 x 3.5-8 cm, glabrous above, pubescent on nerves beneath, basally attenuate, entire, acuinate.
• Flowers white, c. 3 cm long, nearly sessile, in terminal and axillary spikes, up to 10 cm long, 2.5-3 cm broad; bracts leafy, broadly-elliptic, 1.5-2.5 x (0.8) 1-1.5 (-1.8) cm, pubescent; bracteoles elliptic-oblong to lanceolate, 1-1.5 (-2) x 0.3-0.5 cm, acute, minutely pubescent.
• Calyx 5-lobed, lobes linear-lanceolate, 6-10 x c. 2 mm, acute, puberulous, imbricate.
• Corolla pale-white, tube 1.2-1.5 cm long, pubescent outside, throat villous, limb 2-lipped, upper lip erect, shortly bifid, galeate, lower lip with 3 elliptic, obtuse lobes.
• Stamens 2, filaments 1-1.5 cm long, anthers oblong, basally apiculate.
• Ovary oblong, c. 3 mm long, style 2-2.5 cm long.
• Capsule stipitate, broadly clavate, c. 2.5 cm long, 4-seeded, pubescent.
• Seeds ± orbicular, 2-3 mm across, glabrous.

According to flora of China

• Shrubs to 4 m tall. Branches thickened, ± 4-angled, lenticellate, pubescent when young but soon glabrescent.
• Petiole 0.8-3 cm, puberulent; leaf blade ovate to elliptic-ovate, 7-18 × 2-7 cm, abaxially puberulent, adaxially densely tomentose when young but glabrescent except tomentose along veins, secondary veins 9-12 on each side of midvein and meeting near margin, base broadly cuneate, margin entire, apex acuminate and sometimes slightly falcate.
• Spikes terminal or axillary, ovoid to broadly ovoid, 3-7 cm; peduncle 3-7 cm; bracts imbricate, ovate-oblong, 1-2 × 0.5-1.5 cm, puberulent, 3-7-veined, margin ciliate, apex acute; bracteoles linear-lanceolate, 1-1.4 × ca. 0.4 cm, puberulent, 3-5-veined, margin ciliate, apex acute.
• Calyx 5-lobed; lobes linear-oblong, ca. 10 × 3 mm, margin narrowly scarious and ciliate.
• Corolla white or pink with purplish or pinkish stripes outside, broadly tubular, 2.5-3 cm, outside pilose; tube basally cylindric and ca. 5 mm wide for ca. 5 mm and then slightly inflated and bent upward; upper lip ovate-oblong, ca. 1.8 cm, erect, shallowly 2-lobed; lower lip oblong-circular, spreading, 3-lobed, middle lobe subcircular and ca. 9 × 5 mm, lateral lobes ovate and ca. 8 × 4.5 mm.
• Stamens exserted; filaments ca. 1.5 cm, declinate, glabrous except basally sericeous; anther thecae ellipsoid, ca. 3.5 mm, equal, superposed, lower one spurred at base.
• Ovary pubescent especially at tip; style ca. 2.5 cm, recurved, basal part pubescent;
• Stigma simple.
• Capsule obovoid, 2.5-4 × ca. 0.5 cm. Seeds circular in outline

Pharmacological Activities

Antiphlogistic, antiseptic, antibacterial, febrifuge, abortifacient, antiasthmatic, antiallergic, for setting broken bones, relieving pain, resolving phlegm. Stembark decoction used against intestinal worms. Root paste of Abroma augustum with bark of Adhatoda zeylanica, Gmelina arborea and roots of Amaranthus spinosus applied on forehead in headache. Root, leaves and flowers decoction to treat fever, hemorrhage, cough, asthma, obesity, edema, skin diseases, difficult labor, vomiting, piles, retention of urine, diseases of mouth. Fresh juice of crushed roots given to pregnant woman in case of breech or shoulder presentation for normal child delivery; roots insect repellent; root paste applied to cure eczema. Flower ash with honey given in whooping cough; flowers given in respiratory diseases; leaves and flowers crushed and boiled in ghee and given in cough and cold. Leaves and roots for chronic bronchitis; leaves decoction taken against fever; leaves juice or root decoction given for respiratory diseases; ashed leaves and wood mixed with honey used for coughs and asthma; juice of leaves with ginger juice administered in cough, diabetes and respiratory diseases. Leaf juice of Garuga pinnata mixed with that of Adhatoda vasica, Vitex trifolia and honey and given in asthma. Leaves for bronchitis, leprosy, jaundice; fruit of Aegle marmelos ground together with the leaves of Adhatoda vasica, roots of Cyperus rotundus boiled and taken in menstrual disorders; smoke of the leaves inhaled as cigar in asthma; leaves of Clerodendrum viscosum and Justicia adhatoda crushed and the juice taken for dysentery; leaves infusion drunk for dysentery; leaves powder pesticide, insecticide, against fungal infection. A soup made from bark of Erythrina variegata and leaves of Adhatoda vasica given in cold and cough. Veterinary medicine, crushed leaves to expel intestinal worms and gas; pounded leaves given for epistaxis; for panting, leaves of Datura inoxia with those of Adhatoda vasica pounded and given orally. Magico-religious beliefs, superstitions, on Sunday the devils are near the plant.

Common Names

in English: Malabar nut, Malabar nut tree

in China: da bo gu, ya zui hua

in India: aadaa thoda, aadaathoda, aadaathodai, aadasare, aadsoge, aadu muttada gida, aadu soge, aadu sokada gida, aadusouge, acalai, adadodai, adadodi, adadorai, adalodagam, adalsa, adamkabu, adampaka, adarsa, adarushah, adasara, adasaram, adasaramu, adaso, adasoge-sappu, adathodai, adatodai, addalasa, addasara, addasaram, addasaramu, addasarapaku, adel-odagam, adelodagam, adhadode, adhatodai, adoolsa, adoosa, adosa, adsale, adsuta, adulasa, adulaso, adulsa, adulsi, adulso, adumuttada, adusa, adusa patti, adusage, adusege, adusogae, adusoge, aduthoda, aedamuthandi, akacattamarai, akalatarai, alasoge, alduso, alyoge, amalaka, antarati tamarai, arali, ardusa, ardusa (vasaka), ardush, ardusi, arduso, arus, arusa, arusa (bansa), arusak, arusha, arusi, arusu, asuru, ata-lotakam, atadotai, ataloetakam, atalotakam, atarusa, atarusah, atarusaka, atarusha, atarushamu, atatotai, atatotai ilai, atatotai ver, atatotailacai, atatotaiver, ati, atolotakam, attacaram, attakacam, attakani, attakanicceti, attalotakam, attucam, atusoge, atutotailai, atutotai, baasanga, baelagurige, baesaala, bahaka, baiga, baising, bakas, baksa, bans, bansa, bansa ke pattay, bansapatra, bap-amung, basa, basak, basakdoghi, basango, basauti, bashika, bashing, basinga, basingu, basooti, basti, basute, basuti, baura, bhisahkmata, bhishagmata, bhishangmata, bhrenkar, burg arusa, burg bansa, burg-i-arusa, byalada, calamaram, calavirutcam, camaracam, carati, cati, catikacceti, catikam, chimpangwa, cimmamuki, cimmamukil, cimmuki, cinkakacceti, cinkakam, cinkam, cinkaparani, curacamani, cuvatu, edmuttanditappu, edumuttanditappu, elankacam, gond, irattapittacceti, irattapittakkini, irattapittam, irattapittappuntu, irattapittavakkini, kaatumurungai, kalabansa, kanthiravi, karanai, karanaippavattai, kasanotpatana, kashabu, kattumurungai, kattumurunkai, kavirakacceti, kavirakam, kawl dai, kulingwa, lasak, matrisinhi, mrigendrani, nakankacceti, nakankam, nalotakam, namavaruti, nasa, netumpa, nintavilai, nongm-angkha angouba, nongmangkha, nongmangkha angouba, panchamukhi, pamatuva, pamatuvacceti, pavatai, pedavali, peruntotai, peruntotaicceti, pittacilettumavakkini, pulutinkutori, purkuli, purkulikacceti, raktappittaghni, raktavasa, ramrupaka, rasadani, rus, rusa, safed basoda, simhamukhi, simhasya, simhavadana, simhi, simhika, sinhamukhi, sinhanana, sinhaparni, sinhapatri, sinhasya, sinhi, sinhika, sitakarni, tankilimulam, tatiyattattai, teise, totai, tuvanati, vaca, vacakacuracam, vacakam, vacanti, vacati, vachai, vaidyamata, vaidyamatruvrikshaha, vaidyasinhi, vaittiyamata, vaji, vajidanta, vajidantaka, vajidantakahaatarusha, vajidanti, valiya atalotakam, vansa, vasa (brhat), vasa (= giving perfume), vasak, vasaka, vasakah, vasha, vasika, vasuka, vatakicceti, vetpavattai, vetpavattaicceti, virusam, vrisha, vrishasinhamukhi, vrsa, vrsah, vrsaka, vrysha, yakotevatam, yarancam, yedumuttanditappu

in Lepcha: booshikaa

 in Nepal: asuro, basak

in Thailand: kra niat, kulaa khaao, saniat moraa

in Tibetan: ba-sa, ba sa ka, ba-sa-ka, ba-sha-ka, bri-sa

in Vietnam: xu[aa]n ti[ees]t