Amla or Indian Gooseberry is considered an Ayurvedic elixir for skin and hair and is used in Ayurveda for a variety of beauty treatments. Its natural toning and antibacterial action helps prevent acne and spots while adding a healthy glow to the skin. It also treats dandruff, strengthens hair and promotes hair growth while clearing the build-up of impurities from scalp and reducing itchiness. The nutrients present in Amla penetrate into the follicles, making the hair softer, shinier and voluminous. A natural hair and scalp conditioner, it softens and smoothes the hair cuticle making it less prone to breakage.
It is an erect, annual herb, 30-90 cm tall with upper part of stem quadrangular while the Iower part nearly rounded stem.
Leaves are opposite sessile or subsessile, linear-lanceolate or lanceolate, 3-8 cm long, acute, glabrous or minutely puberulous beneath and base cuneate, margin slightly undulate.
Its flowers are white-pink and purple in colour. Stem is short. The rhizome comes out from the cervices of rocks and hangs in the air in sloppy areas. Leaves are 5-30 cm long, glabrous, sparsely hairy in margins, broadly obovate or elliptic, finely or sparsely denticulate or shallowly sinuate-denate.
Stem is erect, lax branching with flexible long branches, purple or light green. Leaves are simple, cauline, opposite, ex-stipulate, petiolate, elliptic ovate to oblong, 4-10 by 2-4 cm glabrous to pubescent, base acute or cuneate, apex obtusely apiculate and lateral nerves 10-12 pairs. Petiole is 1.0- 1.5 cm long.
It is the only species of Centella found in India. Stem is glabrous, pink striated and rooting at nodes. Leaves are fleshy, orbicular to reniform and dentate. Petiole is long,smooth on upper surface and hairy below.
It is a perennial herb with a short hard root stocks;roots often thick, fleshy and cylindrical. The leaves are 15-35 cm long and oblanceolate. The plant is considered endangered species in the country.
Due to its anstringent taste (kashaya rasa) and cool potency (sheet virya) it is used a cardiac tonic (hridya). It is best used to cure chest injuries (kshata), chronic respiratory disorders (kshayhara), reduces cholesterol levels (medohara), diabetes (prameha), useful to relieve wound and ulcers caused by kapha and pitta dosha.
It balances Pitta and Kapha doshas.
Bilav, shandliya, shailush, maloor and shriphal are various synonyms of this bael. It is bitter and astringent
in taste, absorbent, rough, stimulates digestive re, aggravates pitta dosh and pacies vata kapha dosha. It has
light guna, improves digestion and has hot potency.
Guduchi is one main herb with bitter taste. It stimulates digestion and helps in alleviating vata and kapha dosha. Guduchi is benefecial herb to cure constipation and bleeding disorders.it is very good for rejuvenating the body.
It balances all three Doshas : Vata, Pitta and Kapha,
Guggal stem on tapping yield gum which ias called oleo-gum-resin. These reisn yields essential oil contains gugulipid, guggulsterones, myrrhanol and alpha-camphorene.
Guggul contains guggal as main ingredient helps in reduction of ailments like constipation, aging, cholesterol, heart problems, muscles and joint disorders and in removal of toxins from the body.
Leaves are densely clothed with white appressed and long spreading hairs. In nature, seedlings appear after 2-3 showers during July-August. Generally, the seedlings are abundant under the canopy of trees or shrubs. The young seedling grows straight and produces lateral branches during
first week of August. The lateral branches spread in all directions. The flowering starts during first week of August. Fruit formation takes place in the last week of August, while flowering still continues. The dispersal of the seeds takes place from September to December. Plant dries during November – December.
Flowers are small, rose to purple in colour, borne in racemes of 15-20 flowers. Racemes are
very often sessile and short. The fruit is slightly elongated and bracts are much longer. Sepals
are absent or minute (about 0.5 mm long), triangular-ovate acuminate and whitish. Corolla is
very small, about 4 mm long, white; upper petal with narrow wings, inner petals with a purple
or greenish tip. Fruit is 2 mm long and slightly broader, subround-obovate, very obtuse or
subtruncate, obscurely short articulate, rugose when dry and one seeded. Seeds are dark brown
in colour having a bitter acrid and astringent taste.
Flowers are pale blue in colour and flowering occurs from 2-3 years of planting onwards. Pod
is 2.0 - 2.5 cm long with 2 to 5 seeds.
The plant thrives in a dry and sunny climate and is cultivated in the sub-tropical and warm
temperate regions, chiefly in the Mediterranean region
When the plant is young, it is almost completely covered with fuzzy hairs, shed
with age. The leaves are tri-pinnate, ovate, or rhomboid shaped. In young plants, both sides of
the leaves are hairy.
Mucuna pruriens bears white, lavender or purple flowers. Its pods are about 10-20 cm
long and are covered with loose white to creamish hairs that cause a severe itching if they come
in contact with skin. The chemical compounds responsible for the itch are a protein, mucunain
and serotinin. The seeds are shiny black, brown or spotted white in colour
![Bhui-amla (Phyllanthus niruri)]](admin/uploads/BHUMI AMLA.jpg)
Leaves are numerous, sub-sessile,
disticthious, stipulate and paripinnate with small leaflets. The leaflets are oblong, having
nerve obscure and base rounded. Root is stout tortuous and woody.
Flowers are very minute,shortly pedicelled numerous and axillary and yellowish in colour.
Sepals are 5-6, ovate-oblong outer acute, coriaceous with pale margins; disk in both sexes
of glands; male flowers 1-3 pedicelled; female flowers are solitary, larger and erect.
It gives rise to multiple fruit, which is
shining dark green when immature and blackish-green when fully mature. Male spikes are
longer, slender and are 2.5-7.5 cm long. The male spikes are dehiscent and non-productive.
fruits are globose and
spinosus produced during autumn. It consists of 5-12 woody cocci, each with two pairs of hard
sharp spines, one pair longer than the other. Each coccus contains several seeds with
transverse partition between them. The seeds are obliquely pendulous and have hard seed coat.
Its all parts are covered with whitish, stellate trichomes. Branching is extensive;
leaves are simple, alternate or sub-opposite, ovate, entire, basis cunate, 10 cm long. The roots
are stout, long tuberous, fleshy, whitish-brown.
The flowers are greenish-yellow and found in few flowered clustersin axils; pedicels up to 4mm
long. Calyx is 5 mm long and stellately tomentose; teeth 2.5 mm long, linear, acute and form a
deltoid base. Corolla is 8 mm long, divided rather more than ½ - way down; lobes lanceolate,
acute and pubescent outside
(Asparagus racemosus) is a sub erect or
curved prickly shrub. It produces white
tuberous roots. Stem is tall, sub erect,
terete, smooth, white and much branched.
Branchlets are ascending, ashy-white,
grooved and angled. The angles are
minutely scabrid. The spines are 1-2 cm
long, stout and straight. The cladodes are in
dense, slender, filiform & soft.
It is a climbing shrub. Young shoots are
hairy-tomentose. Leaves are oblong deltoid,
obscurely peltate, acuminate, glabrous
above, hairy and reticulate beneath. Petiole
is long. Plant is listed as endangered species
in India
This is an evergreen, large and glabrous
tree. Trunk is straight and erect. Bark is
smooth and ash reddish brown in colour.
Wood is red, hard and heavy. Leaves are
8.0-15.0 cm long, oblong-lanceolate,
acute, red when young, afterwards shining
above, glaucous, rounded at the base and
with close inconspicuous veins. Petioles
are short.
It is a large spreading tuberous, deciduous
climber or twining shrub with very large
tuberous roots. Leaves are pinnately
compound, three foliolate with long
petioles. Leaflets are broadly ovate or
rhomboid, sub-coriaceous, glabrescent
above and densely clothed with silky hairs.
Adrak, is a well-known herb and its root is commonly used as a spice or as a folk medicine. Ginger is believed to be originated from the Indian subcontinent and the Ginger plants that are grown in India shows a great variety of genetic variations. It is hot in nature and tastes pungent or acrid.
Akarkara, is a perennial herb which is usually found in North Africa, Mediterranean regions, Arabian countries, Himalayas in North India. The root of this herb is used in Ayurveda and Siddha medicines from centuries. The root has a pungent efficacy which relieves toothache and promotes flow of saliva, thus making it a popular spice. It produces a tingling effect and heat when applies to the skin. Recent experiments with this medicines on mice has revealed anabolic properties which acts similar to the testosterone hormone in male. Latest studies reveal that Akarkara has aphrodisiac and libido stimulant properties which improves the physical strength and performance in male during physical contact.
Ashoka is an Indian herb which is widely used in medicine. It is an important herb in Ayurveda, used predominantly in bleeding gynecological conditions. The tree is native of India, Malaya and Burma. In fact, Ashoka is a legendary and sacred tree of India. Due to its rich and beautiful appearance, especially the flowers and the shape of the tree, it is generally planted in parks, gardens, temples and royal palace compounds.
Chitrak scientifically known as Plumbagi zeylanica, is one of the most effective digestive herbs of Ayurvedic medical science. It helps remove natural toxins from the intestines and thereby helps boost metabolism. It is primarily used for body weight management and is an excellent remedy to Kapha. It assists proper functioning of the liver and easy digestion of sugar and fats. Chitrak revitalises the body by providing proper absorption of nutrients. It is also useful for pain in joints.
Chirayata is an annual herb which bears purple or blue flowers which is found in temperate Himalayan region. The plant bears pink or white colored sharp pointed fruits and is used in folklore medicines for centuries. The drug Chiretta is procured by the dried aerial part of the plant. It is very pungent, hot, very light and dry and has a cold potency. The name Kiratatikta implies that the herb is utterly bitter in taste. Chirayata is used in Ayurvedic medicines to cure fever and is also used in Tibetian folk medicine. The tonic of Chirayata is used in treating general weakness. It can relieve kapha and pitta doshas.
Devdaru is an Ayurvedic herb very useful in neurological disorders. The oil of deodar is very much useful in curbing headache and arthritis. This is also useful in fever, asthma, pruritus and infested wounds. Devdaru oil is very helpful in treating skin diseases, curbing imbalance and also curing vata dosha like constipation, bloating, paralysis etc. The name Devdaru derived from Sanskrit translates to ‘wood of gods’. It has been given different names in different languages. In English it is called Himalayan Cedar.
Elaichi is also known as cardamom and it has innumerable uses. It is very useful for a number of reasons such as for maintaining good health. It is also said to improve skin and hair quality.
It is packed with nutrition and has immense medicinal value. It has a good amount of protein, vitamin, electrolytes, and minerals.
Gurmar known scientifically as Gymnema sylvestre, is a herb found in tropical forests of southern India. It finds its importance in Ayurvedic medical science as it is known for its ability to suppress the sensation of sweetness. Its leaves, when chewed, prevent the craving for sweet taste for as much as one to two hours. Hence, it has been named Gurmar in Hindi, which translates to ‘sugar-destroyer’. Some of its common names are Periploca of the woods, Gurmari, Miracle fruit and Meshashringi.
Haridra also called Curcuma Longa scientifically is one of the important herbs of Ayurveda medical science. Its spice can be recognized by dazzling yellow colour known as “haldi” in Hindi. This seed can be used in dry as well as fresh form and has a myriad of medical benefits. It is very useful in enhancing complexion and is an ideal skin tonic. It is also used to deal with ulcers and respiratory disorders. Scientists and researchers have studied a lot about the benefits of Haridra’s principle constituent. It is popularly known as Kasturi Manjal or Manjal in the Indian subcontinent.
Haritaki, botanically known as Terminalia Chebula, is a deciduous tree native to southern parts of Asia. It is also called Harad, Hareer and Aralu. It grows up to 30 meters and its leaves are oval in shape. It is an Ayurvedic herb which is mostly used for curing Vata disorders. For curing different disorders, it is used as a home remedy along with different eatables. For vitiating Kapha, it can be consumed with rock salt. You can have it with sugar for curing Pitta disorders.
Juniperus is very amazing and miraculous herb of Ayurveda used to treat various health ailments because of its beneficial medicinal properties. Berries of the plant are mostly used to prepare natural and herbal medicines. The pure extract of berries is also used as a flavoring agent for various foods and drinks.
Juniperus is used to treat various problems and underlying symptoms that are associated with the digestive system. It is a great appetizer and very effective medicine for gastro intestinal problems. Its anti-microbial and anti-oxidant properties help to fight against various infectious conditions inside and outside our body.
Jaiphal (Latin name - Myristica fragrans), also known as Nutmeg, is an evergreen native tree of Indonesia. It is widely grown in tropical regions like China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Caribbean Islands, Sri Lanka, India and South America. The fruit of Jatiphala is known for its fragrance and aroma. Jatiphala is bitter, pungent in taste which is dry, strong and penetrative with hot potency. It is known to balance kapha and vata doshas.
Jatamansi (Latin name - Nardostachys jatamansi), is a flowering plant which is especially found in Himalayas. This is an intensely aromatic herb which is amber colored. Since ancient times, the oil of Jatamansi is used in perfumes, sedatives, herbal medicines and also in religious practices. It is known to reduce insomnia and birth difficulties. This is a very popular herb used since ancient times in Ayurveda and finds its mention in Charaka and Sushruta samhitas.
Karanj (Latinname - Millettia pinnata), a native tree of India which is extensively found throughout the country is an important bio-fuel crop. The oil from this tree is not edible but can produce bio-gas which is extensively used in villages as a substitute for diesel and to run power grid systems to run water pumps. Karanja is a herbal medicine used in Ayurveda which predominantly is used in treating skin diseases. From ancient times, the twigs from this tree is used as a tooth brush.
Karchur scientifically known as Curcuma zedoaria, is an important Ayurvedic herb. It is mostly found in the region of eastern Himalayan ranges and the state of Karnataka in India. This plant is not very different from turmeric plant. It is almost 1.5 feet tall and is pulpy. Flowers of this plant are light yellow coloured and shiny.
Kasni is a perennial herb, also known by the names blue daisy, blue weed, blue sailor, bunk, coffee weed, blue dandelion, & wild endive. It is native to Eastern India. Physicians of the ancient times used this plant to manage numerous common ailments.
Kulthi or Horse Gram is Dolichos biflorus and it comes with a number of health benefits. It is a reddish brown legume that is quite rich in its taste and offers a number of nutritional benefits as well. it is a grain that is quite rich in its content of iron, vitamins and proteins and therefore it is considered the best option for reducing body fats resulting in the reduction of overall weight of the body. Kulthi helps in preventing and curing arthritis and at the same time it also helps in the purification of menstruation. It also possesses dietary fibre in large amounts and therefore helps in balancing the levels of sugar glucose and blood pressure.
Kutki, botanically known as Picrorhiza Kurroa, is a perennial herb found in the Himalayan Ranges. It has been traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicinal system for the treatment of liver related disorders such as hepatitis. It enhances the functioning of liver by normalizing the enzymes present in it. Kutki roots are helpful in bile formation and removing out of the liver. The powdered form of its root when taken with honey can be useful in treating cirrhosis.
Lavang or clove is called Syzygium aromaticum in Latin and it is a spice that is mainly used for flavouring different varieties of foods. It is one of the most distinctive spices that can not only be used for seasoning but also in the form of a very powerful and effective health supplement. Syzygium aromaticum has great many applications and uses. In the modern times, Lavang is used in the form of a useful healing compound that has the capability of offering great relief from a number of medical problems. The dietary herbal use of this spice can help in relieving a number of ailments both external and internal. In the form of a supplement, this spice can be used in its ground form or whole form and even be reduces into an essential oil.
Lodhra scientifically known as Symplocos Racemosa, is one of the most recognized Ayurvedic herbs for curbing women’s health issues. For gynaecological issues like frequently occurring abortion or miscarriage, it is highly recommended.
The scientific name of Makoy is Solalum Nigrum. It is also known as Black Night Shade. It is small, erect, soft and delicate herb of Ayurveda with smooth branches and stems. Black night shade has many medical benefits. Its leaves are effectively used in disorders caused due to indigestion. The direct raw juice of Makoy can be mixed with other juices and is effective in curbing peptic ulcers, flatulence and colitis. The infusion of this plant is quite effective in dysentery and various other stomach problems. To remove phlegm and catarrhal matter from bronchial tubes in patients suffering with asthma, this plant is used.
Manjistha termed as Rubia Cordifolia in Botany, is a highly recognized Ayurvedic herb. Its leaves and stem are the major parts that are used in various medicines. The leaves of this plant have five to seven nerves while the stems are slender and have four angles. The roots of this plant are brownish red in nature and give red dye. Winter season is considered to be the best time to use this herb.
Nagarmotha is bitter in taste and gives a pungent smell. After digestion, it gives a pungent aroma which helps to cure indigestion. It is very useful in increasing appetite. It is said to be quite effective in curing diarrhea as well. It has properties that help a lot in formulating remedies for lung diseases and liver. Some medicines that are used to check obesity contain Nagarmotha as its constituent. Nagarmotha, when added in parpatak and shunthi with boiling water helps in curing fever. It is also helpful to cure constipation, insomnia, erysipelas, blood disorders, epilepsy and other skin diseases. It also helps check infestation of worm.
Neem , the evergreen wonder leaf tree belongs to the Mahogany family, which is native to India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The tree usually grows in tropical and semi-tropical climates. The herb is easily available throughout the year and known for its amazing health benefits. All parts of this tree i.e. root, bark, leaves, stem, gum, flower and seeds are used in traditional medicines to cure numerous ailments like boils, eye diseases, inflammation, infections, fever, skin
Nirgundi, whose botanical name is Vitex Negundo is quite a good muscle relaxant. It helps relieve pain and is anti mosquito. It is also said to counter anxiety and asthma. Hence, it is considered as one of the finest herbs of Ayurveda.Nirgundi is a multi-purpose herb. It can be used both internally and externally. Externally it is used in the form of paste and oil while it is also useful in making medicines that are consumed orally. Various juices, extracts and water decoction are made from Nirgundi.
Saunf is a perennial herb and a flowering plant which blooms yellow flowers. The native plant of the Mediterranean region is now widely naturalized in other parts of the world, especially near the river banks and sea coast. Fruits, fruit, oil and seeds of Saunf are the used parts.
Tulsi a native plant of India, which is considered to be very sacred according to Hindu mythology has great spiritual significance. The plant is widespread and cultivated across Southeast Asia in tropical regions. It is a wonder herb which has amazing spiritual, medicinal and cosmetic values which is revered as an elixir of life.
Tejpatra is a tree native to India, China, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. The tree bears aromatic leaves which are used for medical and culinary purpose. The herb is believed to be widely in use by the Greeks and Romans and they believed that it symbolizes wisdom, peace and protection.
Vacha with Latin name Acrorus Calamus, grows in wetland as monocot plants. Also known as Sweet Flag, the Vacha is used for its sedative, laxative, diuretic, and carminative purposes. The main uses of Vacha, the Acro Calamus, are when dealing with gastrointestinal problems (GI), problems such as ulcers in stomach and kidneys, upset stomach, loss of appetite etc. It is also used to calm down people during anxiety or excessive worries. Reports also say that the Vacha has medicinal properties that help in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and strokes. The powder paste of Vacha is also useful in treatment of certain skin diseases.
Vanshlochan is a variety of bamboo trees. It is long and grows up to 11 meters in height. The width is not much. The bambusa arundinacea variety grows in Asian regions (India, Philippines, Central China etc.) where the temperature is above moderate and humidity is good. It has immense medicinal value in the Indian system of Ayurveda. Chinese system of medicines also use Vanshlochan variety of bamboo to create different types of curing and preventative medicines. A bamboo stick typically consists a stem that is harder outside and softer inside with some leaves. Each part of Vanshlochan has different medicinal values.
Vijaysaar or Pterocarpus marsupium is well-known for the number of medicinal uses. This herb is also popular because it is of good help in lowering the levels of blood sugar. Vijaysaar is a medium to large deciduous tree that generally grows to a height of 30 meters. This tree is found in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Vijaysaar is used widely in Ayurveda for different therapeutic conditions such as diarrhoea, eczema, viriligo, diabetes, obesity and psoriasis. It possesses anti-hyperlipdemic properties that help in the reduction of cholesterol, serum triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein levels within the human body. It even possesses astringent and antibacterial properties that help in treating bruises, cuts and other severe skin conditions.
An
erect, stiff annual herb, up to 1 m tall, branching near the base. Stem angular,
ribbed, thickened, light green or pink covered with short, stiff and slightly rough
hair. Leaves simple, elliptic or obovate, acuminate or rounded at apex and glabrous.
Flowers greenish white, small arranged on terminal 1 axillary spikes. Seeds light
brown, sub cylindrical, pointed at apex and rounded at the base. Flowering and
fruiting in August to December.
Wild all over desertic area in slightly sandy soil or around dumping places, nov.
cultivated also. A deep rooted spreading perennial herb, with a stout root-stock
and many erect or spreading branches. Stem is creeping often purplish. Th(;
leaves are simple, thick and brittle usually whitish and smooth beneath and rough
green on upper surface. Flowers white or pink in long stalked umbels. Fruits
oval. 5-ribbed and green or brown in colour. Flowering and fruiting in through
out the year, but maximum in rainy season.
Commonly on plains, stream banks and in deciduous forests. A small medium size
deciduous tree with tomentose or downy, branches and ash coloured stem. Leaves
are alternate 3-foliolate terminal leaflet largest than lateral ones, obtuse glabrous
above and silky beneath. Flowers bright orange red, large, in dense raceme. Fruit is
a flattened silky pod. The pod contains a single compressed dark brown seed at
apex. Flowering and fruiting in January- June
A succulent, glabrous deciduous climber in gardens with distinct nodes and
iriternodes. The stem is thick, quadrangular, ridged and dichotomously branched
restricted at the nodes. Tendrils long and simple. Leaves thick coriaceous, broadly
ovate smooth on both the surfaces. The flowers are in short cymes and the fruit is
globose berry, 1- seeded and red when ripe. Flowering and fiuiting in July to January
Wet and marshy habitats of the desert area, support this small erect or prostrate,
much branched, hairy annual herb often rooting at the nodes. Simple elliptic leaves,
variable in shape, bright dark green in colour. Flower axillary or terminal,
peduncled and white coloured. Seed small achene and black in colour. Flowering
and fruiting almost through out the year in suitable habitats.
Grows as a weed in damp waste places and cultivated in the gardens. A diffuse
spreading prickly undershrub with long brittle bristles and small thorns on its
stem and branches. The sensitive leaves are bipinnate; pinnae 1-2 pairs. The
flowers are mauve to pink and globose. Fruit s1ightly recurved, straw coloured
pod. Flowering and fruiting throughout the year
Abundant in forests, on dry hj!ls sides, rocky terrain and also cultivated in the
gardens for its flowers. It is a large shrub or small tree with quadrangular
drooping branches. Leaves al'e long ovate, opposite and densely pubescent.
Flowers tubular, fragrant, small white with orange center are arranged in cymes.
Fruit is a compressed, 2-locular capsule with two seeds. Flowering and fruiting
in August to January.
An aromatic annual, slightly brc:nched herb grown as a forage crop and for medicinal
purposes. Leaves are trifolioate. Flowers are yellowish-white in the axil of leaves. Fruit
is a cylindrical pod with long persistent beak with 10-20 seeds. Seeds are greenish
brown with a deep furrow. Flowering and fruiting in November to March.
A densely tufted perennial grass with spongy aromatic roots along river beds and sand
beds particularly in low lying non-saline tracts. Leaves narrow linear, rigid and more
or less hairy downwards. Flowers are arranged in 5 cm long racemes. Fruit a
caryopsis, oblong grain. Flowering and fruiting in August to March.
Flowers, in short axillary clusters, are sweetly fragrant, yellowish-white, 3 mm long
and 5 mm wide. Fruit, seated on a brownish perianth tube, is round-oval, 10–12 mm
wide, fleshy, with a single seed.C Camphor, freely soluble in water, is chiefly distilled
from the root trunk and branches, and is purified by sublimation and condensed into
balls, tablets or sublime powder. Camphor odor is intense, taste pungent and bitter,
followed by a sensation of cold
The tree grows in dry forests of India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal
and Sri Lanka; and is sacred to the goddess of riches, is considered auspicious
(anti-mangalya) and grown in Hindu gardens, and the leaves are used in the worship
of Shiva.XL Leaves are green or dark green in color, smooth, shining and thick with
an aromatic smell and taste; pinnate or ternate; leaflets oblong, broad, lanceolate
and crenulate. Fruits vary in shapes and sizes, which has a very hard rind, becoming
stony when dry, nearly smooth and of a lightish-yellow, cherry-red or brown color.
A large deciduous tree common on plains and lower hills of India,
and southeast Asia; leaves are about 15 cm long and crowded toward the ends of
the branches; nuts or fruits of the tree are rounded but with five flatter sides. Fruit is
externally brown, slightly wrinkled with a small stalk at the bottom. The rind of the
fruit becomes yellow after drying and tastes bitter and astringent. Two varieties, one
with globular fruits, and the other larger and ovate in shape have been described.
The stone (kernel) is hard, oval in shape, of a pale-yellow color, and containing an
almond-like seed
The tree reaches
a height of 25 m or more, and a trunk diameter of 80 cm; leaves alternate, ovate,
5–15 cm long, pointed at the tip and somewhat rounded at the base, with fairly long
stalks. Flowers are somewhat yellow and fragrant and are borne in large numbers in
compound inflorescence. Fruit is yellow, elliptical with five longitudinal ridges, and
about 2–4 cm long and 1–2.5 cm wide.
an erect, branched shrub, reaching a height of
1.5–3 m. Branchlets, lower surfaces of the leaves, and pods are somewhat hairy.
Leaves are 4–7 cm long, about as wide, split about one-third to the base, into two, with
oval, rounded lobes. It blooms and fruits from September to May; flowers are pale
lemon-yellow, usually in pairs on axillary peduncles. The pods are 9–11 cm long,
about 1.5 cm wide, flattened, and contain 6–10 small seeds (
It is a prostrate, sparingly hairy or nearly smooth annual herb found
in open, damp grasslands of India, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Southeast Asian
countries, South Africa, and Australia. Stems are slender, creeping stolons, green to
reddish-green in color, connecting plants to each other; long-stalked, green leaves
are rounded to reniform, 2–5 cm wide, horizontal, more or less cupped, rounded at
the tip, and kidney-shaped or heart-shaped at the base, which have smooth texture
with palmately netted veins; petoles are erect and long. The peduncles occur in pairs
or threes, are less than 1 cm long, and usually bear three sessile flowers; fruits are
clustered at the joints, small laterally compressed and furrowed or ribbed longitudinally; when bruised, the odor is aromatic, taste pungent, nauseous and bitter.
It is a slender, twining, sometimes prostrate or semi-erect shrub. Root
is cylindrical, tortuous, woody and aromatic, 5–18 mm in diameter, seldom branched. Bark is transversely cracked and fissured longitudinally, of a reddish-brown
or dark brown color, sometimes with a slight violet hue when viewed in a strong
light; the wood is yellow and porous. Fresh or freshly-dried roots have a fine odor
of tonka bean or melilot, and a sweet but slightly acrid taste
It grows in moist
deciduous forests from sea level to 4,000 feet, often associated with bamboo plants
[40]. It is an erect subshrub, 15–45 cm high, and seldom as high as 90 cm. Leaves
are 7.5–20 cm long, deciduous, elliptic-lanceolate or obovate, pointed, green on the
upper surface, pale-green on the underside and borne in whorls of 3 or 4. Flowers
are numerous, in terminal or axillary, long-stalked clusters; are tubular, five-lobed,
1–3 cm long, the lobes white, the tube pink; calyx is yellowish at first; at the onset
of fruit-setting, the calyces, pedicels and flowering stalk become bright-red.
A flowering plant that has been cultivated since antiquity, and is now
mainly cultivated in North Africa, Iran, India, Indonesia, China, and the East
Mediterranean . The fruit (inaccurately referred to as seeds) consists of two
mericarps which remain united together when dry, and form an elongated ovoid body
about 6 mm long and 2.5 mm wide in the middle. Each mericarp has five primary
ridges and four secondary, the vittae are six in number, two of them situated on the
commissural side; the seeds are pentangular with rounded angles
It is a perennial herb, that grows in East Indies, India, China,
Indonesia and other countries. The rhizome is tuberous like that of Curcuma longa,
fleshy, aromatic, and of pale-yellow color, and has been described as: “The round
Zedoary is externally greyish-white, heavy, compact, grey, and often horny internally, having a bitter and strongly camphoraceous taste, like that of the long
Zedoary, which it also resembles in odor. The plant blossoms in the hot weather,
just before the rains, when the first leaves begin to appear
This annual plant, as a food and fiber crop, is mainly cultivated in
Central Asia, Egypt, Mediterranean countries, and southern Europe. The capsule,
which is globose, splits into 5 carpels, each containing two seeds separated by a
partition. Seeds, 6–9 mm long, are of a flattened elongated ovoid form, with an
acute edge, and a slightly oblique point blunt at one end. They have a brown glossy
polished surface, which under a lens is seen to be marked with extremely fine pits.
The hilum occupies a slight hollow in the edge just below the apex. When
immersed in water, the seeds become surrounded by a thin, slippery, colorless
mucous envelope, which quickly dissolves as a neutral jelly, while the seeds
slightly swell and lose their polish
The plant is native to Mediterranean countries, India (Gujarat, Rajasthan), and Iran. It is an erect, annual herb growing up to a height of 90 cm; leaves are
distant, 2 or 3 pinnate, the ultimate segments being linear, 1.2–2.5 cm long; flowers
are white growing in compound umbels. The oval-shaped very small fruits, often
referred to as seeds, resemble caraway and cumin fruits, are pale-brown in color with
a bitter and pungent taste, and a flavor similar to anise and oregano. The surface is
highly tubercled, marked with five or ten prominent ridges, the intervening spaces
dark brown; on bruising the odor is strong
A native plant of India, Sri Lanka, and East Indies (south and southeast
Asia). Leaves of this woody vine, becoming a tree, are alternate, elliptical or oval, tip
acute and base irregularly cordate. Flowers simple, minute, white, in catkin-like
spikes; no sepals or petals. The woody vine bears a small berry-like brownish to
grayish-black fruit; fruits occur as drupes, the upper portion globular, acute, pointed,
the lower portion tapering into a thecaphore. Dried unripe fruits are spherical,
wrinkled, grayish-brown to black in color, look similar to black pepper but are easily
distinguished from black pepper by the pedicel at their base; the stalk is formed from
the contraction of the base of the fruit itself. It has aromatic odor with strongly
pungent taste.
Betel is a species of flowering plant in the pepper family Piperaceae, native to Southeast Asia. It is an evergreen, dioecious[1] vine, with glossy heart-shaped leaves and white catkins. Betel plants are cultivated for their leaves which are most commonly used as flavoring for chewing areca nut in so-called betel quid (often confusingly referred to as "betel nut"), which is toxic and is associated with a wide range of serious health conditions.
: A woody vine (climber), native and cultivated in India, Sumatra,
Java, Singapore, Penang, Brazil, and West Indies. Theophrastus mentioned two
types of pepper in the 4th century B.C. and Dioscorides described white pepper,
long pepper and black pepper. Earliest travelers from the West to India found the
pepper vine in cultivation in coastal Malabar
It is a perennial herb that grows up to a height of 1.5 m. The species
is native to the deserts of Iran, mountains of Afghanistan and Turkistan, and is
cultivated in India. In all stages of its growth, every part of the plant exudes, upon
abrasion, a milky juice which is collected and the dried latex (oleogum resin) is
marketed as asafetida. Asafoetida or asafetida (hing) has a fetid smell. The best
hing occurs in tears or flat pieces; the external surface is yellowish, but the fresh
fracture is of pearly white, which on exposure to air becomes bright pink and finally
dirty-yellow
It is native to central and southern Africa, the Indian subcontinent,
Indochina, and parts of China. It is reported to occur throughout India in tropical
wet deciduous forests. The commercial zone of bark extraction falls in the states of
Utter Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Orissa and Bihar. Small quantities of bark
come from Assam and south India, and in Maharashtra, it is found in Ratnagiri
district
A moderate-sized erect, deciduous tree of tropical Asia with smooth,
pinnate leaves 30 to 40 cm long. The bright-yellow flowers are borne in long, lax
racemes, 30 to 50 cm long, on 3 to 5 cm long stalks. The dark-brown, smooth,
shining and pendulous pod is cylinderical, 30 to 60 cm long and about 2.5 cm in
diameter; small, ovoid slightly compressed, smooth, shining and yellowish-brown
seeds are numerous, embedded in black, sweet pulp, completely separated by thin,
tranverse segments
Menthol is an organic compound, specifically a monoterpenoid, that occurs naturally in the oils of several plants in the mint family, such as corn mint and peppermint. It is a white or clear waxy crystalline substance that is solid at room temperature and melts slightly above.
Senna is a small, perennial, branched, drought resistant undershrub growing to a height of 60 – 75 cm.
The leaves and green, immature pods contain glycosides like sennocides A and B, which are extensively used as a laxative particularly for habitual constipation.
Gandhapura , commonly called Indian Wintergreen, Gandhupura, Kolakkai, fragrant wintergreen is an ayurvedic herb loaded with numerous health benefits. The evergreen plant has aromatic leaves that are used in the preparation of many pain-relieving creams.
large genus of more than 660 species of shrubs and tall trees of the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), native to Australia, Tasmania, and nearby islands. In Australia the eucalypti are commonly known as gum trees or stringybark trees. Many species are cultivated widely throughout the temperate regions of the world
Dhataki is deciduous shrub with numerous fluted branches. This shrub has spreading branches reaching height up to 5-12mt. Branches of this shrub are long and multi spreading and stem is fluted and long. Bark of the shrub is smooth and reddish brown in color with very thin and small fibrous stripes. Leaves are about 5-9cm long, oblong or ovate and lanceolate. This shrub bears numerous flowers that are bright red in color. Small flowers of this herb grow singly or in groups along the twigs and branches. Every flower of this herb, borne a tiny stem, slender tube, curved and greenish base. Fruits are capsules about 1cm long, ellipsoid and membranous and it contains very minute, brown colored smooth seeds. Shrub is overloaded with bright red flowers in the month of February to April and its leaves shed off and new leaves appear. Its fruits appear from April to June.
Dalchini is an evergreen tropical tree that hardly reaches to height more than 30 feet and is Bushy.
Leaves of this plant are deeply veined and ovate. The leaves are dark green in color below. The flowers of this plant are small and yellowish to white colored with unpleasant odor and usually grow in bunches. The Fruit is oval shaped and dark purple in color holding seeds inside it. The tree bears dark purple berries too. The bark of younger tree is smooth and pale while bark of older tree is brittle, rough and brownish.
The bark is peeled off after the trees is six or seven years old which is called cinnamon sticks. The inner bark of tree is collected and used as spice. It is usually grounded into powder, Bark and leaves of tree are aromatic.
Its highly scented petals are used for the production of gulkand, a rose petal preserve, that is not only used as a jam, but also to make delicious, cooling drinks
Crataeva nurvala is deciduous, medium sized tree which reaches height up to 50 feet. Leaves of varuna are trifoliate, about 8-12cm long, with oval or ovoid leaflets. Bark of the tree is smooth and brown in color while the branches are white tinged with purple and yellow patches. The flowers are greenish white, light yellowish or creamy colored and are fragrant. Bark contains horizontal wrinkles, smooth and gray in color. Diameter of fruits is 2.5cm, ovoid berries, resembles to lemon changes to red color after ripening. Seeds contain multiple seeds engulfed in fresh yellow pulp. Flowering season of herb is month of March and fruits appear in the month of June.
Stevia is a tender perennial herb that reaches 30.5–80 cm (1–2.5 feet) in height. The oblong aromatic leaves are 2.5 cm (1 inch) long with a prominent midrib and are arranged oppositely along the stems. The small tubular flowers have five white petals and are borne in terminal clusters; the flowers are usually removed to improve the flavour of the leaves. Germination from seed is difficult, and most plants are grown from cuttings. The plant requires rich well-drained soil and thrives in warm humid climates.
Banaba , is a tree native to tropical Southeast Asia. It belongs to the genus Lagerstroemia, also known as Crape Myrtle .
The tree is widely distributed in India, Malaysia, and the Philippines, where it’s known as Jarul, Pride of India, or Giant Crape Myrtle.
Almost every part of the tree offers medicinal properties. For example, the bark is often used to treat diarrhea, while its root and fruit extracts are believed to have an analgesic, or pain-relieving, effect .
The leaves contain over 40 beneficial compounds, of which corosolic acid and ellagic acid stand out. Though the leaves offer a variety of benefits, their ability to lower blood sugar levels appears the most potent and sought after.
Vasaka is tall, dense, evergreen herbaceous shrub. Trunk of this shrub has numerous, long, opposite and ascending branches. This plant contains yellow colored bark. Leaves are lance shaped, oppositely arranged and smooth edged with short petioles. Leaves are bitter tasting and when dried color changes to dull brownish green. The leaves are rich in alkaloid compound vasicine. Inflorescence show dense, large and auxiliary spikes and flowers are usually white and purple in color. Fruits are pubescent with club shaped capsules.
Seed - cooked. Usually roasted or stewed, it can also be ground into a powder and used as a flour, added to breads, vegetables etc, used to make sweetmeats, or crushed and used as a butter or as "tahini". It can also be fermented into "tempeh", ground into a powder and mixed with a sweetener to make "halva", or made into a paste and used as the spread "tahini". The seeds can also be sprouted and used in salads. The seed contains about 21.5% protein, 60.8% fat, 8.9% carbohydrate, 3.4% ash. It is a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids, calcium and vitamins A, B and E. The calcium is absorbed well by the body, making sesame an excellent dietary source. An edible oil is obtained from the seed.
lavender, (genus Lavandula), genus of about 30 species of plants in the mint family (Lamiaceae), native to countries bordering the Mediterranean. Lavender species are common in herb gardens for their fragrant leaves and attractive flowers. The plants are widely cultivated for their essential oils, which are used to scent a variety of products.