Indian Medicinal Plants

350 Justicia gendarussa Burm. f.
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Habitat ◮ Throughout greater parts
of India, in waste lands, hedges and
rocky ravines.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Velimungil.
Folk ◮ Had-paata (Bihar), Pramehaharati,
Mokandar. (Madhya
Pradesh).
Action ◮ Plant—used in diarrhoea;
externally for swellings and boils.
Justicia gendarussa Burm. f.
Synonym ◮ Gendarussa vulgaris
Nees.
Family ◮ Acanthaceae.
Habitat ◮ Throughout the greater
part of India and Andaman
Islands.
Ayurvedic ◮ Krishna Vaasaa (blue
var.), Nila-nirgundi, Krishnanirgundi,
Nila-manjari.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Karunochhi,
Vadaikkuthi.
Action ◮ Febrifuge, diaphoretic,
emetic, emmenagogue. Infusion of
leaves—given internally in cephalalgia,
hemiplegia and facial paralysis.
Fresh leaves—used topically in
oedema and rheumatism. Bark—
emetic.
The leaves contain beta-sitosterol,
an alkaloid, lupeol, friedelin and aromatic
amines.
Justicia procumbens Linn.
Family ◮ Acanthaceae.
Habitat ◮ Western Ghats, West Coast
from Konkan to Kerala; abundant
in the rainy season.
Ayurvedic ◮ Parpata (substitute).
Action ◮ The plant contains
naphthofuranones, justicidin A,
B, C, D, G and H, and diphyllin,
which are used for the treatment of
osteoporosis. The flowers contain
peonidine glucoside. Essential oil—
antifungal.
Justica tranquebariensis Linn. f.
Family ◮
Acanthaceae.
Habitat ◮ Deccan, Mysore southwards.
Folk ◮ Sivanarvembu (Tamil Nadu).
Action ◮ Leaves—cooling, aperient;
given for smallpox to children,
bruisedleavesappliedtocontusions.
The alcoholic extract of the aerial
parts yielded several lignans, phytosterols,
brassicasterol, campesterol,
7,22-ergostadienol, stigmasterol, sitosterol,
spinasterol, 28-isofucostil and
a sterol glucoside, beta-sitosterol-3-Oglucoside.
Justica vasculosa Wall. (Eastern Himalayas,
Assam Khasi Hills) is also
used for inflammations.