Justicia adhatoda
L.
Acanthaceae
Adhatoda adhatoda (L.) Huth
Adhatoda arborea Raf.
Adhatoda vasica Nees
Adhatoda zeylanica Medic.
Dianthera latifolia Salisb.
Ecbolium adhatoda (L.) Kuntze
Ecbolium latifolium (Benth. & Hook.f.) Kuntze
Gendarussa adhadota Steud.
Common Name: Malabar Nut Tree
Plant growing in a herbal garden in southern India.
Photograph by: Thamizhpparithi Maari
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Plant growing in a herbal garden in southern India.
Photograph by: Thamizhpparithi Maari
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Flowers
Photograph by: Daderot
Public domain
Leaves of young plants
Photograph by: H. Zell
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Flowers
Photograph by: H. Zell
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
General Information
Justicia adhatoda is an erect, evergreen, shrub with few branches to many branches[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
]. It usually grows up to 2.5 metres tall, but exceptional specimens to 6 metres can be found[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
].
Used in traditional medicine, in craftwork etc, it is harvested from the wild. The plant is also often grown in gardens as an ornamental[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Known Hazards
Extracts of the leaves (probably saponins[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
]) are used as fish poisons[
].
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
Range
Eastern Asia - Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka.
Habitat
Found on a variety of sites from moist river banks to dry slopes and disturbed areas, at elevations from sea level to 1,300 metres[
].
Properties
Weed Potential | Yes |
Edibility Rating |      |
Medicinal Rating |      |
Other Uses Rating |      |
Habit | Evergreen Shrub |
Height | 3.00 m |
Pollinators | Insects |
Cultivation Status | Ornamental, Wild |
Cultivation Details
A plant of the drier to wet, lowland tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,300 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 27°c, but can tolerate 12 - 32°c[
]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -1°c, but young growth can be severely damaged at 2°c[
]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 700 - 1,700mm, but tolerates 500 - 4,200mm[
].
Prefers a sunny position, tolerating light shade[
]. Prefers a pH in the range 6.5 - 7.5, tolerating 5.5 - 8[
].
Since it is unpalatable to livestock and has the ability to colonize waste places and disturbed areas, this plant may become a weed when introduced to new areas[
].
Edible Uses
The young tender shoots are boiled and eaten with salt[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Medicinal
The whole plant is antiinflammatory, antispasmodic, febrifuge, pectoral[
1174- Title
- Ethnobotanical Uses of Biofencing Plants in Himachel Pradesh, Northwest Himalaya
- Publication
- Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences 16 (24): 1957-1963, 2013
- Author
- Pankaj Sharma & Usha Devi
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2013
- ISBN
- 1028-8880
- Description
- A brief look at 61 species of plants used in hedging in northwest Himalayas nd their other uses
]. It is used to remove phlegm and as a treatment for excessive menses[
1578- Title
- Medicinal Plants of East and Southeast Asia; Attributed Properties and Uses
- Publication
-
- Author
- Perry L.M. & Metzger J.
- Publisher
- MIT Press; Cambridge, Massachussetts
- Year
- 1980
- ISBN
- 0-262-16076-5
- Description
- A monumental work, detailing the traditional medicinal uses of plants from the region
].
The roots and leaves are widely used in the Ayurvedic and Unani systems of medicine in India and Thailand for treating bronchitis, asthma, fever and jaundice[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
A medicine for setting broken bones, relieving pain, resolving phlegm[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].
The leaves are antiseptic[
,
1578- Title
- Medicinal Plants of East and Southeast Asia; Attributed Properties and Uses
- Publication
-
- Author
- Perry L.M. & Metzger J.
- Publisher
- MIT Press; Cambridge, Massachussetts
- Year
- 1980
- ISBN
- 0-262-16076-5
- Description
- A monumental work, detailing the traditional medicinal uses of plants from the region
].
About 50 g of the freshly collected root is boiled and mixed with cow milk (125 ml), then given orally once a day as a treatment for diabetes[
1386- Title
- An inventory of the ethnobotanicals used as anti-diabetic by a rural community of Dhemaji district of Assam, Northea
- Publication
- Journal of Ethnopharmacology 138 (2011) 345-350
- Author
- Doi Tarak; Nima D. Namsa; Sumpam Tangjang; S.C. Arya; Bhaska
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2011
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
].
The plant is potential anti-diabetic due to the presence of the compounds vasicine and vasicinol[
1386- Title
- An inventory of the ethnobotanicals used as anti-diabetic by a rural community of Dhemaji district of Assam, Northea
- Publication
- Journal of Ethnopharmacology 138 (2011) 345-350
- Author
- Doi Tarak; Nima D. Namsa; Sumpam Tangjang; S.C. Arya; Bhaska
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2011
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
].
The plant is said to have definite expectorant activity and is used in the treatment of bronchitis[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
].
Agroforestry Uses:
The plant is often used in hedges[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. The plant is traditionally grown in living fences in the northwestern Himalayas, where it helps to exclude livestock and other animals; mark out land boundaries; whilst also providing a range of medicinal and other uses[
1174- Title
- Ethnobotanical Uses of Biofencing Plants in Himachel Pradesh, Northwest Himalaya
- Publication
- Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences 16 (24): 1957-1963, 2013
- Author
- Pankaj Sharma & Usha Devi
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2013
- ISBN
- 1028-8880
- Description
- A brief look at 61 species of plants used in hedging in northwest Himalayas nd their other uses
].
The plant is used for reclaiming waste land[
].
Other Uses
The leaves, when boiled with the sawdust of Jack wood (Artocarpus integrifolia), yield a yellow dye[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
].
Extracts of the leaves are used as insecticides and fungicides[
,
1578- Title
- Medicinal Plants of East and Southeast Asia; Attributed Properties and Uses
- Publication
-
- Author
- Perry L.M. & Metzger J.
- Publisher
- MIT Press; Cambridge, Massachussetts
- Year
- 1980
- ISBN
- 0-262-16076-5
- Description
- A monumental work, detailing the traditional medicinal uses of plants from the region
].
The wood is made into beads[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
].
The wood is used for fuel[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
], and a good quality charcoal is made from it[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
].
Propagation
Seed -
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