Justicia adhatoda L.
| Synonym : | Adhatoda zeylanica Medic. Adhatoda arborea Raf. Dianthera latifolia Salisb. Ecbolium adhatoda (L. |
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| Bangla Name : | Basak. ,Sada basak (Chakma). |
| English Name : | Malabar Nut, Vasaka. |
| Family : | Acanthaceae |
| Disease : | cough, asthma, ague and phthisis,malarial fever and diphtheria. |
| Description : | An evergreen dense shrub, up to 2 m high. Leaves up to 20 x 7.6 cm, elliptic-lanceolate, acute at both ends. Flowers white, 2-liped, in short, dense, axillary pedunculate spikes. Capsule 18 mm long, clavate. |
| Distribution : | Cultivated throughout Bangladesh. |
| Chemical Constituents : | Quinazoline alkaloids, l-vasicinone, adhatodine, vasicolinone, vasicoline, vasicolinine, vasicinine, l-vasicine (peganine), l-vasicol, vasicinol, anisotine and 3-hydorxy anisotine have been isolated from the leaves. They also contain adhatodic acid, betal |
| Uses : | The root, bark and leaves are useful in cough, asthma, ague and phthisis. The extract or juice of the plant makes sputum more fluid and thereby facilitating its removal and breathing. It is also used in bleeding piles. Root has expectorant, antispasmodic, |
| Habit : | Shrub |