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Green Chiretta
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Green Chiretta
ative elliptic Photo: Thingnam Sophia
Common name: Green Chiretta, Kariyat, Creat • Assamese: কালমেঘ kalmegh, মহা-তিতা moha-tita, চিৰতা sirota • Bengali: কালমেঘ kalmegh • Dogri: काला चिर्यात kala chiryata, किर्यात kiryata • Gujarati: કરિયાતું kariyatu • Hindi: हरा चिरायता hara chirayata, कालमेघ kalmegh, कल्पनाथ kalpanath, किरयित् kirayit, महातीता mahatita • Kannada: ನೆಲಬೇವು Nelabevu, ಊರಕಿರಿಯಾತು Urakiriyatu • Konkani: व्हडलें किरायतें vhadlem kiraytem • Malayalam: കിരിയാത്ത kiriyatta, നിലവേപ്പ് nilavepp • Manipuri: ꯚꯨꯕꯇꯤ Bhubati • Marathi: कालमेघ kalamegha, कल्प kalpa, ओले किरायत ole kirayat, पाले किरायत paale kirayat • Mizo: hnakhapui • Nepali: अंकुरि फुल ankuri phul, कालमेघ kalamegha, कलपनाथ kalapnath • Oriya: ଭଦ୍ରତିକ୍ତା bhadratikta, ଭୁଇଁ ନିମ୍ବ bhui nimba, ହୈମ haima, ଶଙ୍ଖିନୀ shankhini, ଶ୍ବେତ ବୁହ୍ନା shweta buhna, ସ୍ଥୂଳପୁଷ୍ପୀ sthulapushpi • Punjabi: ਚਰੈਤਾ charaita • Sanskrit:भूनिम्ब bhunimba, कालमेघ kalamegha, महातिक्ता mahatikta, यवतिक्ता yavatikta • Santali: ᱠᱟᱞᱢᱮᱜᱽᱷ Kalmegh • Tamil: நிலவேம்பு nilavempu • Telugu: నేలవేము nelavemu Source: Names of Plants in India
Botanical name: Andrographis paniculata    Family: Acanthaceae (Acanthus family)
Synonyms: Justicia paniculata
Green Chiretta is an erect annual herb extremely bitter in taste in all parts of the plant. It grows erect to a height of 1-4 ft in moist shady places with smooth leaves and white flowers with rose-purple spots on the petals. Stem dark green, 0.3 - 1.0 m in height, 2-6 mm in diameter, quadrangular with longitudinal furrows and wings on the angles of the younger parts, slightly enlarged at the nodes; leaves glabrous, up to 8.0 cm long and 2.5 cm broad, lanceolate, pinnate; flowers small, in lax spreading axillary and terminal racemes or panicles; capsules linear-oblong, acute at both ends, 1.9 cm x 0.3 cm; seeds numerous, sub quadrate, yellowish brown.
Medicinal uses: Since ancient times, Kariyat is used as a wonder drug in traditional Siddha and Ayurvedic systems of medicine as well as in tribal medicine in India and some other countries for multiple clinical applications. The therapeutic value of Kalmegh is due to its mechanism of action which is perhaps by enzyme induction. The plant extract exhibits antityphoid and antifungal activities.
Identification credit: Prashant Awale Photographed in Imphal & Nagpur.
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