Azima tetracantha / Yasanku / Needle Bush

Botanical Name : Azima tetracantha
Family : Salvadoraceae
English : Needle bush
Malayalam : Yasanku
A small Spiny scrambling shrub grows up to 2 meters in height. Leaves simple, opposite, elliptic, acute, sessile and shiny, leaves are surrounded by 4 sharp thorns.
Medicinal uses are for , bronchitis, cough, asthma, diabetes. A magical cough medicine can be prepared from this plant, grind and boil a bunch plant with rice powder.
Useful part : Whole plant.

Hemigraphis colorata Blume / Murikootti

Botanical Name : Hemigraphis colorata Blume
Family : Acanthaceae
Commonly available decorative plant.
This is a prostrate herb with rooting branches. leaves 6 to 10 cm long and sparkling silvery violet underneath red purple.
An unbelievable wound healer
It cures fresh wound, cuts, ulcers, inflammation, it is used internally for anemia.
see this study report

Piper longum / Thippali / Long pepper

Botanical Name : Piper longum
Family : Piperaceae
English : Piper longum
Malayalam : Thippli
Piper Longum is a slender, aromatic, climber having perennial woody roots, creeping and jointed stems and fleshy fruits embedded in the spikes.

Piper Longum is most commonly used to treat respiratory infections such as bronchitis, asthma and diseases of the spleen, cough, arthritis, dyspepsia, fever etc

Useful part : Dried spikes, Root.

Ensete superba / Kalluvazha

Botanical Name : Ensete superba
Family : Musaceae
English :Wild plantain, Indian bead
Malayalam : Kalluvazha, Malavazha
Solitary, non suckering. Whole plant dies down after fruit are ripe and new populations originate from seeds. Large "banana" leaves grow up to 8 ft to 12 ft long.
Used for the treatment of kidney and vesical calculi, urinary retentions, burns and scalds, Mensural disorders
Useful parts : seed, fruit, leaf juice

Scoparia dulcis / Kallurukki / Kidney Stone Diluter

Botanical Name : coparia dulcis
Family : Scrophulariaceae
Malayalam : Kallurukki

An errect annual herb grows up to 30 cm in height
In Kerala it is used for the treatment of Kidney Stone
Whole part of the raw plant grind and use for this purpose. It also used for the treatment of inflammation, fever, wounds, ulcer, skin diseases. It increases the activities of plasma insulin. It also used for here

Centella asiatica / Kudangal / Gotu kola / Penniwort

Botanical Name :Centella asiatica
Family:Mackinlayaceae
English :Gotu kola / Pennywort
It grows along ditches and in low wet areas, The stems are slender, creeping stolons, green to reddish green in color, interconnecting one plant to another.

It is a brain tonic, circulatory stimulant and stimulates hair growth. It also used to stimulate appetite, aid digestion, used to treat bowel complaints in children, sores, ulcers and skin problems. It also used for epilepsy, asthma, bronchitis, abdominal disorders, mental retardation etc

It can be used as salad and can be used along with vegetarian dishes. When eaten raw as a salad leaf, it will help maintain youthfulness.
Useful part : The whole plant

Andrographis paniculata / Chiretta plant /Kiriyathu

Botanical name :Andrographis paniculata
Family :Acanthaseae
English :Chiretta plant

An annual herb grows up to 50 cm in height, Bitter in taste. Used to treat dysentery, gastroenteritis. Tonsillitis, cough and bronchitis. infected wounds, pulmonary TB. Pain killer for snake bites , Some people used it for the treatment of Diabetic, and also for fever. Plant stimulates liver

Vasaca small / Malabar nut / Adalodaka

Botanical Name: Adhatoda beddomei
Family : Acanthaceae
English : Vasaca Small / malabar nut

This is an evergreen herb, growing to a height of 80 cms. In Ayurveda the leaves, seeds and the roots are used for treatment of cough, asthma,diseases of eyes, and bleeding diarrhea.The leaves of this plant is bitter.
For coughs, 7 leaves of the plant are boiled in water, strained and mixed with 24 grams of honey. This decoction provides relief. Similarly a confection of Vasaka flowers eaten in doses of 12 grams twice daily relieves cough. About 60 grams of flowers and 180 grams of jaggery should be mixed for preparing this confection.
Intestinal Worms
Its leaves, bark, the root-bark, the fruit and flowers are useful in the removal of intestinal parasites. The decoction of its root and bark in doses of 30 grams twice or thrice a day for 3 days can be given for this purpose. The juice of its fresh leaves can, also be used in doses of a teaspoon thrice a day for 3 days.

Amukkuram(Aswaganda) indian Viagra

Botanica Name :Withania somnifera (Linn.) Dunal.
Family : Solanaceae

It grows as a stout shrub that reaches a height of 150-170cm. It includes in the family of tomato, flowers are greenish yellow,berry like fruits.

It used for nerve weakness, impotency, and arthritis. It has been also used for sexual vitality. Boil Fresh roots of Amukkuram in milk is known as Indian viagra.

KASTHURIMANJAL( Curcuma aromatica) for Acne Pinmple and Skin Diseases

Botanical Name : Curcuma aromatica
Family : Zingiberaceae

known as vanharidra in Sanskrit jangali-haldi in Hindi and kasthurimanjal in Malayalam .

It used for making cosmetics and used for the cure of chronic skin diseases caused by impure blood and acne . The mixture of aromatica powder and Honey is very useful for acne. It is used as appetizer and tonic to women after childbirth. It is also useful against high fever and worm infestation.

Indigo ( Neelayamari) for Hair tonic

Botanical Name : Indigofera tinctoria

Family : Fabaceae

Nilayamari is a reputed drug for the promotion of hair growth. Due to antitoxic property it is also a good remedy for poisons.
Leaves are important in medicine and form a major ingredient of preparations like 'Nilibhringadi oil'.

Ashoka Tree (Sorrowless Tree) for menstrual disorders

Botanical Name : Saraca Indica or Jonesia Ashok
Family : Caesalpaeniaceae
The Lord Buddha was born under this tree in Lumbini. This Tree is being dedicated to Kamadeva the God of Love. This tree is also mentioned in Ramayana.

It is used for the treatment of women in ayurveda. Ayurveda medicine Ashokarishta is very good for menstrual disorders. It also used for making ayurvedic hair oils and baby oils.

Neem Tree (Veppu)

Botanical Name : Azadirachta indica
Family : Meliaceae
Seeds , leaves, flowers and bark of this tree are used for medical preparations.
It is used for preparing Cosmetics, bio-fertilizers, bio-insecticides, it is used for skin care and acne treatment in ayurveda. Its oil is a very good bio-insecticides and also used for treatments veterinary .

Thulasi (Ocimum sanctum)

Thulasi
Botanical Name : Ocimum sanctum
Family : Lamiaceae

Commonly Available All over Kerala. Lot of verities are available. KrishnaThulasi, RamaThulasi, KarpooraThulasi are common. But KrishnaThulasi is most popular.

Welcome to Kerala Medicinal Plants World

Everything you need for your health is available in Nature. Try to find it and preserve it for future. Aim of my site is to introduce some medicinal plants commonly available used in Ayurveda system of medicine.