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Vitex agnus-castus - Chaste tree

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Nirgundi, Vitex agnus-castus

Nirgundi is a native of the Mediterranean region. It is one of the few temperate-zone species of Vitex, which is on the whole a genus of tropical and sub-tropical flowering plants. It is widely used in folk medicine, particularly in South and Southeast Asia.

Uses

Headache, Mental disorder, Ear problems, Fever, Chronic arthritis, Liver problems, Swelling of lungs, Diarrhea, Indigestion.

Parts Used

Roots, Flowers, Leaves, Bark.

Chemical Composition

Contains volatile oils, flavonoids, apigenin, luteolin, quercetin, kaempferol, tiliroside, triterpene glycosides including euscapic acid and tormentic acid, phenolic acids, and 3%–21% tannins.[1]

Common names

Language Common name
Kannada Bile-Nekki
Hindi Samhalu, Saubhalu
Malayalam Indrani
Tamil Nirkunnchi, Nallanochi
Telugu Nallavalli, Vavilli
Marathi NA
Gujarathi NA
Punjabi NA
Kashmiri NA
Sanskrit
English Five-Leaved Chaste Tree


Properties

Reference: Dravya - Substance, Rasa - Taste, Guna - Qualities, Veerya - Potency, Vipaka - Post-digesion effect, Karma - Pharmacological activity, Prabhava - Therepeutics.

Dravya

Rasa

Tikta (Bitter), Kashaya (Astringent)

Guna

Laghu (Light), Ruksha (Dry), Tikshna (Sharp)

Veerya

Ushna (Hot)

Vipaka

Katu (Pungent)

Karma

Kapha, Vata

Prabhava

Habit

Shrub

Identification

Leaf

Kind Shape Feature
Simple Compound The leaves are Palmately compound petiole 2:5: 3.8 cm long; mostly trifoliate, occasionally pentafoliate

[2]

Flower

Type Size Color and composition Stamen More information
Bisexual 2-4cm long Bluish-purpleYellow 5-20 Flowers Season is June - August and small, in peduncled cymes

Fruit

Type Size Mass Appearance Seeds More information
Rounded drupe 1 to 3 mm in diameter Calyx cup may show one or two vertical splits Fruit colour light brown to black 2 {{{6}}}

Other features

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

Where to get the saplings

Mode of Propagation

Seeds, Cuttings.

How to plant/cultivate

It prefers a light well-drained loamy soil.[3] It is widely planted as a hedge plant in between the fields and usually not browsed by the cattle.[3]

Commonly seen growing in areas

Tropical area, Sub-tropical region.

Photo Gallery

References

External Links