Indigofera tinctoria - Asita, Nili

Asita, Nili, Indigofera tinctoria

Asita, Nili, Indigo, of which this species is a major source, has a very long history of use as a dye. Because of its fascinating deep blue colour, its great colour fastness to light and the wide range of colours obtained by combining it with other natural dyes, it has been called 'the king of dyes' and no other dye plants have had such a prominent place in as many civilizations as this genus.

Uses

Poisoning, Splenomegaly, Bloating, Worm infestation, Wound healing

Parts Used

Whole plant

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada	ajura, anjooraneeli, bangaali neeli, hennu neeli
Hindi	neel, nil, nil-ka-jhar
Malayalam	madhuparnnika, nilam, nili
Tamil	avuri, avuri ilai, nilam
Telugu	aviri, konda nili
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit	anjanakesika, asita, bhadra, bharavahi, neela, neelinee, nila, nilam, nilapushpika, shyamalika
English	Indigo

Properties

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

Rasa

Tikta (Bitter)

Guna

Laghu (Light), Rooksha (Dry)

Veerya

Ushna (Hot)

Vipaka

Katu (Pungent)

Karma

Kapha, Vata

Habit

Shrub

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
pinnate	alternate	leaflets opposite, 5-22 x 5-12 mm, elliptic to obovate, base and apex rounded, darkening on drying; stipules c. 2 mm long, subulate.

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Bisexual	axillary spicate racemes	Reddish		Flowers 5-7 mm long, red; pedicels c. 1 mm long. Calyx 2-3 mm long, pubescent; lobes narrow lanceolate, acuminate. Petals reddish; standard c. 4 mm long, suborbicular. Ovary 8-12-ovuled, hairy.

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
A Pod	2-3 cm long, c. 2 mm wide		linear, straight or slightly curved, 8-12-seeded.		{{{6}}}

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

• Aravindasavam
• Neelimuladi gulaki
• Neelibhringadi taila
• Gorochanadi gulika
• Maha Panchagavya ghrita

Mode of Propagation

Seeds, Cuttings.

How to plant/cultivate

Seed - pre-soak overnight in warm water and sow in a seedbed with partial shade. Germination takes about 4 days. Semi-ripe cuttings of lateral shoots with a heel. Root cuttings.

Commonly seen growing in areas

Tropical area, Sub tropical area

Photo Gallery

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  Pods and leaves

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  Illustration

External Links

• [1]
• [2]