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Indigofera tinctoria - Asita, Nili

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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 [1]

Parts Used

Whole plant

Chemical Composition

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

[2]

Properties

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

Dravya

Rasa

Tikta (Bitter)

Guna

Laghu (Light), Rooksha (Dry)

Veerya

Ushna (Hot)

Vipaka

Katu (Pungent)

Karma

Kapha, Vata

Prabhava

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.

[3]

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}}}

Other features

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

[4]

Where to get the saplings

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. [5]

Commonly seen growing in areas

Tropical area, Sub tropical area

Photo Gallery

References

  1. Uses
  2. Vernacular names
  3. Botonic description
  4. Ayurvedic preparations
  5. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Cultivation details

External Links