Family: Acanthaceae
Synonym:Adhatoda vasica Nees, Adhatoda zeylanica Medik.
Bengali/Vernacular name: Bashak, Alok bizak (Bengali); Bashak hata (Noakhali).
Tribal name: Sada basak (Chakma), Alok-bizak (Garo), Tumpang (Lushai), Dasiban (Marma), Tumpang (Pangkhoa), Bosa (Rakhaing), Sadioruiccha (Tanchangya), Basak (Tripura).
English name: White dragon’s head, Malabar nut.
Description of the plant: An evergreen dense shrub, up to 2.7 m high. Leaves large, elliptic or oblanceolate, 8-16 cm long, 2-4 cm wide, acute at both ends, entire.Flowers white, 2-lipped, in short, dense, axillary pedunculate spikes. Fruit a capsule, clavate.
Plant parts used: Leaf.
Herbal uses: Extracted fresh juice is taken thrice a day (two tea spoons amount each time) for three days to treat bronchitis.
Paste prepared from the leaves of the plant is applied to the affected are to treat wounds, bone fracture, andrheumatism.
Fresh juice extracted from the leaves of the plant is given for the treatment of diarrhoea, and dysentery.
Powdered leaves are used to treat malaria.
30 ml of the juice prepared from the leaves of the plant is taken thrice a day with honey for relieving irritable cough.
The juice extracted from the leaves of the plant is taken thrice a day (10 ml amount each time) until the jaundice is cured.
Powder prepared from the leaves of the plant is given for the treatment of asthma.
Distribution: It is very common and found throughout the country.
Is this plant misidentified? If yes, please tell us….
