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StarAnisomeles indica
Synonyms: Ballota disticha, Epimeredi indicus, Anisomeles albiflora, Anisomeles tonkinensis, Anisomeles secunda, Epimeredi secundus, Nepeta disticha, Nepeta indica, Marrubium indicum, Anisomeles indica var. biflora, Phlomis alba, Anisomeles ovata var. mollissima, Nepeta amboinica, Ajuga glabrata, Anisomeles disticha, Anisomeles ovata var. glabrata, Anisomeles ovata var. serratifolia, Anisomeles mollissima, Lophanthus argyi, Ajuga disticha, Anisomeles ovata, Ballota mauritiana, Anisomeles indica var. mollissima, Anisomeles glabrata, Anisomeles cuneata, Anisomeles malabarica var. albiflora, Monarda zeylanica, Ajuga mollissima
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
Anisomeles indica is an important medicinal herb in Ayurvedic and East/Southeast Asian folk traditions. The leaf juice is given to children for colic, dyspepsia and the fever of teething, and the herb is used for its astringent, carminative and tonic properties to treat gastric disorders, intermittent fever, rheumatic arthritis, kidney stones, allergy, sores and inflammation; the aromatic essential oil is also employed. Experimental studies report anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, antipyretic, gastroprotective and sedative-anxiolytic activity that corroborates these traditional uses (Rao et al., 2016).
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Botanical Description
Anisomeles indica is an aromatic annual or short-lived perennial herb of the family Lamiaceae, widely distributed across South, Southeast and East Asia, including India, China and Taiwan, where it grows in open waste ground, scrub, field margins and roadsides. It is an erect, branching plant reaching about 0.5 to 2 metres, with square stems clothed in soft hairs. The opposite leaves are ovate, coarsely and bluntly toothed, wrinkled and softly hairy, and emit a strong scent when bruised owing to their essential oil. The small two-lipped flowers are pale purple to pinkish-violet and are borne in dense whorls arranged in long, interrupted, spike-like terminal inflorescences. The fruit consists of four smooth dark nutlets enclosed in the persistent toothed calyx. The plant is valued throughout its range both for its aromatic foliage and as a common medicinal herb.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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