Andrographis
paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees
Standardized Common
Name: Andrographis
Other Common Names: Indian Chiretta,
Kalmegh, Kariyat, Kiryat
Family: Acanthaceae
Taxonomy: There are about
twenty species in the genus, all native to tropical Asia and most of limited
distribution. No complete modern treatment exists, and much herbarium material
appears to be misidentified. The basionym of A. paniculata, one of two
widespread species, is Justicia paniculata Burm. f.; A. subspathulata
C. B. Clarke is another synonym.
Description: Herb, (30–)40–90 cm
high, branching, erect; stems quadrangular. Leaves opposite, short-petioled or
sessile, lanceolate, 3–8 cm long, (0.75–)1–2(–2.5) cm broad, glabrous; apex
acute to acuminate, often asymmetrical; base cuneate to attenuate.
Inflorescences lax, terminal and axillary panicles or racemes, or flowers
rarely solitary; inflorescence branches subtended by small leaflike bracts,
flowers usually subtended by two linear bracteoles. Flowers bilaterally
symmetrical; calyx fused at base, 5-lobed, the lobes 2.5–4 mm long, narrowly
lanceolate, glandular-pubescent; corolla 7.5–12.5 mm long, white or
purple-spotted or purplish, bilabiate with lips almost as long as corolla tube,
the upper lip 3-lobed, the lower-lip 2-lobed, narrower and reflexed with
purplish color inside near the base; stamens 2, protruding from corolla,
pubescent; filaments fused to corolla, the free part ca. 4 mm long; anthers ca.
2 mm long, bearded, purplish or dark; ovary 2-locular. Fruit a capsule, linear,
(15–)17–20 mm long, laterally compressed, 6–12-seeded; seeds somewhat square in
cross-section, with a wrinkled surface.
Parts
in Commerce:
Leaves and flowers
Identification:
Leaves
- Lanceolate, 3–8
cm long, (0.75–)1–2(–2.5) cm broad
- Base cuneate,
tapering into short petiole or leaf nearly sessile
- Apex acute to
acuminate, often somewhat curved to one side
- Margins entire
or with extremely shallow crenation, giving an inconspicuously notched or
wavy appearance
- Upper surface
dark green; lower surface pale green
- Venation
pinnate, secondary veins curving toward apex; midrib and secondary veins
usually visible on both sides of leaf
- Glabrous or
bearing minute inconspicuous hairs
- Taste bitter
Flowers
- Stem fragments
quadrangular or 4-ridged
- Inflorescences
lax, axillary and terminal racemes or panicles
- Bracts leaflike,
smaller than leaves
- Each flower
usually subtended by two small linear bracteoles
- Sepals 5, 2.5–4
mm long, narrowly lanceolate, acute, fused only at base
- Sepals and
pedicels densely pubescent with fine, long-stalked glandular hairs
- Corolla 7.5–12.5
mm long, bilabiate; upper lip 3-lobed, erect; lower lip narrower, 2-lobed,
reflexed in full flower
- Corolla whitish
to purplish, usually with purplish spots, pubescent
- Stamens 2,
protruding from corolla
- Filaments
pubescent
- Anthers purplish
or dark, with tuft of white hairs below attachment to filament
Adulterants: Reported adulterants
or substitutes include Indoneesiella echioides (L.) Sreemadh. and a
poorly defined species of Swertia (which belongs to the gentian family),
possibly S. cordata (Wallich ex G. Don) C. B. Clarke. The former,
previously known as Andrographis echioides (L.) Nees, often has an
obtuse leaf apex and/or a rounded leaf base, and the leaves may be sparsely
pubescent. The flowers are borne in one-sided axillary racemes and are larger
than those of A. paniculata. Swertia has 4–5 stamens and a
radially symmetrical corolla; the leaves normally have 3 to several main veins
from the base rather than a single midrib.
References:
Ali Moulali D. Acanthaceae. In: Pullaiah T, Ali
Moulali D, eds. Flora of Andhra Pradesh (India), vol. 2. Jodhpur, India:
Scientific Publishers; 1997:688–736.
Hansen B. Notes on Andrographis and Gymnostachyum
(Acanthaceae). Nordic J Bot. 1985;5:353–356.
Hooker JD. The Flora of British India, vol.
4. London: L. Reeve & Co.; 1885.
Indian Drug Manufacturers’ Association. Indian
Herbal Pharmacopoeia. Revised New Edition 2002. Mumbai, India: Indian Drug
Manufacturers’ Association; 2002.
Khanna KK, Tripathi AK, Mudgal V. Acanthaceae. In:
Mudgal V, Khanna KK, Hajra PK, eds. Flora of Madhya Pradesh, vol. 11.
Calcutta: Botanical Survey of India; 1997:279–362.
Rani N, Matthew KM. Acanthaceae. In: Matthew KM, ed.
The Flora of the Tamilnadu Carnatic, vol. 3, part 2. Tiruchirapalli,
India: The Rapinat Herbarium, St. Joseph’s College; 1983:1141–1213.
Saxena HO, Brahmam M. The Flora of Orissa,
vol. 3. Bhubaneswar, India: Orissa Forest Development Corp.; 1995.
Figure 5: a—b, Andrographis
paniculata leaf and flower.
