Statue of Unity – Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat Rain Forest Ektanagar

Justicia adhatoda

Syn. Adhatoda vasica

IUCN Red List Least Concern (LC)

Local name

  • Malabar Nut (English)
  • Arus (Hindi)
  • Ardusi (Gujarati)

Shrub type

Evergreen Deciduous
Family: Acanthaceae
3m

Indicated uses

Medicinal Edible Ornamental Avenue Other

Flowering & fruiting

Flowering Fruiting

Key characters

Justicia adhatoda bark

Bark

Smooth, greyish-brown bark.

Justicia adhatoda leaves

Leaves

Opposite leaves, 10 to 16 cm in length, minutely hairy and broadly lanceolate.

Justicia adhatoda flower

Flower

The flowers are dense white spikes with large green bracts, featuring a two-lipped corolla (hooded upper lip and purple-streaked lower lip), two stamens, and a superior hairy ovary with a long style.

Justicia adhatoda fruit / seeds

Fruit / Seeds

Capsule, clavate (club-shaped), 2–2.5 cm long, longitudinally furrowed, pubescent, 4-seeded, dehiscing elastically by hook-like retinacula (jaculators).

Justicia adhatoda

Did you know?

The genus name Justicia honors the Scottish horticulturist James Justice, while adhatoda comes from the traditional Indian name “Adhatoda” used in Ayurveda.

Distribution

World map showing distribution

Afghanistan to Indo-China