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Malabar Nut
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Malabar Nut
E Native Photo: Thingnam Girija
Common name: Malabar Nut, white vasa, yellow vasa • Assamese: বগা বাহক boga bahok • Bengali: বাসক basak • Gujarati: અરડૂસી aradusi, અરડૂસો araduso • Hindi: अरुस arus, अड़ूसा arusa, प्रामाद्य pramadya, रूस rus, सिंहपर्णी sinh-parni, वाजिनी vajini, विसौटा visauta • Kannada: ಆಡುಸೋಗೆ Aadusoge, ಕರ್ಚಿ Karchi, ಅಡ್ಡಸರ Addasara, ಅಟರುಷ Atarusha, ಅಟರೂಷಕ Atarooshaka, ಅಡಸಲ Adasala, ವಾಸಕ Vaasaka • Konkani: अडूलशा adulasha, अडुलसो adulso, अडुसोगे adusoge • Malayalam: ആടലോടകം aatalootakam • Manipuri: ꯅꯣꯡꯃꯥꯡꯈꯥ ꯑꯉꯧꯕꯥ Nongmangkha angouba • Marathi: अडुळसा adulasa • Mizo: kâwl-dai • Nepali: असुरो asuro, कालो भासक kalo bhasaka • Oriya: basango, vrysha • Sanskrit: अटरुष Atarusa, प्रामाद्य Pra-madya, सिंहास्या Simhasya, वाजिदंत Vaji-danta, वाजिन् Vajin, वासक Vaaska, वसुक Vasuka • Tamil: ஆசலை acalai, ஆடாதோடை atatotai, ஆட்டுசம் attucam, சிம்மமுகி cimma-muki, சிங்கம் cinkam, சுவாது cuvatu, இரத்தபித்தம் iratta-pittam, காட்டுமுருங்கை kattu-murunkai, பாவட்டை pavattai, வாசை vacai, வாசாதி vacati, வைத்தியமாதா vaittiya-mata • Telugu: అడ్డసరము addasaramu
Botanical name: Justicia adhatoda    Family: Acanthaceae (Acanthus family)
Synonyms: Adhatoda vasica, Adhatoda zeylanica

Malabar nut is a small evergreen, sub-herbacious bush which grows commonly in open plains, especially in the lower Himalayas. The Leaves are 10 to 16 cms in length, minutely hairy and broadly lanceolate. A herbal plant which requires very little watering and is an extremely hardy plant is Malabar nut. If there is one herbal plant that needs to be singled out for propagation and planting on a large scale, it would be this one. Adhatoda in Tamil, meaning a plant shunned by herbivorous animals. Propagated easily by cuttings, grows to a height of eight to 14 feet and has attractive white flowers.
Medicinal uses: Adhatoda is useful for curing coughs, colds and asthma and is easy to administer.It has been used for centuries, and is mentioned in Sanskrit scriptures.

Identification credit: Thingnam Sophia Photographed in Delhi & Bangalore.

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