Ocimum tenuiflorum (synonym Ocimum sanctum), commonly known as holy basil, tulasi (sometimes

spelled thulasi) or tulsi, is an aromatic perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to the Indian
subcontinent and widespread as a cultivated plant throughout the Southeast Asian tropics.

Tulsi is cultivated for religious and traditional medicine purposes, and for its essential oil. It is widely
used as a herbal tea, commonly used in Ayurveda, and has a place within the Vaishnava tradition of
Hinduism, in which devotees perform worship involving holy basil plants or leaves.

The variety of Ocimum tenuiflorum used in Thai cuisine is referred to as Thai holy basil (Thai: กะเพรา
kaphrao); it is not the same as Thai basil, which is a variety of Ocimum basilicum.

Holy basil is an erect, many-branched subshrub, 30–60 cm (12–24 in) tall with hairy stems. Leaves are
green or purple; they are simple, petioled, with an ovate, up to 5 cm (2.0 in)-long blade which usually
has a slightly toothed margin; they are strongly scented and have a decussate phyllotaxy. The purplish
flowers are placed in close whorls on elongate racemes.

The three main morphotypes cultivated in India and Nepal are Ram tulsi (the most common type, with
broad bright green leaves that are slightly sweet leaves), the less common purplish green-leaved
(Krishna tulasi) and the rare wild "vana tulsi".

DNA barcodes of various biogeographical isolates of tulsi from the Indian subcontinent are now
available. In a large-scale phylogeographical study of this species conducted using chloroplast genome
sequences, a group of researchers from Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, have found that this
plant originates from North-Central India. The discovery might suggest the evolution of tulsi is related
with the cultural migratory patterns in the Indian subcontinent.
Terminalia bellirica, known as bahera or beleric or bastard myrobalan, (Arabic: beliledj ‫بليلج‬,Sanskrit:
Bibhitaka बबबबबब,[2] Aksha बबबब[3]), is a large deciduous tree common on plains and lower hills
in Southeast Asia, where it is also grown as an avenue tree. The basionym is Myrobalanus bellirica
Gaertn. (Fruct. Sem. Pl. 2: 90, t. 97. 1791). William Roxburgh transferred M. bellirica to Terminalia as "T.
bellerica (Gaertn.) Roxb.". This spelling error is now widely used, causing confusion. The correct name is
Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb.

The leaves are about 15 cm long and crowded toward the ends of the branches. It is considered a good
fodder for cattle. Terminalia bellirica seeds have an oil content of 40%, whose fatty-acid methyl ester
meets all of the major biodiesel requirements in the USA (ASTM D 6751-02, ASTM PS 121-99), Germany
(DIN V 51606) and European Union (EN 14214). The seeds are called bedda nuts.

In traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine, Beleric is known as "Bibhitaki" (Marathi: "Behada or Bhenda")
(Terminalia bellirica). Its fruit is used in the popular Indian herbal rasayana treatment triphala. In
Sanskrit it is called bibhītaka बबबबबब. In India, Neemuch (A Town in Malwa Region of Madhya
Pradesh) is a major trading centre of De-Skinned Baheda & Whole Fruits of Terminalia Bellirica .
Terminalia Bellirica is widely collected in wild in Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh and is traded in
Neemuch APMC Yard.

According to Dymock, Warden, Hooper: Pharmacographia Indica 1890 :

"This tree, in Sanskrit Bibhita and Bibhitaka (fearless), is avoided by the Hindus of Northern India, who
will not sit in its shade, as it is supposed to be inhabited by demons. Two varieties of T. belerica are
found in India, one with nearly globular fruit, 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter, the other with ovate and much
larger fruit. The pulp of the fruit (Beleric myrobalan) is considered by Hindu physicians to be astringent
and laxative, and is prescribed with salt and long pepper in infections of the throat and chest. As a
constituent of the triphala (three fruits), i.e., emblic, beleric and chebulic myrobalans, it is employed in a
great number of diseases, and the kernel is sometimes used as an external application to inflamed parts.
On account of its medicinal properties the tree bears the Sanskrit synonym of Anila-ghnaka, or "wind-
killing." According to the Nighantus the kernels are narcotic."

In the Charaka Samhita, the ancient Ayurvedic text, Bibhitaki fruits are mentioned as having qualities to
alleviate disease, and bestow longevity, intellectual prowess and strength. There are several "rasaayan"
described in the Charaka Samhita, that use Bibhitaki.
Terminalia arjuna is a tree of the genus Terminalia. It is commonly known as arjuna[1] or arjun tree in
English,[2] thella maddi in Telugu, kumbuk in Sinhala, marudha maram in Tamil and neer maruthu in
Malayalam. Hole Matthi in Kannada.

The arjuna grows to about 20–25 metres tall; usually has a buttressed trunk, and forms a wide canopy at
the crown, from which branches drop downwards. It has oblong, conical leaves which are green on the
top and brown below; smooth, grey bark; it has pale yellow flowers which appear between March and
June; its glabrous, 2.5 to 5 cm fibrous woody fruit, divided into five wings, appears between September
and November.

The arjuna is usually found growing on river banks or near dry river beds in Bangladesh, Uttar Pradesh,
Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and south and central India.[1][3] It is known as matthimara in Kannada,
neer maruthu in Malayalam 'marutha maram' (marutham pattai) in Tamil,[4][5] thella maddi (बबबबब
बबबबब)

in Telugu and kohda in Rajasthan.

The arjuna is one of the species whose leaves are fed on by the Antheraea paphia moth which produces
the tassar silk, a wild silk of commercial importance.

The arjuna was introduced into siddha by saint Agastiyar through his prose Gunavakatam and in
Ayurveda as a treatment for heart disease by Vagbhata (c. 7th century CE).[7] It is traditionally prepared
as a milk decoction.[7] In the Ashtānga Hridayam, but was also mentioned in many ancient Indian vedas,
and was a known practice for thousands of years, passed down by tradition, before vagbhata mentioned
it in his writings. Vagbhata mentions arjuna in the treatment of wounds, hemorrhages and ulcers,
applied topically as a powder. The Arjuna plant (lat. Terminalia arjuna) has traditionally been used to
treat heart disease for centuries, which is why it got the nickname “Guardian of the heart.” The hero of
the famous epic “Mahabharata”, was named after this tree because of its protective effects.

In Theravada Buddhism, Arjuna is said to have been used as the tree for achieved enlightenment, or
Bodhi by the tenth Buddha (title) called "Anomadassi Buddha".
Andrographis paniculata, commonly known as creat or green chireta,[2] is an annual herbaceous plant in
the family Acanthaceae, native to India and Sri Lanka.

It is widely cultivated in Southern and Southeastern Asia, where it has been traditionally used to treat
infections and some diseases. Mostly the leaves and roots were used for medicinal purposes. The whole
plant is also used in some cases.

The plant grows as an erect herb to a height of 30–110 cm (12–43 in) in moist, shady places. The slender
stem is dark green, square in cross-section with longitudinal furrows and wings along the angles. The
lance-shaped leaves have hairless blades measuring up to 8 cm (3.1 in) long by 2.5 cm (0.98 in). The
small flowers are pink, solitary, arranged in lax spreading racemes or panicles. The fruit is a capsule
around 2 cm (0.79 in) long and a few millimeters wide. It contains many yellow-brown seeds. The seeds
are subquadrate, rugose and glabrous. The flowering time is September to December.

The species is distributed in tropical Asian countries, often in isolated patches. It can be found in a
variety of habitats, such as plains, hillsides, coastlines, and disturbed and cultivated areas such as
roadsides, farms, and wastelands. Native populations of A. paniculata are spread throughout south India
and Sri Lanka which perhaps represent the center of origin and diversity of the species. The herb is an
introduced species in northern parts of India, Java, Malaysia, Indonesia, the West Indies, and elsewhere
in the Americas. The species also occurs in the Philippines, Hong Kong, Thailand, Brunei, Singapore, and
other parts of Asia where it may or may not be native. The plant is cultivated in many areas, as well.

Unlike other species of the genus, A. paniculata is of common occurrence in most places in India,
including the plains and hilly areas up to 500 m (1,600 ft), which accounts for its wide use.

In India the major source of plant is procured from its wild habitat. The plant is categorised as Low Risk
or of Least Concern by the IUCN. Under the trade name Kalmegh, on average 2,000–5,000 tonnes
(2,200–5,500 tons) of the plant is traded in India.

The plant does best in a sunny location. The seeds are sown during May and June (northern
hemisphere). The seedlings are transplanted at a distance of 60 cm (24 in) x 30 cm (12 in).

A. paniculata has been used in Siddha and Ayurvedic medicine,[5] and is promoted as a dietary
supplement for cancer prevention and cure. There is no evidence that it helps prevent or cure cancer.

In the traditional medicine of India, A. paniculata has also been used for jaundice therapy.

Evidence is inconclusive for whether Andrographis paniculata is of any help in treating respiratory tract
infections.
Phyllanthus emblica, also known as emblic,[1][3] emblic myrobalan,[1] myrobalan,[3] Indian
gooseberry,[1][3] Malacca tree,[3] or amla[3] from Sanskrit amalaki is a deciduous tree of the family
Phyllanthaceae. It has edible fruit, referred to by the same name.

The tree is small to medium in size, reaching 1–8 m (3 ft 3 in–26 ft 3 in) in height. The branchlets are not
glabrous or finely pubescent, 10–20 cm (3.9–7.9 in) long, usually deciduous; the leaves are simple,
subsessile and closely set along branchlets, light green, resembling pinnate leaves. The flowers are
greenish-yellow. The fruit is nearly spherical, light greenish-yellow, quite smooth and hard on
appearance, with six vertical stripes or furrows.

Ripening in autumn, the berries are harvested by hand after climbing to upper branches bearing the
fruits. The taste of Indian emblic is sour, bitter and astringent, and it is quite fibrous. In India, it is
common to eat emblic steeped in salt water and red chilli powder to make the sour fruits palatable.

In the Sanskrit Buddhist tradition, half an amalaka fruit was the final gift to the Buddhist sangha by the
great Indian emperor Ashoka. This is illustrated in the Ashokavadana in the following verses: "A great
donor, the lord of men, the eminent Maurya Ashoka, has gone from being lord of Jambudvipa [the
continent] to being lord of half a myrobalan" (Strong, 1983, p. 99).[4] In Theravada Buddhism, this plant
is said to have been used as the tree for achieving enlightenment, or Bodhi by twenty first Buddha
named Phussa Buddha.

In traditional Indian medicine, dried and fresh fruits of the plant are used. All parts of the plant are used
in various Ayurvedic medicine herbal preparations, including the fruit, seed, leaves, root, bark and
flowers. According to Ayurveda, amla fruit is sour (amla) and astringent (kashaya) in taste (rasa), with
sweet (madhura), bitter (tikta) and pungent (katu) secondary tastes (anurasas). Its qualities (gunas) are
light (laghu) and dry (ruksha), the postdigestive effect (vipaka) is sweet (madhura) and its energy (virya)
is cooling (shita).

In Ayurvedic polyherbal formulations, Indian gooseberry is a common constituent, and most notably is
the primary ingredient in an ancient herbal rasayana called Chyawanprash.

Pratapgarh is one of the largest producers and suppliers of Indian gooseberries. In this region, the fruit is
commonly pickled with salt, oil, and spices. The amla fruit is eaten raw or cooked into various dishes. In
Pratapgarh, tender varieties are used to prepare dal (a lentil preparation), and amle ka murabbah, a
sweet dish made by soaking the berries in sugar syrup until they are candied. It is traditionally consumed
after meals.

In the Batak area of Sumatra, Indonesia, the inner bark is used to impart an astringent, bitter taste to
the broth of a traditional fish soup known as holat.
Asparagus racemosus (satavar, shatavari, or shatamull, shatawari) is a species of asparagus common
throughout India and the Himalayas. It grows 1–2 m (3 ft 3 in–6 ft 7 in) tall and prefers to take root in
gravelly, rocky soils high up in piedmont plains, at 1,300–1,400 m (4,300–4,600 ft) elevation.[2] It was
botanically described in 1799.[1] Because of its multiple uses, the demand for Asparagus racemosus is
constantly on the rise. Because of destructive harvesting, combined with habitat destruction, and
deforestation, the plant is now considered "endangered" in its natural habitat.

Shatavari has small pine-needle-like phylloclades (photosynthetic branches) that are uniform and shiny
green. In July, it produces minute, white flowers on short, spiky stems, and in September it fruits,
producing blackish-purple, globular berries. It has an adventitious root system with tuberous roots that
measure about one metre in length, tapering at both ends, with roughly a hundred on each plant.

Shatavari is important in traditional Ayurvedic medicine. Extracts made from dried roots are used for
various reproductive and hormonal issues in women.[3][4][5] It is also used in cases of gastric ulcers and
indigestion.[3][6]

Despite its long history of use in Ayurveda, few studies exist to support health effects of shatavari.[4]
Studies of its effects on lactation have shown mixed results.[7] Its safety has not been well studied,
however small trials have found no adverse effects in mothers or their babies.[7] The key pharmacologic
constituents of shatavari are steroidal saponins, mucilage, and alkaloids.

Asparagamine A, a polycyclic alkaloid was isolated from the dried roots[8][9] and subsequently
synthesized to allow for the construction of analogs.

Steroidal saponins, shatavaroside A, shatavaroside B, filiasparoside C, shatavarins, immunoside, and

schidigerasaponin D5 (or asparanin A) were isolated from the roots of Asparagus racemosus.

Also known is the isoflavone 8-methoxy-5,6,4'-trihydroxyisoflavone 7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside.

Gmelina arborea, (in English beechwood, gmelina, goomar teak, Kashmir tree, Malay beechwood, white
teak, yemane[2] ), locally known as gamhar, is a fast-growing deciduous tree, occurring naturally
throughout greater part of India at altitudes up to 1,500 meters. It also occurs naturally in Myanmar,
Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and in southern provinces of China. Since the 1960s, it has been
introduced extensively as fast-growing timber trees in Brazil, Gambia, Honduras, the Ivory Coast,
Malaysia, Malawi, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Sierra Leone. It is also planted in gardens and avenues.

Gmelina arborea is a fast-growing tree, which grows on different localities and prefers moist fertile
valleys with 750–4500 mm rainfall. It does not thrive on ill-drained soils and remains stunted on dry,
sandy or poor soils; drought also reduces it to a shrubby form. The tree attains moderate to large
heights of up to 30 m, with a girth of 1.2 to 4 m. It has a chlorophyll layer just under the outer bark,
which is pale yellow on the outside and white inside.

Gmelina arborea wood is pale yellow to cream-coloured or pinkish-buff when fresh, turning yellowish
brown on exposure and is soft to moderately hard, light to moderately heavy, lustrous when fresh,
usually straight to irregular or rarely wavy grained and medium course textured. Flowering takes place
during February to April when the tree is more or less leafless whereas fruiting starts from May onwards
up to June. The fruit is up to 2.5 cm long, smooth, dark green, turning yellow when ripe and has a fruity
smell.

This tree is commonly planted as a garden and an avenue tree; growing in villages along agricultural land
and on village community lands and wastelands. It is light demander, tolerant of excessive drought, but
moderately frost hardy. It has good capacity to recover from frost injury. Gamhar trees coppices very
well with vigorous growth. Saplings and young plants need protection from deer and cattle.

In India, Gmelina arborea occurs extensively from the Ravi eastwards in the sub-Himalayan tracts,
common throughout Assam and adjoining areas of northern West Bengal, also in southern Bihar and
Odisha, sporadically found in western and southern India and planted elsewhere on a large scale.
Gamhar most commonly occurs in West Bengal forests in mixed forests.

Lignans, such as 6" - bromo - isoarboreol, 4-hydroxysesamin, 4,8-dihydroxysesamin, 1,4-

dihydroxysesamin (gummadiol), 2-piperonyl-3-hydroxymethyl-4-(α-hydroxy-3,4-methylenedioxybenzyl)-
4-hydroxytetrahydrofuran and the 4-O-glucoside of 4-epigummadiol, can be isolated from the
heartwood of Gmelina arborea.[7] The parent compounds are arboreol or gmelanone.

Umbelliferone 7-apiosylglucoside can be isolated from the root.

Five constituents, isolated from the heartwood of G. arborea, (+)-7′-O-ethyl arboreol, (+)-paulownin, (+)-
gmelinol, (+)-epieudesmin and (−)-β-sitosterol, show antifungal activity against
Aegle marmelos L., commonly known as bael (or bili[3] or bhel[4]), also Bengal quince,[2] golden
apple,[2] Japanese bitter orange,[5] stone apple[6][7] or wood apple,[5] is a species of tree native to the
Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.[2] It is present in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malesia as a
naturalized species.[2][8] The tree is considered to be sacred by Hindus.

Bael is the only member of the monotypic genus Aegle.[8] It is a deciduous shrub or small to medium-
sized tree, up to 13 m tall with slender drooping branches and rather shabby crown.

The bark is pale brown or grayish, smooth or finely fissured and flaking, armed with long straight spines,
1.2–2.5 cm singly or in pairs, often with slimy sap oozing out from cut parts. The gum is also described as
a clear, gummy sap, resembling gum arabic, which exudes from wounded branches and hangs down in
long strands, becoming gradually solid. It is sweet at first taste and then irritating to the throat.

The leaf is trifoliate, alternate, each leaflet 5-14 x 2–6 cm, ovate with tapering or pointed tip and
rounded base, untoothed or with shallow rounded teeth. Young leaves are pale green or pinkish, finely
hairy while mature leaves are dark green and completely smooth. Each leaf has 4–12 pairs of side veins
which are joined at the margin.

The fruits can be eaten either fresh from trees or after being dried and produced into candy, toffee, pulp
powder or nectar.[8] If fresh, the juice is strained and sweetened to make a drink similar to lemonade. It
can be made into sharbat or Bela pana, a beverage. Bela Pana made in Odisha has fresh cheese, milk,
water, fruit pulp, sugar, crushed black pepper, and ice. Bæl pana, a drink made of the pulp with water,
sugar, and citron juice, is mixed, left to stand a few hours, strained, and put on ice. One large bael fruit
may yield five or six liters of sharbat. If the fruit is to be dried, it is usually sliced and sun-dried. The hard
leathery slices are then immersed in water. The leaves and small shoots are eaten as salad greens.

The bael tree contains furocoumarins, including xanthotoxol and the methyl ester of alloimperatorin, as
well as flavonoids, rutin and marmesin; a number of essential oils; and, among its alkaloids, á-
fargarine(=allocryptopine), O-isopentenylhalfordinol, O-methylhafordinol.[11] Aegeline (N-[2-hydroxy-
2(4-methoxyphenyl) ethyl]-3-phenyl-2-propenamide) is a constituent that can be extracted from bael
leaves.

Aeglemarmelosine, molecular formula C16H15NO2 [α]27D+7.89° (c 0.20, CHCl3), has been isolated as an
orange viscous oil.
Bacopa monnieri (waterhyssop, brahmi,[1] thyme-leafed gratiola, water hyssop, herb of grace,Indian
pennywort[1]) is a perennial, creeping herb native to the wetlands of southern and Eastern India,
Australia, Europe, Africa, Asia, and North and South America. B. monnieri is an herb used in Ayurveda. In
2019, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned manufacturers of dietary supplement
products containing Bacopa monnieri against making illegal and unproven claims that the herb can treat
various diseases.

Bacopa monnieri is a non-aromatic herb. The leaves of this plant are succulent, oblong, and 4–6 mm
(0.16–0.24 in) thick. Leaves are oblanceolate and are arranged oppositely on the stem. The flowers are
small, actinomorphic and white, with four to five petals. Its ability to grow in water makes it a popular
aquarium plant. It can even grow in slightly brackish conditions. Propagation is often achieved through
cuttings.

Bacopa monnieri is one of the most widespread varieties of the Bacopa species. It commonly grows in
marshy areas throughout India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, China, Pakistan, Taiwan, Vietnam, tropical and
southern Africa, on Madagascar, in Australia, in the Caribbean as well as in Middle and South
America.[1] It is also found in Florida, Hawaii and other southern states of the United States where it can
be grown in damp conditions by a pond or bog garden.

Bacopa monnieri is used in Ayurvedic traditional medicine to improve memory and to treat various
ailments.[7] Preliminary clinical research found that Bacopa minnieri may improve cognition.

The most commonly reported adverse effects of Bacopa monnieri in humans are nausea, increased
intestinal motility, and gastrointestinal upset.

In 2019, the FDA issued warning letters to manufacturers of dietary supplements containing Bacopa
monnieri that advertised health claims for treating or preventing stomach disease, Alzheimer's disease,
hypoglycemia, blood pressure, and anxiety were unproven and illegal. The FDA stated that Bacopa
monnieri products have not been approved for these or any medical purposes.

The best characterized phytochemicals in Bacopa monnieri are dammarane-type triterpenoid saponins
known as bacosides, with jujubogenin or pseudo-jujubogenin moieties as aglycone units.[10] Bacosides
comprise a family of 12 known analogs.[11] Other saponins called bacopasides I–XII were identified. The
alkaloids brahmine, nicotine, and herpestine have been catalogued, along with D-mannitol, apigenin,
hersaponin, monnierasides I–III, cucurbitacin and plantainoside B.
Justicia adhatoda, commonly known in English as Malabar nut, adulsa, adhatoda, vasa, or(बबबब)
vasaka,[2][3] is a medicinal plant native to Asia, widely used in Siddha Medicine, Ayurvedic, homeopathy
and Unani systems of medicine.

The plant's native range is the Indian subcontinent (Assam, Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka), Laos
and Myanmar. It has been introduced elsewhere.

Justicia adhatoda is a shrub with lance-shaped leaves 10 to 15 centimeters in length by four wide. They
are oppositely arranged, smooth-edged, and borne on short petioles.[6] When dry they are of a dull
brownish-green colour. They are bitter-tasting. When a leaf is cleared with chloral hydrate and
examined microscopically the oval stomata can be seen. They are surrounded by two crescent-shaped
cells at right angles to the ostiole. The epidermis bears simple one- to three-celled warty hairs, and small
glandular hairs. Cystoliths occur beneath the epidermis of the underside of the blade.

The trunk has many, long, opposite, ascending branches, where the bark is yellowish in color. Flowers
are usually white and the inflorescence shows large, dense, axillary spikes. Fruits are pubescent, and are
with club-shaped capsules.

The leaves of Justicia adhatoda contains phytochemicals such as alkaloids, tannins, saponins, phenolics
and flavonoids.[8] The most important is vasicine, a quinazoline alkaloid.[4] The vasicine yield of the
herbage has been measured as 0.541 to 1.1% by dry weight.

This shrub has a number of traditional medicinal uses in Siddha Medicine, Ayurvedic and Unani systems
of medicine.Drug vasaka is obtained from dried leaves of the plant. Vasaka is mainly used in treatment
of chronic bronchitis and asthma. Leaf juice is given in the treatment of dysentery and diarrhoea.