1017

                                   Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.)Nees

Synonym	:	Justicia paniculata Burm.f.
Family	:	Acanthaceae
Local name	:	English         -Andrographis Malayalam  -Kiriyathu
Flowering and fruiting period	:	March-December
Distribution	:	Peninsular India and Sri Lanka
Distribution in kerala	:	All Districts
Habitat	:	Scrub jungles, also in the plains
Uses	:	Medicinal
Key Botanical Characters  : Slender herbs; branches glabrous. Leaves simple, opposite, 9 x 1.5 cm, elliptic, acuminate at apex, base acute, decussate, glabrous.  Corolla 14 mm long, pink or white with purple dots, tube ventricose, hairy, upper lip entire, midlobe of lower lip broader than laterals, acute, glandular-hairy. Ovary puberulus, style hairy. Capsule 20-30 x 3 mm, oblong, acute, hairy; retinacula spoon shaped; seeds 8, glabrous.