Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants

Anisomeles malabarica

Family: Lamiaceae (Mint family)
Genus: Anisomeles
Botanical name: Anisomeles malabarica
PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
Sanskrit: Mahadronah, Vaikunthah
Hindi: Gopoli, Codhara
English: Malabar Catmint
Malayalam: Karintumpa, Perumtumpa

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Malabar Catmint is a shrubby herb, 0.5-1.5 m tall. Stems are tetragonous, densely villous or woolly. Leaves are ovate to oblong, 3-8 cm x 1.5-3 cm, densely woolly beneath, sparsely hirsute above, hairs 4-celled, petiole 0.5-2.5 cm long, softly woolly. Inflorescence is a single terminal spike, calyx 8.5 mm x 6 mm, longest teeth 3-4 mm long, in fruit 8-10 mm long, teeth hairy inside. Flower up to 1.8 cm long, lower lip about 12 mm x 4 mm, lilac or pale blue, filaments almost at same level, about 8 mm long, style about 1.3 cm long. Nut lets are cylindrical, 1.3 mm x 0.9 mm.
The plant is used for treating infectious diseases, wound healing, intermittent fever, bowel disorder, liver disorders and cancer.