Vitex Negundo L.
A bushy shrub or small tree ; purple pubescent all over , aromatic . Leaves 3-5 foliolate , palmately compound , rarely unifoliate , petiolate exstipulate ; leaflets lanceolate - elliptic ovate-lanceolate . Flowers bisexual , many , fragrant , purple or lavender . Calyx campanulate , 5 toothed , purplish stripes inside ; Corolla subinfundibular , 5 lobed , 2 lipped , blue , purple or lavender . Fruit drupaceous , obovoid , or subglobose , green , black when ripe .
- Family: Lamiaceae
- Habit: An erect shrub or small tree
- Habitat: Water bodies , grasslands , mixed open forests , recently disturbed land .
- Status : Least Concern
Vernacular names
English - Five-leaf chaste tree
Hindi - Nirgundi
Malayalam - Vennochi
Tamil - Nocchi
Kannada - Nochi
Medicinal Uses
* Anti-inflammatory , antioxidant (Gill. et all., 2015) , antiarthritic , antidiabetic and anti-allergic .
* Analgesic (chattopadhyay et al., 2012 ; Dharmasini et al., 2003)
* Roots of V.negundo are one of the ingredients of drug Dasmula-arista used in colitis , dysentry , diarrhea , fever , vomitting etc .
* Leaves used in ophthalmia , deafness , indigestion , piles , jaundice .
* Leaf juices in curing fever .
* Ripe fruits used in indigestion and to improve vision .
