Health

Ayurvedic literature identifies Kadali with Musa paradisiaca. Modern botanical taxonomy usually writes the cultivated plantain complex as Musa × paradisiaca L., recognising it as a hybrid associated with Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew currently accepts Musa × paradisiaca as a hybrid within the Musaceae family.

Ayurveda knows this plant as Parijata, botanically identified as Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L. It belongs to the Oleaceae family. Ayurvedic institutions record its flowers, leaves and bark among the parts used medicinally.

Palandu is botanically identified as Allium cepa L. It belongs to the family Amaryllidaceae in modern botanical classification, although older botanical and Ayurvedic references often place it under Liliaceae. Kew’s Plants of the World Online recognises Allium cepa as an accepted species and describes it as a bulbous plant known primarily through cultivation.

Jati, identified in much Ayurvedic literature with Jasminum grandiflorum L., is valued especially for its leaves. Traditional practice associates the plant with wound care, oral health and several skin conditions. Modern research has also begun examining some of these applications.

Known botanically as Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Japa belongs to the Malvaceae family. Modern botanical databases such as Kew currently treat the cultivated plant as Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis. Indian medicinal-plant references continue to widely use the name Hibiscus rosa-sinensis.

Ayurveda values Aparajita for much more than its appearance. The plant has traditionally been associated with Medhya, or support for intellect and mental functions. It is also described in Ayurvedic literature for its Vishaghna, Shothahara and digestive actions.

Ayurveda particularly associates Bhumyamalaki with the liver, digestion, Pitta balance and urinary system. Traditional systems have also used the herb for jaundice, digestive disturbances and several conditions involving excessive heat or Pitta.