I am writing about herbs in the 2016 April AtoZ blogging challenge. Most of the herbs written in this series are those I have seen or used. My herb for the alphabet J is said to be an excellent remedy for cough and asthama. Having said that, I have not myself used this as a medicine.
Some of you may have guessed, J is for Justicia adhatoda which is commonly called Adulsa and it belongs to the Acanthaceae family. Its flowers are white and resemble the open mouth of a lion! Well, that may sound like an exaggeration but its the closest I can get to describe flower shape in general terms. The petals have pink lines on them which are said to be pathways to guide insects into the flower - this helps in pollination. All plants have their own special mechanisms to attract their respective pollinators. The leaves are lanceolate, opposite and slightly hairy. While the plant is of huge medicinal importance to humans, it is said that goats and other herbivores do not like this foliage as food... The herb grows to be fairly tall and is a native species.
Here are some of my amateur images...
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| Image Source Wikipedia (By ShineB - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0) |
That's it for today.
Happy blogging and take care!
:)
PS: Some authorities have classified Adulsa as a herb and some has a shrub. My blog has benefitted from these differences!
24 comments:
Pretty blossoms! :)
Seena
#AtoZChallenge- J for Just Joking!
Now, I have not seen that flower ever before! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Seena! YOu are up so early everyday!! Thats great! :)
@Shalini - so glad you could stop by my blog. Cheers!
it's such a pretty flower. :)
A Whimsical Medley
Twinkle Eyed Traveller
That's a very unusual theme for A-Z ! Very informative posts.
I'd like to know what it's used for! Pretty flower.
Not sure if those flowers resemble a lion's open mouth but they are nevertheless very beautiful. Never seen this one before.
@theerailivedin from The Era I Lived In
Loved it 😊
M a botany scholar. So glad to have came across your blog..😊
Please drop by
PositiveVibes ✌ http://smartshivani.blogspot.com/2016/04/just-breathe.html
My mom has a green thumb, she has been trying to teach me about various herbs/shrubs/trees in our community garden for months now and I enjoy our sessions together, I have a feeling this blog and theme will be helpful for me in aiding that process of knowledge retention :D
@Rajlakshmi- Thank you for stopping by!
Thank you Samra!
@Bish - I am told this herb is very effective in respiratory ailments like cough. However it is best taken only under expert advice...
@My Era- this herb is seen around Pune. Have a great day!
@Shivani Maurya - So happy to meet a botany scholar and blogger! I am a novice and botany is not really my subject at all! Thanks for stopping by.
@Richa- So happy that your found the blog informative. Do keep visiting! Thanks.
i didn't know about this herb. i like to learn about herbs as a hobby. this adds to my knowledge.
That was a very informative post and well illustrated. Feels good coming back to your blog! :)
So fresh clicks :)
Adorable post .
@dixita011 from
Cafenined words
I wish I had been growing this when I had goats, something they wouldn't eat! Finding Eliza
@djinnia Thank you :)
@Ramya Your words made my day! Thanks :)
Thanks Dixita :)
@Kristin - Hehe.. :) Thanks for stopping by!
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