Description

Andrographis is the herb of Andrographis paniculata, a flowering plant in the Acanthaceae family. The perennial grows wild in thickets throughout south Asia, although it also may be cultivated. In summer and autumn, clusters of small white flowers appear; it is harvested when the flowers begin to bloom. It is traditionally valued as an herbal remedy in China, where it grows in the Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Yunnan, Sichuan, Jiangsu, and Jianxi provinces.

In Mandarin, andrographis is called chuan xin lian, Yi jian xi and Lan he lian, which translate directly as "thread-the-heart lotus." The Cantonese term is chyun sam ling, and the Japanese call it senshinren. English common names include green chiretta, heart-thread lotus leaf, and kariyat. Its pharmaceutical names, used to distinguish it as a medicine, are Herba Andrographitis Paniculatae or alternately Folium...