Witnessed by: Ayurveda
Indian coleus (Plectranthus barbatus), of the Lamiaceae family. Aromatic perennial herb with fleshy tuberous roots; native range: dry sunny slopes of the Indian subtropics and the Himalayan foothills. Globally recognized as gandira, makandi in Sanskrit, patharchur, garmar in Hindi, and Indian coleus, forskohlii in English. The part used is root and tuber. Square velvety stems and pale blue flower-spikes; the tuber golden and strongly aromatic, pungent and camphoraceous.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
INDIAN COLEUS
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- Indian coleus
- Scientific name
- Plectranthus barbatus Andrews
- Family
- Lamiaceae
Form
- Part used
- root and tuber
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Ayurveda
- pungent · bitter (katu, tikta)
Temperature
- Ayurveda
- heating (ushna)
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Ayurveda
- hridya (cardiac tonic), dipana (kindles digestion), shvasahara (relieves wheezing), mutrala (diuretic), medohara (reduces fat)
Cautions
- Contraindications
- caution in pitta-predominant heat, hyperacidity and in low blood pressure owing to its warming, vasodilating pungency
- Toxicity
- well tolerated at usual dose
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