Witnessed by: Ayurveda
Rasna (Pluchea lanceolata), of the Asteraceae family. Spreading perennial undershrub of arid ground; native range: dry plains and sandy tracts of north-western India. Globally recognized as rasna in Sanskrit, rasna in Hindi, and rasna in English. The part used is leaves and whole plant. Rough greyish lance-shaped leaves on wiry stems; taste bitter and faintly acrid, warming on chewing.
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.
RASNA
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- rasna
- Scientific name
- Pluchea lanceolata (DC.) C.B.Clarke
- Family
- Asteraceae
Form
- Part used
- leaves and whole plant
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Ayurveda
- bitter (tikta)
Temperature
- Ayurveda
- heating (ushna)
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Ayurveda
- vatahara (foremost antirheumatic), shothahara (anti-inflammatory), amapachana (digests metabolic toxin), vedanasthapana (analgesic), shvasahara (relieves wheezing)
Cautions
- Contraindications
- caution in pitta-predominant inflammation and in bleeding tendencies owing to its heating nature
- Toxicity
- no notable toxicity at therapeutic dose
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