Witnessed by: Ayurveda
Headache tree (Premna serratifolia), of the Lamiaceae family. Large shrub or small tree with pale corky bark; native range: coastal and deciduous forests of India and Southeast Asia. Globally recognized as agnimantha, tarkari in Sanskrit, arni, agethu in Hindi, and headache tree in English. The part used is root and root-bark, leaves. Serrate paler leaves with a resinous scent and greenish-white flower clusters; the root-bark bitter-pungent and slightly sweet.
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.
HEADACHE TREE
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- headache tree
- Scientific name
- Premna serratifolia L.
- Family
- Lamiaceae
Form
- Part used
- root and root-bark, leaves
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Ayurveda
- bitter · pungent · astringent · sweet (tikta, katu, kashaya, madhura)
Temperature
- Ayurveda
- heating (ushna)
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Ayurveda
- shothahara (anti-inflammatory), dipana-pachana (kindles and completes digestion), vatanulomana (settles downward wind), jvaraghna (antipyretic), mutrala (diuretic)
Cautions
- Contraindications
- caution in pitta-predominant heat and bleeding conditions owing to its warming nature
- Toxicity
- no notable toxicity at therapeutic dose
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