Medicinal plant details
Withania somnifera(L.) Dunal
(Ashwagandha)
| Common name | Ashwagandha |
| Habit | Shrub |
| Habitat | Semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests, also in the plains |
| Parts used | Root |
Synonyms
| Sr. No. | Synonyms |
|---|---|
| 1 | Alicabon somniferum (L.) Raf. |
| 2 | Hypnoticum somniferum Rodr. ex Boiss. |
| 3 | Physalis flexuosa L. |
| 4 | Physalis flexuosa Wall. |
| 5 | Physalis scariosa Webb & Berthel. |
| 6 | Physalis somnifera L. |
| 7 | Physalis tomentosa Thunb. |
| 8 | Physaloides somnifera (L.) Moench |
| 9 | Withania chevalieri A.E.Gonc. |
| 10 | Withania kansuensis K.Z.Kuang & A.M.Lu |
| 11 | Withania macrocalyx (Chiov.) Chiov. |
| 12 | Withania microphysalis Suess. |
| 13 | Withania mucronata Chiov. |
| 14 | Withania obtusifolia Tackh. |
| 15 | Withania sicula Lojac. |
| 16 | Withania somnifera subsp. obtusifolia |
| 17 | Withania somnifera subsp. somnifera |
Taxonomical information
| Kingdom | Viridiplantae |
| Phylum | Streptophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Solanales |
| Family | Solanaceae |
| Genus | Withania |
| Species | Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal |
Vernacular names
| Sanskrit | Ashwagandha, Turangi-gandha |
| English | Winter Cherry |
| Hindi | Punir, asgandh |
| Kannada | Angaberu, Hiremaddina-gida |
| Marathi | Asagandha, Askagandha |
| Malayalam | Amukkura |
| Bengali | Ashvagandha |
| Tamil | Amukkaramkizangu |
| Telugu | Penneru gadda |
| Urdu | Asgand |
Morphology
Short branched hairy shrub with an height of 30-150 cm. Leaves are ovate, with 4-13 x 2-9 cm in size, margin entire, soft hairs on both sides. Flowers are greenish-yellow, sessile to sub sessile, in axillary clusters of 2-5. Fruits is a red berry covered by a thin persistent sepal. Roots are fleshy and outer region is light brown in colour medulla is white in color
Distribution
Grows effectively in dry regions of South Asia, Central Asia and Africa, particularly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Congo and Jordon. In India, it is cultivated on commercial scale in states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat and Rajasthan
Medicinal uses
Digestive disorder, Rheumatism, Female sterility, Skin disorders, Brain tonic, General debility, Tuberculosis, Insomnia, Cough and cold, Weak immune system, Aging
References
| 1 | Vyas, V. K., Bhandari, P., and Patidar, R. (2011). A comprehensive review on Withania somnifera dunal. Journal of Natural Remedies,11, 1-13. |