(Acanthaceae) Justicia adhatoda L.

Local name(s): ຮູ້​ ຫ່າ (hou ha)

Medicinal use(s): as a narcotic

Part(s) used: leaf; twig

Field Characters: 

Locality: Sayabouri Province, Sayabouri District, Na la Village.

Habitat: 

Altitude:  

Collector(s): S. Bouamanivong, D.T. Kien, M.V. Sinh. 

Collection number(s): LAOS_069

Collection Date: October 21, 1999

Additional information:  

Voucher specimen is in deposit at the Field Museum (F) Herbarium, Chicago, USA under accession no. 2245709.

Project:  ICBG

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Local name(s): 

Medicinal use(s): to treat arthritis, rheumatism 

Part(s) used: whole plant.

Field Characters:  Shrub 1-2 m tall. Leaves simple, alternate.  Flowers white, fruits not found.

Locality: Savannakhet Province, Sepone District, Huay San Village

Habitat: 

Altitude:  704 m asl.

Collector(s): Vilat, B. Southavong 

Collection number(s): LAOS_578

Collection Date: February 27, 2004

Additional information:  

Voucher specimen is in deposit at the Field Museum (F) Herbarium, Chicago, USA under accession no. 2333838.

Project:  ICBG

Synonyms, images, taxonomic description: 


Plants of the World onlineFlora of China Vol. 19 Page 450, 456, 457GBIF | Global Biodiversity Information Facility

Medicinal properties:


Anonymous. Pharmaceutical Roots: Justicia Adhatoda – from ancient medicine to novel drug candidate. Retrieved on September 21, 2025. https://www.lgcstandards.com/US/en/Resources/Articles/Pharma-roots-justicia-adhatoda 

Jayaweera U, Shivashekaregowda NKH, Herapathdeniya SKMK, et al. Ethnopharmacological uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities and toxicity of Justicia adhatoda L.: a review. Discov Plants 2024, 1, 41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44372-024-00042-x  


Khandelwal P, Wadhwani BD, Rao RS, et al. Exploring the pharmacological and chemical aspects of pyrrolo-quinazoline derivatives in Adhatoda vasica. Heliyon 2024, 10(4):e25727. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25727
Musa M, Jan G, Jan FG, et al. (2022) Pharmacological activities and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis for the identification of bioactive compounds from Justicia adhatoda L.. Front Pharmacol 2022,  13:922388. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.922388  
Peron G, Prasad Phuyal G, Hošek J, et al. Identification of hydroxyquinazoline alkaloids from Justicia adhatoda L. leaves, a traditional natural remedy with NF-κB and AP-1-mediated anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidant activity. J Ethnopharmacol 2024, 331:118345. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118345