MALABAR NUT Adhatoda beddomei Acanthaceae
San:Vasaka, Vasa; Hin:Adusa; Mal:Chittadalotakam; Tam:Adutota; Tel:Addasaramu
Importance
Malabar nut or Adhatoda is a large evergreen glabrous perennial shrub, 1.2m in
height. It is cultivated for medicinal uses, fencing, manure and as an ornamental plant in pots
also. The shrub is the source of the drug vasaka well known in the indigenous systems of
medicines for bronchitis. Vasaka leaves, flowers, fruits and roots are extensively used for
treating common cold, cough, whooping cough, chronic bronchitis and asthma. It has
sedative, expectorant, antispasmodic and anthelmintic actions. The juice of the leaves cures
vomiting, thirst, fever, dermatosis, jaundice, phthisis, haematenesis and diseases due to the
morbidity of kapha and pitta. The leaf juice is especially used in anaemia and haemorrhage,
in traditional medicine. Flowers and leaves are considered efficacious against rheumatic
painful swellings and form a good application to scabies and other skin complaints. Many
ayurvedic medicines are traditionally prepared out of vasaka like vasarishtam, vasakasavam
and vasahareethaki which are effective in various ailments of respiratory system. The drug
VASA prepared from this plant forms an ingredient of preparations like Valiya rasnadi
kasayam, Chyavanaprasam, Gulgulutiktakam ghrtam, etc. The alkaloid vasicinone isolated
from the plant is an ingredient in certain allopathic cough syrups also.
Distribution.
Vasaka is distributed all over India upto an altitude of 2000m. This plant grows on
wasteland and sometimes it is cultivated also.
Botany
Adhatoda beddomei C.B.Clarke Syn. Justicia beddomei (Clark) Bennet belongs to
the family Acanthaceae. This is a large glabrous shrub. Leaves are opposite, ovate, lanceolate
and short petioled upto 15cm long, 3.75cm broad, main nerves about 8 pairs. Flowers are
white with large bracts, flower heads short, dense or condensed spikes. Fruits are capsules
with a long solid base.
Another plant Adhatoda zeylanica Medicus, syn. Adhatoda vasica Nees, Justicia
adhatoda Linn. of the same genus is a very closely related plant which is most commonly
equated with the drug VASA. This is seen growing wild almost throughout India while A.
beddomei is seen more under cultivation. The latter is called Chittadalodakam because of
its smaller stature, smaller leaves and flowers.
Agrotechnology
Vasaka is seen almost in all types of climate. It prefers loamy soils with good
drainage and high organic content. It can be grown well both in hilly and plain lands.
Commercial propagation is by using 15-20cm long terminal cuttings. This is either grown in
polybags first, then in the field or planted directly. The plant is cultivated as a pure crop or
mixed with plantation crops. The land is ploughed repeatedly to a good tilth and the surface
soil is broken upto a depth of 15cm and mixed with fertilizers. The beds are prepared with
1m breadth and 3-4m length. The cuttings are planted during April-May into the beds at a
spacing of 30x30cm. FYM is given at 5-10t/ha in the first year. Regular irrigation and
weeding are necessary. Harvesting is at the end of second or third year. Roots are collected