Akarkara

• Botanical Name(s): Anacyclus pyrethrum (D.C.)

• Popular Name(s): Pellitory, Pyrethrum, Akarkara, Pellitory of Spain, Roman Pellitory, Spanish Camomile

• Parts Used: Root

• Habitat: Akarakara is found in North Africa, in the Mediterranean, Himalayas, north India and Arabian countries.

Description: Akarakara is a perennial plant bearing alternate and pinnate leaves. The plant bears one large flower on the tip of a yellow disk. The root is cylindrical, slightly twisted and bears a tuft of grey hairs.

Uses: Akarakara root is used to relieve toothache. Its gargle is used in partial paralysis of tongue and lips. It is used to cure chronic catarrh of the head and nostrils.

Ague Tree

• Botanical Name(s): Sassafras Officinale

• Popular Name(s): Sassafras,Ague Tree, Cinnamon Wood and Saxifrax

• Parts Used: Bark Root

• Habitat: [[Eastern United States]], from Canada to Florida, and Mexico.

• Description: The tree stands 20 to 40 feet high, with many slender

branches, and smooth, orange brown bark. The leaves are broadly oval, alternate, and 3 to 7 inches long. The flowers are small, and have an inconspicuous, greenish yellow color. The roots are large and woody.

Agropyron Repens

• Botanical Name(s): Agropyron repens

• Popular Name(s): Twitchgrass, Quickgrass, Doggrass

• Parts Used: The rhizome

• Habitat: Couchgrass is native to Europe.

Description: Couchgrass is an invasive weed with creeping rhizomes which enable it to grow rapidly across grassland. Its stems grow up to 120 cm bearing linear leaves which are 15-40 cm long and 1 cm broad at the base. Its flower spikes are 10-20 cm in length and the spikelets are with a length of 2-3 cm and breadth of 5-7 mm.

Uses: Couchgrass is used as a diuretic, demulcent and anti-microbial agent. Its demulcent properties soothe irritation and inflammation. It cures urinary infections such as cystitis, urethritis and prostatitis. Combined with other herbs, Couchgrass is used to treat rheumatism.

Agrimonia Eupatoria

• Botanical Name(s): Agrimonia Eupatoria

• Popular Name(s): Common Agrimony, Sticklewort, Cocklebur, Church Steeples, Odermenning

• Parts Used: The whole herb

• Habitat: Agrimony is found abundantly throughout in Europe, Canada and the United States.

Description: The deep green hairy Agrimony plant has an erect cylindrical and slightly rough stem which grows to a height of 1 or 2 feet, sometimes more. The leaves are numerous and at the bases are often 7 or 8 inches long, but the upper leaves are generally only about 3 inches in length. The flowers are small, arranged closely on slender, terminal spikes.

Agnus Castus

• Botanical Name(s): Agnus Castus

• Popular Name(s): Vitex, Monk's Pepper and Wild Pepper.

• Parts Used: The ripe berries.

• Habitat: Shores of the Mediterranean regions.

Description: Chaste tree is a deciduous shrub with aromatic palmate leaves, divided into 5 or 6 pointed leaflets. Small lilac scented flowers areborne in summer, followed by red-black fruits, which have medicinal and culinary uses.

Aghata

• Botanical Name(s): Achyranthes aspera

• Popular Name(s): Rough Chaff Tree, Prickly Chaff Flower, Apamarga, Adharajhada, Aghada, Aghata, Antisha, Chirchira

• Parts Used: Leaves, seeds and root

• Habitat: Aghada is found in tropical Asia, Africa, Australia and America.

Aghada

• Botanical Name(s): Achyranthes aspera

• Popular Name(s): Rough Chaff Tree, Prickly Chaff Flower, Apamarga, Adharajhada, Aghada, Aghata, Antisha, Chirchira

• Parts Used: Leaves, seeds and root

• Habitat: Aghada is found in tropical Asia, Africa, Australia and America.

Description: Aghada is a perennial herb with a woody base and it grows to a height of .5 - 2 meter. Its leaves are petiolate, opposite and occur in various sizes. Flowers are more than 50 cm in length and are greenish white in colour. The plant possesses ovoid fruits.

African Ginger

• Botanical Name(s): Zingiber Officinale

• Popular Name(s): Ginger, Ardrakam, Shunthi, Adrak, Sunth, Black Ginger, Race Ginger, African Ginger.

• Parts Used: Zingiberaceae

• Habitat: South East Asia and throughout India

Description: Ginger is a perennial root. In tuberous joints, it creeps and increases in size keeping itself under the ground. In spring, the root sends up a green reed, like a stalk, 2 feet high, with narrow lanceolate leaves. The flowering stalk rises from the root and ends up in an oblong scallop spike. Ginger produces flower buds which are white and pink in colour and bloom into yellow flowers

Aesculus Hippocastanum

• Botanical Name(s): Aesculus hippocastanum

• Popular Name(s): Hippocastanum vulgare, Common Horse-chestnut

• Parts Used: Bark and fruit

• Habitat: Horse Chestnut is found in Europe and Asia.

Description: Horse Chestnut is a large deciduous tree with a grayish-green bark and grows to a height of 36 m. Its leaves are opposite; palmately compound, with 5-7 leaflets, each having a length of 10-25 cm. Its flowers are mostly white, with a reddish tinge and the fruits are in the form of green, softly spiky capsule which, generally, contain one nut-like seeds called horse chestnuts.

Uses: Horse Chestnut bark has narcotic and febrifuge properties. It is used in intermittent fevers and externally applied to ulcers. The fruits are used in rheumatism, neuralgia and haemorrhoids.

Horse chestnut herbal remedies are utilized in traditional folk medicine, for the treatment of diarrhea and other disorders of the digestive system caused by infective agents. In fact, herbal teas made from the horse chestnut are traditionally used all over the world for the treatment of many different conditions, which includes disorders such as arthritis and also to treat rheumatic pains and coughs. Topical ointments are also prepared from the herb, and the tea itself is often applied directly on to the skin as a treatment for some kinds of sores and rashes affecting a person. Sunscreens manufactured in the continent of Europe often have a chemical component of the bark-called aesculin, as a vital ingredient, however, at this time, this effective phyto medicine is rarely used for any topical applications.

Aegle Marmelos

• Botanical Name(s): Aegle marmelos

• Popular Name(s): Belae Fructus, Bael, Indian Bael, Bilwa

• Parts Used: Fruit

• Habitat: Bel is found in India. Native to Central and Southern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Burma. It is rarely commercially grown.

Description: Bel plant grows up to a height of 18 meters. The plant bears thorns and fragrant flowers. Its fruits are ovoid shaped, greyish brown in colour and contain numerous seeds. They are 2 1/2 to 3 1/4 inches in diameter. The fruits have faint aromatic odour and mucilagenous taste.

Adrak

• Botanical Name(s): Zingiber Officinale

• Popular Name(s): Ginger, Ardrakam, Shunthi, Adrak, Sunth, Black Ginger, Race Ginger, African Ginger.

• Parts Used: Zingiberaceae

• Habitat: South East Asia and throughout India

Achyranthes Aspera

• Botanical Name(s): Achyranthes aspera

• Popular Name(s): Rough Chaff Tree, Prickly Chaff Flower, Apamarga, Adharajhada, Aghada, Aghata, Antisha, Chirchira

• Parts Used: Leaves, seeds and root

• Habitat: Aghada is found in tropical Asia, Africa, Australia and America.

Description: Aghada is a perennial herb with a woody base and it grows to a height of .5 - 2 meter. Its leaves are petiolate, opposite and occur in various sizes. Flowers are more than 50 cm in length and are greenish white in colour. The plant possesses ovoid fruits.

Achillea Millefolium

• Botanical Name(s): Achillea Millefolium

• Popular Name(s): Yarrow, Milfoil, Nosebleed, Herb Militaris, Thousand Leaf, Thousand Seal, Field Hop, Millefolium.

• Parts Used: Aerial parts

• Habitat: This herb grows in Europe, North America and Asia.

Description: It is a hardy herbaceous pungent perennial and 6-24 inches in height. Finely feathered, bright gray-green leaves and flat heads of small white, pink or red flowers midsummer to autumn. Grows in grassy places, including lawns.

Absinthe

• Botanical Name(s): Artemisia Abrotanum

• Popular Name(s): Wormwood, Absinthium, Green Ginger, Absinthe and Southernwood

• Parts Used: Leaves or flowering tops.

• Habitat: Native to Europe, N. Africa and Western Asia.

Description: The plant grows from 2 to 4 feet in height. The nu