Adusa

A tall, densely branched, perennial evergreen shrub with unpleasant odour, common in wastelands, in rocky places and along the fences. Leaves large elliptic lanceolate, opposite. Flowers born on solitary axillary spikes, white in colour with few purplish marking. Fruit brown, pubescent and four-seeded capsule. Seeds glabrous. Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.

Part used: Whole plant

Usage : Fresh juice 1 decoction, infusion and powder are extensively used as an expectorant, sedative and anthelmintic. The drug ‘vasaka’ is often taken in the form of juice extracted from its leaves mixed with ginger or
honey. Both, leaf powder and decoction effective in bronchitis, severe asthma, tuberculosis, cough, diarrhoea and dysentery. Paste and juice of fresh leaves is beneficial in healing wounds and in skin diseases. The root and stem bark has the same medicinal uses as the leaves. The flowers are used to treat tuberculosis.

Agrotechniques : Propagated through Seeds 1 Stem cuttings, 8-10 cms long with 3-4 internodes. Cutting takes 15-20 days to sprout and 30 days to root after which transplanted at 2x2m, with regular watering and weeding. Whole plant can be cut and dried in the shade.