Andrographis echioides, Gopuram tangi, Pitumba

Andrographis echioides (L.) Nees
Family: Acanthaceae
Common name: False Water willow
Gujarati: Kalukariyatun
Malayalam: Pitumba
Marathi: Ranchimani
Oriya: lavalata
Tamil: Gopuram tangi

Description: Erect herbs, 10-50 cm high. Whole plant villous. Leaves opposite decussate, 3-5 x 0.6-1.8 cm, elliptic oblong, obtuse to round at apex, attenuate at base. Inflorescence axillary, short unilateral racemes, simple or 1-2 branched, as long as or shorter than leaves. Calyx deeply 5-lobed; lobes 0.8-1 cm long, linear. Corolla tube 0.8-1 cm long, white, 2-lipped; lip with violet blotches; upper lip 2-lobed, 0.6-0.8 cm long, lower c. 0.8 cm long, 3-lobed. Stamens 2; filaments broad, hairy at base; anthers 2-celled. Style slender; stigma 2-fid. Capsules 0.8-1.2 cm long, 0.25-0.3 cm wide, compressed, broadened towards tip, attenuate at base, sparsely hairy towards tip. Seeds 0.15-0.2 cm across, black, pitted without; retinacula spiny.

Used  in  Sidha.  Whole  plant  pounded  in  mustard  oil  and paste  applied  on  snakebite,  also  whole  plant  dried  and powdered, mixed with water and drunk; whole plant decoction  in  fever,  dysentery,  stomachache  and  liver  disorders. Leaves  juice  used  as  a  febrifuge,  cathartic,  anthelmintic,  laxative,  alterative,  stomachic,  antimalarial;  leaf  paste applied  to  cure  headache;  leaves  decoction  given  in  fever and jaundice, against intestinal worms and for constipation.  Properties and uses of this plant considered similar to those of Andrographis paniculata. [CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants]

22 Published articles of Andrographis echioides
1.    Seed germination studies on Andrographis echioides Nees Alagesaboopathi, C. and S. Balu, Crop Research (Hisar), 1996. 12(3): p. 383-386.
2.    Notes on the seedling morphology of Andrographis echioides Nees (Acanthaceae) from Tamilnadu Alagesaboopathi, C. and S. Balu, Journal of Plant Anatomy and Morphology (Jodhpur), 1997. 7(2): p. 181-182.
3.    Studies on the Anti-Inflammatory, A.a.A.P.o.A.e.N.B., S. K., M. Rupeshkumar, and K. Kavitha, International Journal of Pharmacology, 2009. 5(4): p. 251-256.
4.    Hepatoprotective and antioxidant effect of Andrographis echioides N. against acetaminophen induced hepatotoxicity in rats Basu, S.K., M. Rupeshkumar, and K. Kavitha, Journal of Biological Sciences, 2009. 9(4): p. 351-356.
5.    ANDROGRAPHIS-ECHIOIDES NEES (ACANTHACEAE) - A NEW RECORD FOR BANGLADESH Begum, M. and M.S. Khan, Bangladesh Journal of Botany, 1994. 23(2): p. 257-259.
6.    Conservation status of wild medicinal plants in Satpura plateau of Madhya Pradesh. III. Ampelocissus indica L. Planch, A.a.L., Andrographis echioides (L.) Nees, Andrographis paniculata Nees., Anisomeles indica (Linn.) Oktza Chaubey, O. P., B. Vijay, and S. Jyoti, Vaniki Sandesh, 2007. 31(3): p. 16-20.
7.    Morphogenetic Studies and Antibacterial Potentialities of Andrographis echioides (L.) Nees Chithra, S. and O.P. Saj, Journal of Pure and Applied Microbiology, 2010. 4(1): p. 397-400.
8.    Rapid Isolation and HPTLC Validated Method for the Quantification of Echioidinin-5-O-beta-D-Glucopyranoside in Andrographis echioides Ghule, B.V. and P.G. Yeole, Jpc-Journal of Planar Chromatography-Modern Tlc, 2012. 25(6): p. 575-580.
9.    CHEMICAL EXAMINATION OF ANDROGRAPHIS ECHIODES .I. STRUCTURE AND SYNTHESIS OF ECHIODININ Govindac.Tr, et al., Tetrahedron, 1965. 21(9): p. 2633-&.
10.    Evaluation of in vitro seed germination and micropropagation techniques in Andrographis echioides (L.) Nees Hemalatha, P. and E. Vadivel, International Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2010. 6(1): p. 209-212.
11.    Standardization of Micropropagation Techniques in Andrographis echioides (L.) Nees Hemalatha, P., et al., Advances in Plant Sciences, 2011. 24(1): p. 13-15.
12.    Identification of secondary metabolites and determination of antifungal activity in Andrographis echioides Hemalatha, P., et al., Journal of Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Sciences, 2010. 32(3): p. 277-278.
13.    Dihydroechioidinin, a.f.f.A.e.J., B., et al., Phytochemistry, 1999. 52(5): p. 935-937.
14.    Androechin, a.n.c.g.f.A.e.J., B., et al., Journal of Asian Natural Products Research, 2001. 3(1): p. 43-48.
15.    Phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity of Andrographis echioides (L.) nees - an indigenous medicinal plant Kanchana, G., K. Nirubama, and G. Rubalakshmi, World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (WJPPS), 2014. 3(5): p. 702-710.
16.    Preliminary phytochemical screening and anthelmintic activity of Andrographis echioides nees Padma, Y., et al., Journal of Pharmacy Research, 2012. 5(9): p. 4801-4803.
17.    Evaluation of preliminary phytochemical and antimicrobial activity of Andrographis echioides (L) nees Radha, R., M. Sermakkani, and V. Thangapandian, Pharma Science Monitor, 2011. 2(2, Suppl. 1): p. S-91-S-101.
18.    Synergistic effect of Andrographis echioides and Cadaba trifoliata leaf extracts against larvae of dengue mosquito Aedes aegypti L Rajkumar, S., A. Jebanesan, and R. Nagarajan, Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, 2012. 2(Suppl. 3): p. S1588-S1591.
19.    Endosperm and seed development in Andrographis echioides Nees Ram, H.Y.M. and P. Masand, Current Sci, 1962. 31((1)): p. 7-8.
20.    A note on Andrographis echioides Nees Rangaswami, S. and V. Subbarao, Indian Jour Pharm, 1951. 13((3)): p. 63-64.
21.    Antibacterial activity of Andrographis lineata Nees and Andrographis echioides Nees of the Shevaroy Hills of Salem District, T.N.S., R., C. Alagesaboopathi, and M.R. Pandian, Advances in Plant Sciences, 2006. 19(2): p. 371-375.
22.    Chemical Constituents from Andrographis echioides and Their Anti-Inflammatory Activity Shen, D.-Y., et al., International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2013. 14(1): p. 496-514