Swertia chirayita
| Swertia chirayita | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 3' |
| Width: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Early Fall-Mid Fall |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Swertia chirayita (common name: chiretta)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in temperatures not exceeding 10°c in a humus-rich medium[1]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer.
Cultivation: Succeeds in a moist humus-rich soil in damp light woodlands, streamsides or the bog garden[1]. Grows best in areas with cool summers[1]. Succeeds in full sun or partial shade[2].
Plants are hardy to at least -15°c[2].
Range: E. Asia - Himalayas.
Habitat: Pastures and slopes in the Himalayas to 3,000 metres[2][3].
Medicinal: Chiretta is a traditional Ayurvedic herb. A strongly bitter tonic it is an excellent remedy for a weak stomach, especially when this gives rise to nausea, indigestion and bloating, and it has also been shown to protect the liver[4]. It is perhaps best known in India as the main ingredient in mahasudarshana churna, a remedy containing more than 50 herbs[4]. The plant has an interesting chemistry, similar in many respects to Gentiana lutea, a widely used restorative tonic of the digestive system[2]. It also contains xanthones, which are reputedly effective against malaria and tuberculosis, and also amarogentin, a glycoside that may protect the liver against carbon tetrachloride poisoning[2].
The whole plant is an extremely bitter tonic digestive herb that lowers fevers and is stimulant[5][2]. The herb has a beneficial effect on the liver, promoting the flow of bile, it also cures constipation and is useful for treating dyspepsia[6][2]. The plant is harvested when the seed is setting and then dried for later use[6].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Ophelia chirata
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.
- ↑ Mills, Simon. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.