Thursday, September 30, 2010

Plectranthus amboinicus

http://nsushma.blogspot.com/2010/02/doddapatre-tambuli-coleus-aromaticus-in.html

Indian Borage -- Effective Cough Remedy from your herb garden


The Indian borage first came to my notice when I was suffering from a bad cough, and a friend suggested chewing the leaves of this plant she had growing in her garden. Apparently, even her son, a doctor, found it helpful when more conventional medicines didn't help. And she was right, the leaves provided almost immediate relief. So of course I had to go plant one of my own, which led to me checking out sites and books to find out more about the Indian borage.

In the process, I discovered that it makes a wonderful addition to a herb garden, with its many culinary and medicinal uses (more that I would ever have imagined). And, if you're like me, a beginner gardener, it's encouraging to grow a plant which thrives without much care.

The Indian Borage (Plectranthus amboinicus) has heart-shaped leaves with scalloped edges, and the typical four-cornered stem of the Lamiaceae family. The thick, succulent leaves are entirely covered with short, fine hairs. Try lightly brushing the hairs, and you'll get a pungent aroma. The plant typically grows to about 50 cm in height.

INDIAN BORAGE

Botanical name Plectranthus amboinicus (Coleus amboinicus, C. aromaticus, C. carnosa)
Botanical family
Lamiaceae (Labiatae)
Other names

  • Country borage
  • Puerto Rican oregano brujo / Cuban oregano
  • French thyme / Spanish thyme / Broad-leaf thyme (West Indies)
  • Mexican mint / Soup mint / Indian mint
  • Sak dam ray (Cambodia)
  • Ajeran, daun jinten, daun kucing (Indonesia)
  • Daun bangun-bangun (Malaysia)
  • Latai, suganda, oregano (Philippines)
  • Po-hor (Singapore)
  • Hom duan huu suea, niam huu suea (Thailand)
  • Can day la (Vietnam)
  • Pashan Bhedi, Karpooravalli, Patharchur (India)
  • Da shou xiang (in Chinese)
Active ingredients Major components of its essential oil are 3-carene, g-terpinene, camphor and carvacrol (Source: Wee Yeow Chin, A Guide to Herbs and Spices)

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