Description

Vitex negundo, the five-leaved chaste tree, is a large aromatic shrub or small tree of the family Lamiaceae, widely distributed across the tropical and subtropical regions of South and Southeast Asia, extending from Pakistan through India to China and the Philippines. One of the most extensively utilised plants in Ayurvedic clinical practice, virtually every part of the plant — leaves, roots, bark, flowers, and seeds — carries documented classical pharmacological significance. The seeds, traded separately as Nigandi Beej, are documented in Ayurvedic texts for anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-arthritic preparations. The broader plant, Nirgundi, is cited in the Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita as one of the premier Vata-alleviating herbs. The leaves are more commonly traded than the seeds, but seed preparations are referenced in regional Ayurvedic texts for specific formulations addressing joint and headache conditions.