Description

Bergenia ligulata, known in Ayurveda as Pashanbheda — literally ‘that which breaks rocks’ — is a perennial saxifragaceous herb native to the moist rocky terrain and alpine meadows of the Himalayan range, extending from Afghanistan through Nepal to Bhutan at elevations between 1,000 and 3,800 metres. It forms dense ground-level rosettes of large, rounded, leathery leaves and produces pink flower spikes in early spring. The thick rhizome, harvested primarily in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, is referenced in the Charaka Samhita and Ashtanga Hridayam as a key ingredient in formulations traditionally associated with renal calculi, urinary tract function, and diuretic preparations. It remains on the restricted collection list in several Himalayan states.