Description

Centratherum anthelminticum, commonly known as bitter cumin or Kali Jeera in some regional traditions, is an erect annual herb of the family Asteraceae, native to the tropical dry regions of the Indian subcontinent — particularly Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and the Deccan. It colonises fallow fields, dry grasslands, and roadsides. The small, dark, ribbed seeds — traded as Kalijiri or Somraj — are documented in Ayurvedic texts including the Bhavaprakasha Nighantu as an ingredient in preparations for parasitic infestations of the gastrointestinal tract, and in Unani formulations for skin conditions. The seeds should be distinguished from black cumin (Bunium persicum) and Nigella sativa despite some shared vernacular nomenclature in regional Indian markets.