Description

Andrographis paniculata, the spiked ginger lily, is a large rhizomatous perennial herb of the family Zingiberaceae, native to the sub-Himalayan moist forests and shaded ravines of northern India — particularly Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Sikkim — extending to Nepal and Bhutan at elevations between 1,200 and 3,000 metres. The plant produces handsome spikes of fragrant, white to cream flowers and lance-shaped leaves from a fleshy, strongly aromatic rhizome. Known regionally as Kapoor Kachri and Shatpushpa-allied in some Ayurvedic references, the rhizome is documented in ethnobotanical surveys of Himalayan tribal communities for preparations addressing respiratory complaints, pain, and skin conditions. It is also valued as a natural fragrance source in traditional incense formulations of the Himalayan region.