Vasaka LeavesJusticia adhatoda

Large lance-shaped leaves, dull green, shade-dried whole and cut to grade.

About this material

Vasaka leaf comes from Justicia adhatoda, a hardy shrub that yields several cuttings a year. The leaf is large, up to about 20 cm, lance-shaped and tapering at both ends, with a short stalk and a prominent midrib that stands out on the underside. Dried leaf is dull green and slightly brittle, with a bitter taste and a faint characteristic odour that is stronger in freshly dried material. Leaf is taken before the shrub flowers heavily, when the foliage is at its largest and cleanest, and dried in shade to avoid bleaching.

Also called

Vasaka, Adulsa, Malabar Nut