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Manjishta

Botanical Name(s): Rubia Tinctoria
Family Name: Rubiaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Gentianales
Family: Rubiaceae
Tribe: Rubieae
Genus: Rubia
Species: R. cordifolia
Popular Name(s): Indian Madder, Manjit Gandari, Manchatti, Manjishta.
Parts Used: Root, Fruit.
Habitat: Found in the Himalayas and the hill stations of India

Description
A perennial herbaceous climber, manjishta grows to a height of 1.5 meters. The woody based stem is long, rough and grooved. Its evergreen leaves are in whorls of four, about 5 to 10 cm in length. They are long, variable, cordate, rough above and smooth beneath. The flowers are small, about 0.3 to 2.5 cm long black and greenish-black in color. The plant bears red to black berries that are globose, fleshy, smooth and shining, with two small seeds. The roots are reddish, cylindrical, and flexuous, with a thin red bark and 4 to 8 cm length. Manjishta can be found throughout India, at a height above 3,500 meters.

Plant Chemicals
(+)- resinous and extractive matter, gum, sugar, coloring matter, yellow glucoside, manjistin, xanthine, garancin, orange red alizarin, anthroquinones, pentacyclic triterpenes, quinines, cyclic hexapeptides, diethylesters, xantho-purpurin, glucose, sucrose, ruberythric acid, alizarin, purpurin, purpurin carbohydrate, quinizarine, christofin, anti-tumor cyclic hexapeptides: RA-V and RA-VII.

Uses & Benefits of Manjishta