Hara Chirayata / Creat
Andrographis paniculata
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala & more
- Flowering
- March-December
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Andrographis paniculata
- Genus
- Andrographis
- Family
- Acanthaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- Scrub forests and plains
- Native to
- India, Sri Lanka
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka
- Found in India
- Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh
- Flowering & fruiting
- March-December
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Opposite
Recorded for Hara Chirayata.
Flower & fruit characters
Typical of the Acanthaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Hindi
- हरा चिरायता hara chirayata, कालमेघ kalmegh, कल्पनाथ kalpanath
- Nepali
- अंकुरि फुल ankuri phul, कालमेघ kalamegha, कलपनाथ kalapnath
- Bengali
- কালমেঘ kalmegh, কালমেঘ
- Tamil
- நிலவேம்பு nilavempu, நிலவேம்பு
- Kannada
- ನೆಲಬೇವು Nelabevu, ಊರಕಿರಿಯಾತು Urakiriyatu
- Malayalam
- കിരിയാത്ത kiriyatta, നിലവേപ്പ് nilavepp
- Marathi
- कालमेघ kalamegha, कल्प kalpa, ओले किरायत ole kirayat
- Sinhala
- හීන් බිම් කොහොඹ
Hara Chirayata in India
Kalmegh is famed for being one of the bitterest of all herbs — हरा चिरायता hara chirayata (Hindi), நிலவேம்பு nilavempu (Tamil), ನೆಲಬೇವು Nelabevu (Kannada), കിരിയാത്ത kiriyatta (Malayalam), कालमेघ kalamegha (Marathi), কালমেঘ kalmegh (Bengali), the 'king of bitters'. Andrographis paniculata is recorded across Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, in the understorey and on cultivated ground.
Uses
The whole plant is a celebrated traditional remedy in Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani, taken for fevers and the liver — an attributed traditional use described for information, not medical advice. It is cultivated for the herbal trade across India.
How to Identify Hara Chirayata
A slender erect annual herb with four-angled green stems and narrow, pointed, lance-shaped leaves. Small white flowers marked with rose-purple spots are carried on spreading sprays, followed by slim erect capsules. Every part tastes extremely bitter.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Creat called in different Indian languages?
- हरा चिरायता hara chirayata (Hindi); நிலவேம்பு nilavempu (Tamil); ನೆಲಬೇವು Nelabevu (Kannada); കിരിയാത്ത kiriyatta (Malayalam); कालमेघ kalamegha (Marathi); কালমেঘ kalmegh (Bengali).
- Why is kalmegh called the king of bitters?
- Every part of the plant is intensely bitter — among the most bitter of medicinal herbs — which is reflected in its English name.
- What is kalmegh used for?
- It is a classical Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani remedy associated with fevers and liver health; this is a traditional, attributed use and not medical advice.
Acanthaceae
Acanthus family
Hara Chirayata belongs to the Acanthaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Acanthaceae
View all Acanthaceae →Sources: GBIF — Andrographis paniculata (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · iNaturalist — Andrographis paniculata (regional names, India observations) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Andrographis paniculata (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)