Herbs for Fever
16 Sri Lankan medicinal plants traditionally used for this purpose. Open a herb to see its Sinhala, English and botanical names, the parts used, how it is prepared, the research behind it and safety notes.
Bim Kohomba (Munronia pinnata): Sri Lanka's Endangered Bitter Endemic
(Munronia pinnata)
Bim Kohomba (Munronia pinnata) is one of the few plants on this site that Sri Lanka could actually l
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Iriweriya (Plectranthus zeylanicus): The Fragrant Ceylon Herb Science Rediscovered
(Plectranthus zeylanicus (syn. Coleus zeylanicus))
Iriweriya (Plectranthus zeylanicus) carries Ceylon in its scientific name and its scent in every Sri
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Koththamalli (Coriander): Sri Lanka's Classic Fever and Cold Remedy
(Coriandrum sativum)
If there is one remedy every Sri Lankan household reaches for at the first sign of a fever, it is ko
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Nika (Vitex negundo): The Five-Leaved Chaste Tree for Pain and Swelling
(Vitex negundo)
Nika (Vitex negundo) is the shrub Sri Lankan physicians reach for when a joint is hot and swollen. A
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Rasakinda (Tinospora cordifolia): Guduchi, Immunity and the Liver Question
(Tinospora cordifolia)
Rasakinda (Tinospora cordifolia) is called amrita in Sanskrit — the nectar of immortality — and few
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Thambili (Cocos nucifera var. aurantiaca): Sri Lanka's Orange King Coconut
(Cocos nucifera var. aurantiaca)
On any hot afternoon along a Sri Lankan road you will see bunches of bright orange thambili hanging
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Dehi (Citrus aurantifolia): Lime, the Sour Fruit in Every Sri Lankan Remedy
(Citrus aurantifolia)
Dehi (Citrus aurantifolia) is squeezed into more Sri Lankan remedies than any other plant: into the
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Monarakudumbiya (Vernonia cinerea): The Weed Studied for Quitting Smoking
(Vernonia cinerea)
Monarakudumbiya (Vernonia cinerea) is a weed so ordinary that it grows through cracks in Sri Lankan
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Kalanduru (Cyperus rotundus): Musta, the World's Worst Weed
(Cyperus rotundus)
Kalanduru (Cyperus rotundus) has a genuine claim to being the most troublesome weed on earth — it is
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Dummella (Trichosanthes cucumerina): Snake Gourd, the Cooling Vegetable
(Trichosanthes cucumerina)
Dummella (Trichosanthes cucumerina) hangs from village trellises like a bundle of pale green snakes,
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Walkoththamalli (Scoparia dulcis): Sweet Broomweed and Blood Sugar
(Scoparia dulcis)
Walkoththamalli (Scoparia dulcis) is a weed with a sweet name and a sweet taste — dulcis means sweet
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Siyambala (Tamarindus indica): Tamarind, the Sour Fruit With a Sweet Pharmacology
(Tamarindus indica)
Siyambala (Tamarindus indica) shades half the temple courtyards and village junctions of the dry zon
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Weniwelgeta (Coscinium fenestratum): The Yellow Vine of Sri Lankan Medicine
(Coscinium fenestratum)
Cut a stem of weniwelgeta (Coscinium fenestratum) and the inside is an astonishing sulphur yellow. T
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Diyamitta (Cissampelos pareira): The Velvet-Leaf Vine Tested Against Dengue
(Cissampelos pareira)
Diyamitta (Cissampelos pareira) is a slender climber with soft, heart-shaped leaves that Sri Lankan
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Sevendara (Chrysopogon zizanioides): The Cooling Root in the Water Pot
(Chrysopogon zizanioides)
On hot afternoons in many Sri Lankan homes, a small bundle of pale, wiry roots is tied inside the cl
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Elabatu / Katuwelbatu (Solanum virginianum): The Thorny Nightshade for Coughs
(Solanum virginianum (syn. S. surattense, S. xanthocarpum))
Elabatu (Solanum virginianum) is the low, viciously spiny weed with purple flowers and yellow marble
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