Herb Library
Browse our comprehensive collection of traditional medicinal plants and herbal remedies.
Endaru (Ricinus communis): Castor, the Oil Plant With a Poison in Its Seeds
(Ricinus communis)
Endaru (Ricinus communis) grows on every neglected roadside in Sri Lanka, its glossy, star-shaped le
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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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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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Kohila (Lasia spinosa): The Spiny Marsh Vegetable That Fights Inflammation
(Lasia spinosa)
Kohila (Lasia spinosa) is the vegetable that bites back: a marsh plant whose leaf stalks and rhizome
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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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Suduru (Cuminum cyminum): Cumin, the Digestive Seed With Metabolic Trials
(Cuminum cyminum)
Suduru (Cuminum cyminum) is the warm, earthy backbone of Sri Lankan curry powder and of the digestiv
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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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Nelum (Nelumbo nucifera): The Sacred Lotus, From Temple Offering to Pharmacology
(Nelumbo nucifera)
Nelum (Nelumbo nucifera) is the national flower of Sri Lanka and the offering laid before every Budd
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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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Abba (Brassica juncea): Mustard Seed, the Tempering Spice With Hidden Chemistry
(Brassica juncea)
Abba (Brassica juncea) is the tiny brown seed that crackles in hot coconut oil at the start of almos
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Kaluduru (Nigella sativa): Black Seed and the 82-Trial Verdict
(Nigella sativa)
Kaluduru (Nigella sativa) arrived in Sri Lanka along the spice routes and settled into two places at
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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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