Justicia gendarussa

Justicia gendarussa, commonly known as willow-leaved justicia (Marathi: बाकस, bakas, काळा अडुळसा, kala adulasa; Sanskrit: कसनः, kasanah, वैध्यसिंहा, vaidyasinha), is a small erect, branched shrub. It has been described as rare and endemic to India, though those claims are at least confusing, in the context of statements that the plant is widely used in various forms for many of its medicinal and insecticidal properties, and that it is a quick-growing, evergreen forest shrub considered to be a native of China and distributed in Sri Lanka, India and Malaysia. It is said to be useful in asthma, rheumatism and colics of children. It may have the potential to be the basis for a birth control pill for men. Clinical tests are being conducted in Indonesia. The plant has shown promise as a source of a compound that inhibits an enzyme crucial to the development of HIV.