PHARMACOGNOSTICAL STUDIES ON THE ROOT OF SAHACHARA NILGIRIANTHUS HEYNEANUS (Nees) Bremek - (ACANTHACEAE).

Nilgirianthus heyneanus is widely used in South India in place of Sahachara (Barleria prionitis L) and is considered as an important Vatahara drug. Detailed pharmacognosy of the root of N. heyneanus commonly known as Karim Kurinji (Malayalam) in Kerala has been carried out. Some of the diagnostic features of the drug are pigmented cystoliths in the cortex and pith region; yellow colour cell contents in the cortex region; thick walled and oval-elongated stone cells in the cortex region.