Traditional—Dhanwantartaila, mahanarayana taila, devadarvadyarista

Proprietary—Sundown valerian capsules, valerian root tea, valerian root tincture

Artemisia

Refers to Artemisia annua Linn., Family: Compositae,

Synonym

Artemisia chamomila

It is native to Eurasia from south-east Europe to Vietnam and India. It has become naturalized in many countries—Argentina, Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States. It is cultivated on a large scale in temperate areas of China, Vietnam, Former USSR, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and Australia.

Figure 9.12 Artemisia annua

An ancient herb of Chinese medicine called “Quingao,” it yields artemisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone, currently in great demand because of its effectiveness against drug-resistant forms of malaria. Of about 400 species of Artemisia, artemisinin is found only in Artemisia annua, A. apiacea and A. lancea. These plants are the only source of artemisinin with chemical synthesis being too complicated.

In India, it is being cultivated on an experimental scale in temperate and sub-tropical conditions.

Common vernacular names

English: Sweet worm wood, sweet sagewort

Chinese: Quingao