Andrographis

Andrographis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae. They may be generally known as the false waterwillows,^[2] and several are called periyanagai.^[3]

Andrographis
Andrographis echioides
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Acanthaceae
Subfamily:	Acanthoideae
Tribe:	Andrographideae
Genus:	Andrographis Wall. ex Nees (1832)
Species
See text
Synonyms[1]
Erianthera Nees (1832) Indoneesiella Sreem. (1968) Neesiella Sreem. (1967), nom. illeg.

The species are native to the Indian subcontinent (including Myanmar, Sri Lanka and the West Himalaya region).^[1][4] Many are endemic to India.^[5] They may be herbs or shrubs.^[3] They are introduced and/or cultivated in Southeast Asia and some areas around the Caribbean.^[1]

Some species are used medicinally. The best known is Andrographis paniculata, which is valued in Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha medicine. It is used to treat a very long list of illnesses and conditions.^[4] A. alata and A. lineata are used in human and veterinary medicine.^[3] Food use has also been recorded.^[6]

It is currently (as of April 2021) accepted that there are 26 species in the genus.^[1] These are:

• Andrographis affinis Nees
• Andrographis alata (Vahl) Nees
• Andrographis atropurpurea (Dennst.) Alston
• Andrographis beddomei C.B.Clarke
• Andrographis chendurunii E.S.S.Kumar, A.E.S.Khan & S.G.Gopal
• Andrographis echioides (L.) Nees
• Andrographis elongata (Vahl) T.Anderson
• Andrographis explicata (C.B.Clarke) Gamble
• Andrographis glandulosa (B.Heyne ex Roth) Nees
• Andrographis gracilis Nees
• Andrographis lawsonii Gamble
• Andrographis lineata Nees
• Andrographis lobelioides Wight
• Andrographis longipedunculata (Sreem.) L.H.Cramer ex Karthik. & Moorthy
• Andrographis macrobotrys Nees
• Andrographis megamalayana Gnanasek., Karupp. & G.V.S.Murthy
• Andrographis neesiana Wight
• Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees - Indian subcontinent (native), SE Asia (cultivated)
• Andrographis producta (C.B.Clarke) Gamble
• Andrographis rothii C.B.Clarke
• Andrographis rotundifolia (Sreem.) Sreem.
• Andrographis serpyllifolia (Rottler ex Vahl) Wight
• Andrographis stellulata C.B.Clarke
• Andrographis stenophylla C.B.Clarke
• Andrographis subspathulata C.B.Clarke
• Andrographis viscosula Nees