Euphorbia milii is a medicinally significant succulent shrub with a long history of use in traditional medicine, now supported by a growing body of modern scientific research. It has a potent and diverse phytochemical profile, dominated by 74 unique diterpenoids, which contribute to a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant, and antidiabetic effects. The plant has demonstrated significant effic

Alternanthera sessilis, commonly known as sessile joyweed or dwarf copperleaf, is a perennial herb native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, Asia, and Australia, now naturalised throughout the tropics worldwide . This adaptable plant thrives in damp environments, from marshy areas and ditches to rice paddies and roadsides, growing as an erect herb up to 30 centimetres or as a prostrate, spreading plant with stems reaching one metre or more in length, often r

Alpinia calcarata, commonly known as snap ginger or lesser galangal, is a slender, rhizomatous perennial herb native to the eastern Himalayas, the Western Ghats, and Sri Lanka, now cultivated across Southeast Asia including Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaysia . This member of the ginger family is a close relative of the better-known Alpinia galanga (greater galangal) and has been a cornerstone of traditional medicine in India and Sri Lanka for centuries . Growing up t

Celosia spicata, commonly known as wheat celosia or spiked cockscomb, is an annual or short-lived perennial herb native to tropical regions of Africa, North America, and South America, now cultivated worldwide as an ornamental and food plant . This species belongs to the amaranth family and is distinguished by its erect, wheat-like flower spikes that give it a unique architectural presence in gardens. Unlike its more famous relatives with crested or plume-like blooms, this pl

Euphorbia peplus, commonly known as petty spurge or radium weed, is a small annual herb native to Europe, West Asia, and North Africa, now naturalised across much of the world including North America, Australia, and parts of India . This unassuming plant, often found as a weed in gardens and wastelands, grows to a modest height of 5 to 30 centimetres and is characterised by its smooth, hairless stems, oval-pointed leaves, and distinctive green flowers in three-rayed umbels wi

Vachellia farnesiana, commonly known as sweet acacia or cassie flower, is a thorny shrub or small tree native to the tropical regions of the Americas, including Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, and has become widely naturalised across Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. This highly adaptable member of the legume family typically grows to a height of 1 to 8 metres and is immediately recognisable by its feathery, fern-like leaves, its distinctive, sharp

Gymnosporia montana, commonly known as mountain spike thorn or vikalo, is a densely branched, spinescent shrub or small tree native to the dry and arid regions of western and southern India, as well as Bangladesh and Myanmar . Belonging to the Celastraceae family, this plant is a remarkable example of how a species can be central to traditional healing in a specific region. Its Gujarati name, "Vikalo," literally translates to "jaundice curing," immediately signalling its most

Andrographis echioides, commonly known as bugloss chiretta or false waterwillow, is an erect annual herb native to the plains of India and Sri Lanka, also found in parts of Southeast Asia . This member of the Acanthaceae family is a close relative of the better-known Andrographis paniculata (Kalmegh) and has been a cornerstone of traditional medicine across the Indian subcontinent for generations . It is a small, hairy-stemmed herb, growing up to 45 centimetres tall, easily r

Sesamum alatum, commonly known as winged-seed sesame or gazelle sesame, is an erect annual herb native to the dry regions of Africa, spanning from Senegal and Western Sahara to South Africa, and has also been introduced to parts of India and Madagascar. While its close relative, Sesamum indicum, is the globally cultivated source of sesame seeds, this species has long remained a wild-harvested and locally cultivated plant with a distinct identity shaped by the harsh conditions