Common Name: Assam Indigo

General Information

Strobilanthes cusia is a herbaceous, perennial plant producing a cluster of erect, branched stems that can become more or less woody, at least near the base; it can grow 50 - 150cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and a dye. The source of 'Assam Indigo', it was formerly cultivated on quite a large scale as a dye plant in China and India, but has now been superseded by artificial dyes and is only grown on a small scale[, , ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - China, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam

Habitat

Hilly areas[]. Usually found in moist wooded places; at elevations from 100 - 2,000 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Strobilanthes cusia is grown from the warm temperate zone of southern China through to the tropics of Indochina, being found at elevations up to 2,000 metres[].

Plants can be harvested 2 - 3 times a year for their young shoots[].
A monocarpic plant, living for a number of years without flowering but then dying after flowering[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The roots and leaves are anti-inflammatory, depurative and febrifuge[, ]. A decoction is used in the treatment of epidemic mumps, sore throat, erysipelas and fever-caused rashes[].

The leaves are astringent, diuretic and lithotriptic[].
A poultice of leaves is used to treat ague[].

Other Uses

A dark blue dye is obtained from the twigs and leaves[, , , ]. It is used for dyeing cloth[]. It is combined with turmeric (Curcuma longa) to make a green, and with safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) to make a purple[].
The leaves contain 0.4 - 1.3% indican, which can be hydrolyzed and oxidized to produce the blue indigo dye[].

Propagation

Seed -
Root cuttings