Valeriana jatamansi

Valeriana jatamansi, formerly known as Valeriana wallichii, is a rhizome herb of the genus Valeriana and the family Valerianaceae also called Indian Valerian or Tagar-Ganthoda, not to be confused with ganthoda, the root of Indian long pepper. It is an herb useful in Ayurvedic medicine used as an analeptic, antispasmodic, carminative, sedative, stimulant, stomachic, and nervine.

Not to be confused with Nardostachys jatamansi.

Valeriana jatamansi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Dipsacales
Family: Caprifoliaceae
Genus: Valeriana
Species:
V. jatamansi
Binomial name
Valeriana jatamansi
Jones ex Roxb.
Synonyms
  • Valeriana harmsii Graebn.
  • Valeriana hygrobia Briq.
  • Valeriana mairei H.Lév.
  • Valeriana spica Vahl
  • Valeriana violifolia Griff.
  • Valeriana wallichii DC.

The genus Valeriana, with about 200 species, belongs to the family Valerianaceae and has a distribution throughout the world. The Indian Valerian has long been used in Ayurveda (Charak Samhita and Susruta) and Unani systems of medicine, which describe its use in obesity, skin disease, insanity, epilepsy and snake poisoning. The crude drugs from roots/ rhizomes and Valerian derived phytomedicines are used as mild sedatives in pharmaceutical industry. The activity is largely attributed to the presence of valepotriates.

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