Andrographis paniculata is an herbaceous annual plant in the Acanthaceae family. Known as Kalmegh in Ayurveda, Creat, King of Bitters, Green Chiretta or Indian Chiretta in English speaking countries, and chuān xīn lián in Pinyin Chinese. The Acanthaceae family can be found worldwide in tropical and subtropical regions, and Andrographis is native to the tropics of India and Sri Lanka. It is also commonly grown in gardens in Bengal, India. Andrographis is a significant medicinal herb in the medicinal systems from which it natively grows, though has been incorporated into the use of herbal medicines in western countries as well.
