Indian Nard

Flowering from June to August; fruiting from August to September.

Nardostachys jatamansi is occurring in SE Gansu, S Qinghai, W Sichuan, Xizang, N Yunnan of China, Bhutan, India, Nepal.

Caudex erect or oblique, robust, lignified, densely covered with fibrous or lamellar remains of old sheaths. Flowering stems 5-50 cm tall. Rosulate leaves narrowly spatulate or linear-oblanceolate, 3-25 cm long, 0.5-2.5 cm wide, with 3 parallel veins, glabrous or sparsely puberulous, base attenuate into petiole nearly equal to leaf blade in length, margin entire, apex obtuse. Cauline leaves mostly 2- or 3-paired, lower ones elliptic to obovate, base attenuate into petiole; upper ones sessile, oblanceolate to lanceolate, sometimes sparsely serrate. Capitula of cymes, terminal, 1.5-2 cm broad; main inflorescence rachises and lateral rachises sometimes elongated; involucral bracts 4-6, lanceolate; bracts narrowly ovate to ovate, nearly equal to flowers in length; bracteoles 2, small. Calyx 5-lobed; lobes semi-orbicular to triangular-lanceolate, enlarged in fruit, usually ciliate. Corolla purple-red, campanulate, 4.5-9 mm, 5-lobed; lobes broadly ovate to oblong, 2-3.8 mm, outside hairy, occasionally glabrous, white villous. Stamens 4, nearly equal to corolla in length; filaments villous. Style nearly equal to stamens in length; stigma capitate. Achenes obovoid, 3-4 mm, totally or only above white hispid, to entirely glabrous; persistent calyx with lobes deltoid to ovate, 1.5-2.5 mm, obviously reticulate veined, margin usually white hispid, apex acuminate, rarely acute.

The chromosomal number of Nardostachys jatamansi is 2n = 16, 32 (Joshi and Joshi, 2001).

Growing in alpine thickets and meadows; 2600-5000 m.

Rhizome of Nardostachys jatamansi is used to treat fever, indigestion, wound and boils, cough and sneezing, its leaf is used to treat headache and used in high altitude sickness.