Maila (Vitex Altissima)
Vitex altissima
About Maila (Vitex Altissima)
Maila (Vitex Altissima) (Vitex altissima) is a herb used in the Sri Lankan Traditional Medicine tradition to help with Fever, Headache, Rheumatism, and Digestive Issues, among 1 other condition it addresses. The aerial parts and leaves are the parts traditionally used, used both internally and topically.
Botanical background
Vitex altissima, the peacock chaste tree, is a species of woody plant reaching some 20 m in height, in the family of Lamiaceae. It is native to the Indomalayan realm, namely Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka, and is also found in New Guinea. Its greyish bark becomes scaly with maturity. The leaves are trifoliolate or palmate, compound and opposite. They are elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate in shape with acuminate apex and cuneate base. The margin
Source: Wikipedia, via iNaturalist