Family Gentianaceae.
Habitat Sub-tropical Himalaya from Himachal Pradesh to Bhutan, the Khasi and Lushai Hills, Manipur at 300—1,800 m. Bihar and Peninsular India up to 1,800 m.
Ayurvedic Kiraatatikta (related species).
Action Febrifuge and bitter tonic.
Swertia angustifolia
Buch.-Ham ex D. Don.
Family Gentianaceae.
632 Swertia chirayita (Roxb. ex Flem.) Karst.
Habitat Sub-tropical Himalaya from Kashmir to Bhutan.
Ayurvedic Kiraata (sweet var.).
Folk Pahaari Kiretta, Mithaa (sweet) Kiryaat.
Action Used as a substitute for S. chirayita. (Inferior in bitter tonic properties.)
Aerial parts gave ursolic acid, xanthones and beta-sitosterol. Several tetra- and pentaoxygenated xanthones have been isolated from the plant.
Swertia chirayita
(Roxb. ex Flem.) Karst.
Synonym S. chirata (Wall.) C. B.
Clarke.
S. tongluensis Burkill.
Gentiana chirayita Roxb. ex Flem.
G. chirata Wall.
Ophelia chirata Griseb.
Family Gentianaceae.
Habitat Temperate Himalayas from Kashmir to Bhutan and in Khasi Hills.
English Chiretta.
Ayurvedic Kiraata, Kairaata, Kiraataka, Kandatikta, Kiraatatikta, Kiraatatiktaka, Katutikta, Trinnimba, Bhuunimba, Aranyatikta, Raamasenaka. Bhuunimba (also equated with Andrographis paniculata).
Unani Chiraitaa.
Siddha Nilavembu.
Action Blood purifier and bitter tonic (The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India); used in skin
diseases. Other properties: anti- inflammatory (experimentally, the benzene extract was comparable
