Accession Data:
Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal
- Common Name: Ashwagandha
- Family: Solanaceae Juss.
- Country of Origin: Africa. southern Europe and western Asia
- Habitat: Open places, disturbed areas etc. An undershrub in stony places
- Description:
- Additional Common Names: Ajagandha, Kanaje Hindi, Samm Al Ferakh
- Uses: This plant provides a stimulus for strength especially in the elderly while also used as a sedative and sleep inducing agent if prepared correctly. Ayurveda uses include anti-inflammatory properties which have been helpful in arthritis, for sexual vitality and as a liver tonic.
Modern studies on this plant testing the efficacy of it's antimicrobial properties have shown that an aqueous solution of the leaves is very effective in killing bacteria.4
For a few African Traditional remedies, this plant has been used to reduce fever, convulsions, and rheumatic pains.
- IMPORTANT NOTE: Plant Uses are for informational purposes only. EEB Greenhouses assume no responsibility for adverse effects from the use of any plants referred to on this site. Always seek advice from a professional before using any plant medicinally.
- USDA Zone: 7-10
Accession Data:
- Accession # 199200148
- Source: seed from stock #850485
- Accession Date: 06-01-1991
- Bench: 1101 - AFR:East Bench NN
- Currently: active - healthy
- Qty: 3 confirmed on 02-26-2025
- Restrictions:
- Poisonous Plant Parts - Not for Human Consumption
- Poisonous Plant Parts - Not for Human Consumption
Classification:
- Division: Magnoliophyta
- Class: Magnoliopsida
- SubClass: euasterid I
- Order: Solanales
- SubOrder:
- Family: Solanaceae
- SubFamily: Solanoideae
- Tribe: Physaleae
- SubTribe: Withaninae
Flowering Data:
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References (internal):
- Medicinal Plants
- Medicinal Plants - Ayurveda Medicine
- EEB 3271 - Systematic Botany
- Medicinal Plants - Nervous System
- Medicinal Plants - Reproductive System
- Medicinal Plants - Immune System
- Medicinal Plants - Digestive System
- Medicinal Plants - Musculoskeletal System
- Medicinal Plants - Traditional African Medicine
- Currently Featured Medicinal Plants
- EEB Greenhouse Holdings native to: Spain / Greece / Italy / Sicilia / Algeria / Egypt / Libya / Morocco / Tunisia / Canary Is. / Cape Verde / Liberia / Mali / Nigeria / Chad / Eritrea / Ethiopia / Somalia / Sudan / Kenya / Tanzania / Uganda / Angola / Malawi / Mozambique / Zambia / Zimbabwe / Botswana / Cape Provinces / KwaZulu-Natal / Free State / Swaziland / Northern Provinces / Lesotho / Namibia / Mauritius / Afghanistan / Iran / Iraq / Lebanon-Syria / Palestine / Turkey / Oman / Saudi Arabia / Yemen / India / Pakistan / Sri Lanka
References (external):
- Withania somnifera at Plants for a Future. Last accessed on Thursday, February 01, 2018.
- The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Last accessed on Thursday, February 01, 2018.
- Withania somnifera at ARS-GRIN. Last accessed on Thursday, February 01, 2018.
- M. Owais K.S .Sharad A. Shehbaz M. Saleemuddin, Antibacterial efficacy of Withania somnifera (ashwagandha) an indigenous medicinal plant against experimental murine salmonellosis, Phytomedicine Volume 12, Issue 3, 22 March 2005, Pages 229-235. Last accessed on Thursday, February 01, 2018.
- M. Iwu, Maurice. Handbook of African Medicinal Plants. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 1993.
- Images #00 (cropped) & #02 (original) by Wowbobwow12 at English Wikipedia [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0]. Last accessed Wednesday, 14 November, 2018.
data regenerated on Wed, 26 Feb 2025 11:24:12 -0500 [bcm v4.0]
Images:
Additional images for this accession:
Click on thumbnails to enlarge
Current Accessions in the Solanaceae
Subfamily Browallioideae
Tribe Cestreae
Subfamily Nicotianoideae
Subfamily Petunioideae
Subfamily Solanoideae
Subfamily Solanoideae
Tribe Capsiceae
Subfamily Solanoideae
Tribe Datureae
Subfamily Solanoideae
Tribe Hyoscyameae
Subfamily Solanoideae
Tribe Juanulloeae
Subfamily Solanoideae
Tribe Lycieae
Subfamily Solanoideae
Tribe Physaleae
- Iochrominae: Iochroma cyaneum Royal Blue
- Iochrominae: Iochroma fuchsioides
- Withaninae: Withania riebeckii W/C
- Withaninae: Withania somnifera
Subfamily Solanoideae
Tribe Solaneae
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- Solanum conocarpum
- Solanum conocarpum
- Solanum ensifolium
- Solanum ensifolium W/C
- Solanum seaforthianum
- Solanum wendlandii
= indicates flowering in past 14 days
= images available for this accession
= map available for this accession
= accession added within past 90 days