Named for James Justice (1698-1763) celebrated Scottish 18th century horticulturist. FRS 1730. Principal Clerk to the Court of Sessions. Tulip maniac. Spent his fortune on gardening on his estates in Crichton, Midlothian, and Justicehall, Berwickshire. First person to fruit pineapples in Scotland.

Related to Justicia adhatoda, the Malabar nut tree, adulsa, adhatoda, vasa, or vasaka, a medicinal plant native to Asia, widely used in Siddha Medicine, Ayurvedic and Unani systems of medicine. Traditionally used for respiratory complaints – cough, asthma, bronchitis, TB (leaves, roots & flowers). Juice from the leaves has been used for diarrhoea/dysentery, malaria, and to speed childbirth. Contains active alkaloids including VASICINE and VASICINONE which have been shown to have antibacterial, bronchodilator, respiratory stimulant, and uterotonic activities. A semisynthetic derivative of vasicine, bromhexine; and one of its metabolites, ambroxol; have mucolytic and expectoran proerties and have been marketed for years in e.g. Germany & Switzerland for bronchitis (Boehringer Ingelheim; ‘Bisolvon’, ‘Mucosolvan’). We showed that both have antimycobacterial properties in vitro (Grange J, Snell N. J Ethnopharmacology 1996; 50: 49-53)

Brazilian Plume flower, Flamingo flower, Shrimp plant.

Asian species of Justicia are noted to be toxic and contain cytotoxic compounds which inhibit virus replication (Wiart, 2006).

Possibly toxic but little information