Doctorbush, Chita, Ceylon leadwort, Chitra, Chitrak

Last updated: February 8, 2026Reviewed date: February 8, 2026Reading time: 7 min read

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বাংলা রোগী নোট এখনো যোগ করা হয়নি। পোস্ট এডিটরে “RX Bangla Patient Mode” বক্স থেকে সহজ বাংলা সারাংশ যোগ করুন।

এই তথ্য শিক্ষা ও সচেতনতার জন্য। এটি ডাক্তারি পরীক্ষা, রোগ নির্ণয় বা প্রেসক্রিপশনের বিকল্প নয়।

Article Summary

Doctorbush is a multipurpose medicinal herb of family Plumbaginaceae. It is native to South Asia and is distributed throughout most of the tropics and subtropics. It grows in deciduous woodland, savannas and scrublands from sea level upto 2000 meters altitude. In India, it is widely distributed from Central India to West Bengal, Southern India Maharashtra. Doctorbush is a perennial herb which attains the height of...

Key Takeaways

This article explains Doctorbush Scientific Classification in simple medical language.
This article explains Traditional uses in simple medical language.

Educational health guideWritten for patient understanding and clinical awareness.

Reviewed content workflowUse writer and reviewer profiles for stronger trust.

Emergency safety firstUrgent warning signs are highlighted below.

Seek urgent medical care if you notice

These warning signs are general safety guidance. Local emergency numbers and clinical judgment should always come first.

Severe symptoms, breathing difficulty, fainting, confusion, or rapidly worsening illness.
New weakness, severe pain, high fever, or symptoms after a serious injury.
Any symptom that feels urgent, unusual, or unsafe for the patient.

Emergency now

Use emergency care for severe, sudden, rapidly worsening, or life-threatening symptoms.

See a doctor

Book a professional medical evaluation if symptoms persist, worsen, recur often, affect daily activities, or occur in a high-risk patient.

Learn safely

Use this article to understand possible causes, tests, treatment options, prevention, and questions to ask your clinician.

Doctorbush is a perennial herb which attains the height of 0.5-2 m (1.6-6.6 ft). Leaves are simple, alternate, elliptical or oblong, ovate-lanceolate measuring 0.5–12 cm long with a tapered base and hairy margin. Stipules are absent and petioles are 0–5 mm long, narrow with small auricles in young leaves. Inflorescence is of terminal raceme type, many flowered and about 6-30 cm long. The white flowers borne in axillary and terminal elongated spikes. Usually the flowers are regular, bisexual, sweet scented, pedicellate and pentamerous. Flowers have tubular calyx measuring 7-11 mm long and 5-ribbed having glandular trichomes which secrete a sticky mucilage. The flower blooms year round and pollination occurs by insects. Flowers are followed by oblong, five furrowed, capsule which is 7.5–8 mm long that contains single seed. Seeds are oblong, reddish-brown to dark brown measuring 5-6 mm long. Roots are smooth, straight, unbranched or branched and about 30 cm long and 6 cm in diameter. It is light yellow when fresh and turns reddish-brown on drying.

Name	Doctorbush
Scientific Name	Plumbago zeylanica
Native	South Asia
Common/English Name	Chita, Ceylon leadwort, Chitra, Chitrak
Name in Other Languages	English: Lead wort, Ceylon leadwort, Wild Plumbago, White Plumbago, The Ceylon Leadwort Hin Chitrak, White leadwort, Chita; Gujarati: Chitrakmula; Kannada: Chitrakmula, Bilichitramala; Bengali: Chita, Safaid-sitarak; Punjabi: Chitra; Telugu: Chitramulam; Assamese: Agechit, Agyiachit, Ronga-agechit; Hindi: Chira, Chitra, Chitrak, Chita, Chitrak (चित्रक); Irula: Ottuchedi; Kannada: Chitramulika; Malayalam: Koduveli, Thumbakoduveli, Vellakoduveli, Thumba, Kottuveli; Manipuri: Telhidak Angouba; Oriya: Ogni; Tamil: Chittiramoolam Karimai (சித்திர மூலம்), Kodivaeli, Chithiramoolam
Plant Growth Habit	Perennial shrub
Plant Size	0.5-2 m (1.6-6.6 ft)
Root	Straight, smooth, branched or unbranched, 30 cm or more in length and 6 cm in diameter
Root color	Light- yellow to reddish-brown
Root taste	Acrid and bitter
Leaves	Ovate or ovate-lanceolate, elliptical or oblong, 0.5-12 cm in length
Flowering Season	Spring, Summer, Fall (early)
Flower	White
Fruit shape & size	Oblong (7.5-8 mm long) five-furrowed capsule
Seed	Oblong, 5-6 mm long and reddish-brown to dark brown

Doctorbush Scientific Classification

Scientific Name: Plumbago zeylanica

Rank	Scientific Name & (Common Name)
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)
Subkingdom	Viridiplantae (Green plants)
Infrakingdom	Streptophyta (Land plants)
Superdivision	Embryophyta
Division	Tracheophyta (Vascular plants, tracheophytes)
Class	Magnoliopsida
Subclass	Caryophyllidae
Order	Caryophyllales
Family	Plumbaginaceae (Leadwort)
Genus	Plumbago L. (Leadwort)
Species	Plumbago zeylanica L. (Wild leadwort)
Synonyms	Findlaya alba Bowdich Molubda scandens (L.) Raf. Plumbagidium scandens (L.) Spach Plumbago auriculata Bl. Plumbago flaccida Moench Plumbago floridana Nutt. Plumbago floridana Raf. Plumbago lactea Salisb. Plumbago mexicana Kunth Plumbago occidentalis Sw. Plumbago sarmentosa Lam. Plumbago scandens L. Plumbago viscosa Blanco Plumbago zeylanica var. zeylanica Thela alba Lour.

Roots

Roots are stout, friable, cylindrical, blackish-red about 30 cm or more in length. It is yellow colored when fresh and reddish-brown when dry, slightly branched or straight unbranched. Roots impart a strong, characteristic odor with a bitter and acrid taste.

Stems

Stems are spreading, somewhat woody, striate, terate and glabrous. It is about 0.5-2 m (1.6-6.6 ft). The bark is thin and brown.

Leaves

Leaves are simple, alternate, ovate or oblong, about 8 cm long and 3 cm broad. Petioles are narrow and amplexicaul at the base and dilated into stipule-like auricles.

Flowers

Flowers are white, about 10-25 cm long, bracteate, axillary or terminal elongated spikes, and bisexual. The calyx is covered with sticky and stalked glands. Corolla is white, slender, and tubular.

Fruit

It is an oblong, five furrowed capsule that contains a single seed. Seeds are oblong, 5-6 mm long and reddish-brown to dark brown.

Traditional uses

The entire plant promotes digestion.
The plant is helpful for gastric diseases, diarrhea, and skin disorders such as herpes.
Milky sap is applied topically for skin problems such as boils and ringworm.
Roots are used for phlegm, gas, bile problems, blood purification, and deworming.
It is used as a cure for leucoderma, dysentery, bloating, lung diseases, aches, pain, wasting, and ringworm.
Apply the mixture of crushed roots, vinegar, milk, and salt topically as an aid for leprosy and other skin infections.
Root juice is used to induce sweating.
It is an aid for infections, skin diseases, intestinal worms, scabies, leprosy, hookworm, ringworm, acne, dermatitis, ulcers, and sores.
In West Africa, leaves or roots are crushed with lemon juice and used as a vesicant and counter-irritant.
Take the root infusion orally to treat shortness of breath.
Take root decoction with boiled milk for treating infection, or irritation, often causing pain, swelling, heat, or redness. সহজ বাংলা: শরীরের প্রদাহ; ব্যথা, ফোলা বা লালভাব হতে পারে।" data-rx-term="inflammation" data-rx-definition="Inflammation is the body’s response to injury, infection, or irritation, often causing pain, swelling, heat, or redness. সহজ বাংলা: শরীরের প্রদাহ; ব্যথা, ফোলা বা লালভাব হতে পারে।">inflammation in the mouth, chest and throat.
In Rodrigues and Mauritius, root decoction is used for treating dyspepsia and diarrhea.
Root juice is used for internal piles.
In Nigeria, roots are used with vegetable oil to treat rheumatic swellings.
In Ethiopia, root, leaves or bark powder is used for treating rheumatic pain, tuberculosis, syphilis, gonorrhea, wounds and swellings.
In Southern Africa, the root paste in milk, vinegar and water for treating influenza and blackwater fever.
Take root infusion orally to treat shortness of breath.

References

Safety note: This is not a prescription or diagnosis. For severe symptoms, pregnancy danger signs, children with serious illness, chest pain, breathing difficulty, stroke-like weakness, or major injury, seek urgent care.

Which doctor may help?

Start with a registered doctor or the nearest qualified health center.

What to tell the doctor

Write when the problem started and how it changed.
Bring old prescriptions, investigation reports, and current medicines.
Write allergies, pregnancy status, diabetes, kidney/liver disease, and major past illnesses.
Bring one family member if the patient is weak, elderly, confused, or a child.

Questions to ask

What is the most likely cause of my symptoms?
Which danger signs mean I should go to hospital quickly?
Which tests are necessary now, and which can wait?
How should I take medicines safely and what side effects should I watch for?
When should I come for follow-up?

Tests to discuss

Vital signs: temperature, pulse, blood pressure, oxygen saturation
Basic physical examination by a clinician
CBC, urine test, blood sugar, or imaging only when clinically needed

Avoid these mistakes

Do not use antibiotics, steroid tablets/injections, or strong painkillers without proper medical advice.
Do not hide pregnancy, kidney disease, ulcer, allergy, or blood thinner use.
Do not delay emergency care when danger signs are present.

Medicine safety and first-aid guide

This section is for patient education only. It does not replace a doctor, pharmacist, or emergency care.

Safe first steps

Drink safe fluids and monitor temperature.
In dengue-prone areas, discuss CBC and platelet count when fever persists or warning signs appear.
Use tepid sponging for high fever discomfort; avoid ice-cold bathing.

OTC medicine safety

For fever, common fever medicine may be discussed with a clinician or pharmacist.
Avoid aspirin/ibuprofen-like medicines in suspected dengue unless a doctor says it is safe.

Avoid these mistakes

Do not start antibiotics without a proper medical decision.
Do not use steroid tablets or injections casually for quick relief.
Do not delay emergency care because of home remedies.

Get urgent help if

Fever with breathing difficulty, confusion, repeated vomiting, bleeding, severe weakness, stiff neck, or dehydration needs urgent care.

Medicine names, dose, and timing must be decided by a qualified clinician or pharmacist after checking age, pregnancy, allergy, other diseases, and current medicines.

For rural patients and family caregivers

Patient health record and symptom diary

Write your symptoms, medicines already taken, test results, and questions before visiting a doctor. This note stays on your device unless you print or copy it.

Doctor to discuss: Medicine doctor / pediatrician for children / qualified clinician

Tests to discuss with doctor

Temperature chart and hydration assessment
CBC with platelet count if fever persists or dengue/other infection is possible
Urine test, malaria/dengue tests, chest evaluation, or blood culture only when clinically indicated

Questions to ask

What is the most likely cause of my symptoms?
Which warning signs mean I should go to emergency care?
Which tests are really needed now?
Which medicines are safe for my age, pregnancy status, allergy, kidney/liver/stomach condition, and current medicines?
Do I need antibiotics, or is this more likely viral?

Emergency warning signs such as chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, sudden weakness, confusion, severe dehydration, major injury, or loss of bladder/bowel control need urgent medical care. Do not wait for online information.

Go to emergency care if you notice:

Severe or rapidly worsening symptoms
Breathing difficulty, chest pain, fainting, confusion, severe weakness, major injury, or severe dehydration

Doctor / service to discuss: Qualified healthcare provider; specialist depends on symptoms and examination.

Step 1
Check danger signs first
If danger signs are present, seek emergency care and do not wait for online information.
Step 2
Record the symptom story
Write when symptoms started, severity, medicines already taken, allergies, pregnancy status, and test results.
Step 3
Visit a qualified clinician
A doctor, nurse, or qualified healthcare provider can examine you and decide which tests or treatment are needed.
Step 4
Do only useful tests
Do tests after clinical assessment. Avoid unnecessary tests, random antibiotics, or repeated medicines without diagnosis.
Step 5
Follow up and return early if worse
If symptoms worsen, new warning signs appear, or treatment is not helping, return for review quickly.

Rural patient practical tips

Take a written symptom diary and all previous prescriptions/test reports.
Do not hide medicines already taken, even herbal or over-the-counter medicines.
Ask which warning signs mean urgent referral to hospital.

This roadmap is for education. A real diagnosis and treatment plan requires history, examination, and clinical judgment.

RX Patient Help

Ask a health question safely

Write your symptom story. A health professional or site editor can review it before any answer is prepared. This box is not for emergency care.

Emergency first: Severe chest pain, breathing trouble, unconsciousness, stroke signs, severe injury, heavy bleeding, or rapidly worsening symptoms need urgent local medical care now.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this article a replacement for a doctor?

No. It is educational content only. Patients should consult a qualified clinician for diagnosis and treatment.

When should I seek urgent care?

Seek urgent care for severe symptoms, rapidly worsening condition, breathing difficulty, severe pain, neurological changes, or any emergency warning sign.