Taxonomical identification of different plant sources of Nirgundi

Taxonomy is a branch of biology focused on identifying, classifying, and describing organisms, including plants. Taxonomic identification involves recognizing the unique characteristics of a species, with morphological features serving as a primary and clear basis for this identification. In this study, conducted after one year of establishment of plants at the Herbal Garden, Department of Dravyaguna Vigyana, Tripunithura, a taxonomic evaluation was performed to assess the visible characteristics and overall appearance of four Nirgundi samples: V1 (Vitex negundo Linn var. negundo), V2 (Vitex negundo Linn var. purpurascens Sivar & Mold), V3 (Vitex trifolia Linn), and V4 (Vitex negundo Linn from North India). Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected during this morphological evaluation. The following features of the plants such as Habit, Stem, and Leaf were checked to identify differences among the various plant sources of Nirgundi. The characteristics like Inflorescence, Flower, Calyx, Corolla, Androecium, and Gynoecium were not observed due to the limited period of the study.