PHARMACOGNOSTIC STUDIES ON CENTELLA ASIATICA (L) URBAN

The paper deals with pharmacognosy of Centella asiatica (L.) Urban, including its morphological, anatomical, chemical constituents and powder analysis. Stomata are mostly anisotricytic, isotricytic and few tetracytic. Sphaero-crystals of calcium oxalate are observed in palisade, spongy and ground parenchyma of leaf lamina, petiole and rhizome and absent in roots. Uniseriate flagellate conical hairs present only on abaxial surface of leaf and all over the petiole. The venation is palmatous actinodromous with six primary veins. Midrib consists of a single vascular bundle while petiole consists of 7 – 8, rhizome with numerous bundles are observed and root consists of tetrarch vascular bundle. Powder microscopically show fragment of epidermis, mesophyll, sphaero-crystals, trichomes, collenchyma and parenchyma of leaf, petiole, rhizome and root. Tracheary elements show annular helical and pitted types.