Abstract / Summary
Tālisapatra is an important aromatic Himalayan drug used in Ayurvedic practice, particularly in disorders involving the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. However, its botanical identity has historically been controversial, with Abies webbiana and species of Taxus being associated with the drug name Tālisapatra/Tālisapatrī in Indian medicinal literature. The problem is clinically and pharmacognostically relevant because dried and powdered leaves of Abies webbiana and Taxus baccata can be difficult to distinguish, while their chemical compositions, pharmacological profiles and toxicological characteristics are substantially different. In the present review, three Himalayan or Himalayan-associated taxa—Abies webbiana (Abies spectabilis), Taxus baccata, and Rhododendron anthopogon—are evaluated.