Andrographis paniculata commonly known as kalmegh in the ayurvedic system of medicine is a herbaceous plant belonging to the family Acanthaceae and has its origins in India and Sri Lanka.
 
It is a very commonly cultivated plant in parts of South Asia as it is used extensively in traditional medicine and was used as a antibiotic before modern medicine times.
 
Andrographis Paniculata is an annual herb erect in shape and very bitter in taster. It is also known as Maha Tita in north eastern parts of India which literally translates to " king of bitters ".
 
It has an appearance similar to Azadirachta Indica hence it is also known as bhui neem.