Roylea cinerea Hindi-Kararoi tila pati/Titpatti/Patkarru, Garhwali-Karui/Titpati, Jaunsari-Karanoi, Kumaoni-Kauri/Kitpatti, Punjabi-Kaur/Kauri, Himachali-Kattu, Popular-Ashy Roylea Lamiaceae. Syn-R. elegans, R. calycina, Phlomis calycina.

Roylea cinerea (Hindi-Kararoi tila pati/Titpatti/Patkarru, Garhwali-Karui/Titpati, Jaunsari-Karanoi, Kumaoni-Kauri/Kitpatti, Punjabi-Kaur/Kauri, Himachali-Kattu, Popular-Ashy Roylea)Lamiaceae. Syn-R. elegans, R. calycina, Phlomis calycina. It is a medium sized shrub growing upto 0.9-1.7 m height. Leaves are opposite, ovate, deeply crenate, upto 2.5 to 4 cm long, bitter having an upper surface hairy and gland-dotted beneath. Flowers are in axilary clusters, calyx tube cylindrical, 6-9 mm long, corolla strongly 2-lipped, upper lip entire and erect while lower lip is 3-lobed, middle lobe longest, stamens 4 in unequal pairs. Flowers are white or pink. It is found in the Himalayas from Kashmir to Nepal at altitudes of 1200-3700 m. The herb has antioxidant, anticancer, antifungal, antitumor, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antiperiodic, antiprotozoal, antimalarial, CNS depressant, anti epileptic, spasmolytic and muscle relaxant activities. Leaves decoction is used as tonic and febrifuge. Aerial parts are used traditionally in Indian sub-Himalayas and Nepal to treat jaundice, skin diseases, malaria, diabetes, fevers and contusions. Traditionally, it is used to treat diabetes, malaria, leucorrhoea, skin diseases and inflammations. Leaves are used against skin diseases and crushed pieces of branches are given to infants in jaundice. Shoots are crushed and eaten with salt to strengthen the liver. Young shoots are used as insect repellent for cattle during rainy season. In Srinagar valley, Uttarakhand, it is used to treat fever,malaria, skin diseases and diabetes. In Garhwal, leaves decoction is used to treat fevers, malaria, skin diseases and diabetes while in Kumaon, decoction is used as a bitter tonic and as febrifuge. Leaves contain betulin, Beta-sitosterol, Beta-amyrin, glucose, stigmasterol, cetylalcohol, palmitic, stearic, oleic, gallic, oxalic and tartaric acids, fructose and arabinose. 

– Mukherjee Bk