Western kutki (Picrorhiza kurrooa)

Picrorhiza kurrooa is kutki, a tiny alpine plant of the western Himalaya whose intensely bitter rhizome is one of the best-known Ayurvedic herbs. Demand has outrun supply. Wild populations have been dug out across much of its range, it is listed in CITES Appendix II, and India restricts export of wild material. What matters most about kutki today is where it came from.

Botanical name: Picrorhiza kurrooa Royle
Family: Plantaginaceae
Tamil: Katuki
Hindi: Kutki pashchimi
Parts used: Rhizome (historical; wild-dug trade is a conservation problem)
Habit: Alpine rhizome; kutki is a shop word
Last updated: 2026-10-25

How to recognise Western kutki

It is a small, creeping perennial of rocky alpine slopes at roughly 3,000 to 4,500 metres, with a rosette of toothed, spoon-shaped leaves pressed close to the ground.

In summer it sends up short spikes of small, pale blue to whitish flowers with long, protruding stamens.

The rhizome is thick, knotted, grey-brown and wrinkled, and astonishingly bitter. Picrorhiza means “bitter root”.

Eastern kutki, Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora, grows further east, from Nepal to Yunnan, and has darker, purplish flowers.

Traditional use of Western kutki

Ayurveda

Katuki is a classical bitter used in formulas for digestion, fever and the liver, such as arogyavardhini.

Ayurvedic materia medica

Himalayan trade

Villagers in Himachal, Uttarakhand and Kashmir have long dug and sold the rhizome as a cash crop, much of it now collected illegally or unsustainably.

Western Himalayan trade

Modern notes on Western kutki

The bitter iridoid glycosides picroside I and II, together called kutkin, have been studied in laboratories and small trials, mostly for liver protection. The evidence is not strong enough to replace medical care for liver disease.

Products sold as kutki are frequently adulterated or substituted, according to market studies.

Western kutki safety

Do not use kutki for jaundice or liver disease without seeing a doctor. Its strong bitterness can cause diarrhoea and stomach upset.

Ecology and sourcing

It grows on moist rocky slopes and alpine meadows from Pakistan to Uttarakhand.

Digging up the rhizome kills the plant, so cultivation programmes in Himachal and Uttarakhand are the main hope for keeping wild populations intact.

Related plants

Also in Plantaginaceae

Questions about Western kutki

Is Western kutki the same as eastern kutki?

No. Eastern kutki is Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora.

Why is Western kutki protected?

Over-harvesting of wild rhizomes; it is listed in CITES Appendix II.

What older names does Picrorhiza kurrooa go by?

Picrorhiza kurroa, with a single o.

Sources

Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.