Atis (Indian Atees)

Atis is a perennial herb of the buttercup family with heart-shaped lower leaves, hooded pale blue or greenish flowers veined with purple, and paired tuberous roots. It grows on sub-alpine and alpine slopes of the western Himalayas, between about 2,500 and 3,500 metres, in Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Nepal.

The root, called Ativisha in Ayurveda, is traditionally used in digestive preparations and in classical formulations for children. It is endangered in the wild, and Aconitum species are on India's export negative list, so it is protected and restricted in trade and not offered here.