The generic name is dedicated to James Justice (1698-1763), horticulturist and scribe from Edinburgh who made some publications about growing plants. Considered the father of Scottish gardening, he oreferred his botanical experiments than being a lawyer, which would cost him a divorce and the expulsion of the Fellowship in the Royal Society. His works on gardening, such as the also Scottish also Gardiner, had great influence in Britain and Ireland. It is an evergreen shrub of the family of acantaceas, from India where it is known by the name of vasaka. In Ayurvedic medical tradition, the vasaka is considered especially beneficial for treating chronic bronchitis, cough or asthma. It contains an alkaloid widely used today in medicine for its mucolytic and expectorant action. A related species, J. pectoralis, has been named for its allusion to its use against the pectoral affections. The Malabar nut is located in the most modern English Garden and Huerta del Retiro, along with other species of Asian origin. Its flower is similar to the acanthus.