Background: The plant species belonging to the genus Boerhavia (Nyctaginaceae) have been used extensively in ethnomedicine and Ayurveda in India. Raktapunarnava and Shweta punarnava are two of the species which find mention in various Ayurvedic formulations. Other species of Boerhavia, though not found in Indian system of medicine, do hold importance in ethnomedicine systems in India and other countries. Objective: Boerhavia being a polymorphic genus, has been treated as a single genus encompassing species belonging to a morphologically related genus Commicarpus also. Owing to this taxonomic quandary with regard to merger or separation of the two genera by different workers, there are different reports of the number of species belonging to the genus. This has further resulted in flawed reporting of ethnomedicinal as well as ethnopharmacological studies. The present review focuses on resolving any confusion in taxonomic treatment, to highlight the ethnomedicinal uses supported by ethnopharmcological data and the phytochemistry of Boerhavia and Commicarpus species found in India. Conclusion: In India four species of Boerhavia and two species belong to Commicarpus have been reported to occur. The literature survey revealed that except B. diffusa, no other species of Boerhavia has been explored in detail. This presents an opportunity to undertake research on Boerhavia species and find new phytochemicals with promising therapeutic effects.