Eclipta prostrata, commonly known as false daisy, yerba de tago, guntagalagara aaku, Karisalankanni, and bhringraj, is a species of plant in the family Asteraceae. It is widespread across much of the world.[3][4][5]
| Eclipta prostrata | |
|---|---|
_flower.jpg) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Eclipta |
| Species: | E. prostrata |
| Binomial name | |
| Eclipta prostrata | |
| Synonyms | |
Synonymy
| |
This plant has cylindrical, grayish roots. Solid, circular, purplish stems with white fine hairs 0.8m. Leaves arranged in opposite pairs, hairy in two-sided, lanceolate, serrated 2–12.5 cm long, 5-35 mm wide.The solitary flower heads are 6–8 mm (0.24–0.31 in) in diameter, with white florets. The bumpy achenes are compressed and narrowly winged.[6]
This species grows commonly in moist places in warm temperate to tropical areas worldwide. It is widely distributed throughout India, Nepal, China, Thailand, Bangladesh and Brazil.
Traditional uses
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The plant has traditional uses in Ayurveda. In India, it is known as bhangra or bhringaraj. Wedelia calendulacea is known by the same names, so the white-flowered E. alba is called white bhangra and the yellow-flowered W. calendulacea is called yellow bhangra.[7]
In Southeast Asia, the dried whole plant is used in traditional medicine,[8] although there is no high-quality clinical research to indicate such uses are effective. The Balinese cook it as a vegetable, the Javanese consume this herb (orang-aring or urang-aring) as part of their lalap, they also infuse it with coconut oil as a kind of hair oil popular until the 1970s[9] Its leaves are extracted as a black hair dye, and in tattooing.[10]
Phytochemistry
Eclipta prostrata contains various phytochemicals, such as coumestans, polypeptides, polyacetylenes, thiophene derivatives, steroids, sterols, triterpenes, and flavonoids.[11]
References
Further reading
- Everitt, J.H.; Lonard, R.L.; Little, C.R. (2007). Weeds in South Texas and Northern Mexico. Lubbock: Texas Tech University Press. ISBN 0-89672-614-2
- Caldecott, Todd (2006). Ayurveda: The Divine Science of Life. Elsevier/Mosby. ISBN 0-7234-3410-7.
External links
Media related to Eclipta alba at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Eclipta prostrata at Wikispecies- Jepson Manual Treatment, University of California
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile
