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Eclipta prostrata
| Common name: |
Han Lian Cao |
Family: |
Compositae |
| Author: |
L. |
Botanical references: |
50, 58 |
| Synonyms: |
Eclipta alba ((L.)Hassk.) |
| Known Hazards: |
None known |
| Range: |
E. Asia - China, Japan and Korea to Australia. |
| Habitat: |
Wet places in the lowlands of Japan, especially by paddy fields[58]. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
1 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 3 |
| Other Possible Synonyms: | From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below. |
| E. erecta[B,P]
Verbesina alba[B,P]
Verbesina prostrata[B,P]
|
| Other Common Names: | From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Daun Dakelin [E], Eclipta [H], False Daisy [B,P], Keremek Hutan [E], Li Ch'Ang [E], Mo-han-lian [H], Rumput Migus [E], Takasaburo [E], Ubat Rambut Panjang [E], Urang-aring [E], |
| Epithets: | From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets |
|
prostrata = prostrate;
rostrata = hooked;
|
| Systematics: | From a USDA Plants Database |
|
Order: Asterales. Renamed to Asteraceae -- Aster family
|
| Other Range Info: |
From the Ethnobotany Database |
|
China; India; Java; Malaya; Philippines(Ifugao); Singapore; Trinidad
|
| Noxious, Invasive and Injurious Weeds | From USDA PLANTS database, Weeds Australia
, DEFRA Injurious Weeds | | Listed as noxious/invasive for: USA Invasive. |
Physical Characteristics
Annual growing to 0.6m by 0.6m . It is hardy to zone 9. It is in flower in August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs).
We rate it 1/5 for edibility and
3/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils.
The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland).
It requires moist or wet soil.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Bog Garden, Cultivated Beds.Edible Uses
Leaves.
Tender leaves and young shoots - cooked and used as a vegetable[105,
177, 179, 254, 272].
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Antiseptic; Astringent; Depurative; Emetic; Febrifuge; Ophthalmic; Purgative; Styptic; Tonic.
This species is widely used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine, and
in Ayurveda[238]. It is considered to be the best remedy for the hair and is
also used as a rejuvenative and liver tonic[238, 254].
The whole plant is astringent, deobstruent, depurative, emetic, febrifuge,
ophthalmic, purgative, styptic and tonic[147, 176, 178]. It is used
internally in the treatment of dropsy and liver complaints[152], anaemia,
diphtheria etc[238], tinnitus, tooth loss and premature greying of the
hair[176]. Externally, it is used as an oil to treat hair loss and is also
applied to athlete's foot, eczema, dermatitis, wounds etc[238, 254].
The plant juice, mixed with an aromatic (essential oil?), is used in the
treatment of catarrhal problems and jaundice[243].
The leaves are used in the treatment of scorpion stings[243]. They are used
as an antidote for snake bites in Korea[279].
The plant is harvested as it comes into flower and is dried for later
use[238].
The roots are emetic and purgative[240]. They are applied externally as an
antiseptic to ulcers and wounds, especially in cattle[240]. We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.
Other Uses
Dye.
A black dye is obtained from the plant[238]. It is used as a hair dye
and for tattooing[238].
Cultivation details
Requires a damp to wet soil and a position in some shade[238].
This is a tropical species and it might need more summer heat and a longer
growing season than is normally available in British summers[K].
Propagation
Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. When
they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots
and plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer, after the
last expected frosts. Give the plants some extra protection, such as a
cloche, until they are established and growing away well.
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
Web References
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
- [E] Ethnobotany Data
(common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
- [B] Data
(Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
- [C] Taxon data.
from the CalFlora database.
- [P] Data.
(uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
- [HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
References for Eclipta alba (a possible synonym).
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
[50] ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
[58] Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.
[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
[147] ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X
A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.
[152] Lassak. E. V. and McCarthy. T. Australian Medicinal Plants.
A very good and readable guide to the subject.
[176] Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985
A very good Chinese herbal.
[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
[178] Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.
[179] Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977
A translation of an ancient Chinese book on edible wild foods. Fascinating.
[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
[243] Medicinal Plants of Nepal Dept. of Medicinal Plants. Nepal. 1993
Terse details of the medicinal properties of Nepalese plants, including cultivated species and a few imported herbs.
[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
Readers Comments
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Plant information taken from the
Plants For A Future -
Species Database.
Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963 This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Eclipta+prostrata
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