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]
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.
Flower of Eclipta prostrataSeed of Eclipta prostrata, closeup view
The plant has traditional usesinAyurveda. In India, it is known as bhangraorbhringaraj. 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]
InSoutheast 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-aringorurang-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]
^Steenis, CGGJ van (1981). Flora, untuk sekolah di Indonesia. PT Pradnya Paramita, Jakarta. pp. 423-424
^Puri, H. S. 2003. Rasayana: Ayurvedic Herbs for Longevity and Rejuvenation. Taylor & Francis, London. pages 80–85.
^Nantana Sittichai; Chayan Picheansoothon, eds. (2014). Herbal Medicines Used in Primary Health Care in ASEAN. Department for Development of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine. pp. 148–149. ISBN9786161122119.
^Heyne, Karel (1987). Tumbuhan Berguna Indonesia, vol. 3: p. 1833. Yayasan Sarana Wana Jaya, Jakarta
^Jukema, J., N.Wulijarni-Soetjipto, R.H.M.J. Lemmens & J.W.Hildebrand (1991). Eclipta alba (L.) Hassk.Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Internet Record from Proseabase. Lemmens, R.H.M.J. and Wulijarni-Soetjipto, N. (Editors). PROSEA (Plant Resources of South-East Asia) Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia
Media related to Eclipta alba at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Eclipta prostrata at Wikispecies
