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''Eclipta prostrata'', the false daisy, is a species of plant in the family 
This species is native to North and South America. It also grows commonly in moist places in warm temperate to tropical areas worldwide.
The plant has traditional uses in
Jepson Manual Treatment, University of CaliforniaUnited States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile
{{Taxonbar, from=Q857092 Heliantheae Flora of Northern America Flora of Southern America Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
Asteraceae
Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...
. It is widespread across much of the world.
This plant has cylindrical, grayish roots. Solid, circular, purplish stems with white fine hairs 0.8m. Leaves
A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...
arranged in opposite pairs, hairy in two-sided, lanceolate, serrated 2–12.5 cm long, 5-35 mm wide.
The solitary flower heads
A pseudanthium (; : pseudanthia) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, composite flowers ...
are in diameter, with white florets. The bumpy achenes are compressed and narrowly winged. Steenis, CGGJ van (1981). ''Flora, untuk sekolah di Indonesia''. PT Pradnya Paramita, Jakarta. pp. 423-424
This species is native to North and South America. It also grows commonly in moist places in warm temperate to tropical areas worldwide.
Traditional uses
The plant has traditional uses in Ayurveda
Ayurveda (; ) is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. It is heavily practised throughout India and Nepal, where as much as 80% of the population report using ayurveda. The theory and practice of ayur ...
. In Hindi speaking regions of India, it is known as ''bhangra'' or ''bhringaraj''. ''Wedelia calendulacea
''Wedelia calendulacea'' may refer to:
*''Wedelia calendulacea'' (L.) Less., an illegitimate name that is a synonym of '' Sphagneticola calendulacea''
*''Wedelia calendulacea'' Rich, an unresolved name in the genus ''Wedelia
''Wedelia'' is a g ...
'' 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''.
In Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
, the dried whole plant is used in traditional medicine
Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) refers to the knowledge, skills, and practices rooted in the cultural beliefs of various societies, especially Indigenous groups, used for maintaining health and treatin ...
, although there is no high-quality clinical research
Clinical research is a branch of medical research that involves people and aims to determine the effectiveness (efficacy) and safety of medications, devices, diagnostic products, and treatment regimens intended for improving human health. The ...
to indicate such uses are effective. The Balinese
Balinese may refer to:
*Bali, an Indonesian island
*Balinese art
*Balinese dance
*Balinese people
*Balinese language
*Nusa Penida Balinese
* Bali Aga Balinese
**Balinese script
**Balinese (Unicode block)
*Balinese mythology
*Balinese cat, a cat bre ...
cook it as a vegetable, the Javanese consume this herb ('' orang-aring'' or ''urang-aring'') as part of their ''lalap
''Lalab'' ( Sundanese: , ''lalab'') or ''lalap/lalapan'' (Indonesian) is a Sundanese raw vegetable salad served with ''sambal terasi''. It is a popular Sundanese vegetable dish that originated in West Java and Banten, Indonesia.
There are n ...
'', they also infuse it with coconut oil as a kind of hair oil popular until the 1970s Heyne, Karel (1987). ''Tumbuhan Berguna Indonesia'', vol. 3: p. 1833. Yayasan Sarana Wana Jaya, Jakarta Its leaves are extracted as a black hair dye, and in tattooing.
Phytochemistry
''Eclipta prostrata'' contains variousphytochemical
Phytochemicals are naturally-occurring chemicals present in or extracted from plants. Some phytochemicals are nutrients for the plant, while others are metabolites produced to enhance plant survivability and reproduction.
The fields of ext ...
s, such as coumestan
Coumestan is a heterocyclic organic compound. Coumestan forms the central core of a variety of natural compounds known collectively as coumestans. Coumestans are oxidation products of pterocarpan that are similar to coumarin. Coumestans, inclu ...
s, polypeptide
Peptides are short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. A polypeptide is a longer, continuous, unbranched peptide chain. Polypeptides that have a molecular mass of 10,000 Da or more are called proteins. Chains of fewer than twenty ...
s, polyacetylene
Polyacetylene (IUPAC name: polyethyne) usually refers to an organic polymer with the repeating unit . The name refers to its conceptual construction from polymerization of acetylene to give a chain with repeating olefin groups. This compound is ...
s, thiophene
Thiophene is a heterocyclic compound with the formula C4H4S. Consisting of a planar five-membered ring, it is aromatic as indicated by its extensive substitution reactions. It is a colorless liquid with a benzene-like odor. In most of its reacti ...
derivatives, steroid
A steroid is an organic compound with four fused compound, fused rings (designated A, B, C, and D) arranged in a specific molecular configuration.
Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes t ...
s, sterol
A sterol is any organic compound with a Skeletal formula, skeleton closely related to Cholestanol, cholestan-3-ol. The simplest sterol is gonan-3-ol, which has a formula of , and is derived from that of gonane by replacement of a hydrogen atom on ...
s, triterpene
Triterpenes are a class of terpenes composed of six isoprene units with the molecular formula C30H48; they may also be thought of as consisting of three terpene units. Animals, plants and fungi all produce triterpenes, including squalene, the pre ...
s, and flavonoid
Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans.
Chemically, flavonoids ...
s.
References
Further reading
* *External links
* *Jepson Manual Treatment, University of California
{{Taxonbar, from=Q857092 Heliantheae Flora of Northern America Flora of Southern America Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus