An annual herb growing to 1.2m. Leaves 7.5-19cm length, 6.5-18cm width. Flowers involucres 10-12mm; hermaphrodite; yellow in colour.

Anodyne, cardiac, febrifuge, salve, stimulates blood circulation (whole plant);

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The juice of the plant is used externally in the treatment of ringworm, other parasitic infections and as a protective cover for wounds. A paste of the plant is applied to wounds between the toes that have been caused by prolonged walking barefoot in muddy water. A decoction of the aerial parts is also used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, pains and aches in the legs and sides, hemiplegia, hypertension, sciatica, weeping dermatitis and mastitis. It is taken internally or applied topically for rubella, boils, carbuncles, and sores with exudation. A paste of the root is used in the treatment of indigestion. The juice of the root is applied to wounds.

Jing-Nuan Wu. An Illustrated Chinese Materia Medica. P: 588, Oxford University Press, Inc.2005.