A. album Stend; A. caeruleum Hort. ex. Poir.; A. coeruleum Desf.; A. cordifoliumRoxb.; A. hirsutum Lam.; A. humile Salisb.; A. latifolium Car.; A. maritimum H.B.K.; A. mexicanum Sims.; A. obtusifolium Lam.; A. odoratum Vilm. and Cacalia mentrasto Vell.
Family
:
Asteraceae
General Info
Description
Erect, herbaceous annual, 30 to 80 cm tall; stems are covered with fine white hairs, leaves are opposite, pubescent with long petioles and include glandular trichomes. The inflorescence contain 30 to 50 pink flowers arranged as a corymb. The fruit is an achene with an aristate pappus and is easily dispersed by wind.
Stops bleeding from cuts (leaf juice); as an antilithic (root), styptic (leaves),to treat cuts, wounds and bruises (plant juice); to treat scabies, rheumatism, coughs and colds (flower heads).
Contraindication
As pyrrolizidine alkaloids have been found in Ageratum, it can be presumed to be dangerous if taken internally in large doses. Do not use in pregnancy or with liver disease.
Reference
Chandel et al., Biodiversity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in India.
Uniyal et al., Medicinal Flora of Garhwal Himalayas. Manandhar NP. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002 ISBN 0-88192-527-6.