An annual plant, with a smooth, branched stem growing from 1 to 4 feet high. Leaves are bipinnately parted, nearly smooth and petioled; the leaflets ovate-lanceolate, pinnatifid, mostly wedge-shaped at the base. Inflorescence with single axillary pedunculate flower head; peduncles elongating in fruit to -10cm long, glabrous or sparse puberulent; ray flowers 3-5, corolla 5-6 mm long, yellow, disk flowers with yellow, 4-5 mm long corolla; achene linear-fusiform, 4-angular, 7-18 mm long, with (2-)4 retrorsely barbed bristles of 2-4 mm. Fruit achene, narrowly-linear, 4-angled, about .5 to .75 inch long, dark brown to blackish, tapering to point, 3 to 4 barbed awns; enclosing seed.

As an emmenagogue, expectorant, stimulant and antispasmodic (roots and seeds); vermifuge (leaf tea); antidiarrhetic (whole plant); antibacterial(plant extract).

Plants For A Future
PROSEA (Plant Resources of South-East Asia) Foundation

Used to treat conjunctivitis, against earache and as a styptic on wounds (juice of leaves); chewed for sore throat (leaves); to treat asthma (roots and seeds); to treat stings of insects, snake bites, and unhealthy granulations of wounds (plant).