Ageratum conyzoides L.; Family Asteraceae

Ageratum conyzoides L.; Family Asteraceae

Latin name: Ageratum conyzoides L.; Family Asteraceae

Local names: Cây cứt lợn, Cây ngũ sắc, Cây ngũ vị, Cỏ hôi.

English names: White weed, appa grass, conyzoid floss-flower, bastard agrimony.

Description:

Herbs, annual, 50-100 cm tall, sometimes less than 10 cm, with inconspicuous main root. Stems robust, ca. 4 cm in diam. at base, simple or branched from middle, stems and branches reddish, or green toward apex, white powdery puberulent or densely spreading long tomentose. Leaves often with axillary abortive buds; petiole 1-3 cm, densely white spreading villous; median leaves ovate, elliptic, or oblong, 3-8 × 2-5 cm; upper leaves gradually smaller, oblong, sometimes all leaves small, ca. 1 × 0.6 cm, both surfaces sparsely white puberulent and yellow gland-dotted, basally 3-veined or obscurely 5-veined, base obtuse or broadly cuneate, margin crenate-serrate, apex acute. Capitula small, 4-14, in dense terminal corymbs; peduncle 0.5-1.5 cm, powdery puberulent; involucre campanulate or hemispheric, ca. 5 mm in diam.; phyllaries 2-seriate, oblong or lanceolate-oblong, 3-4 mm, glabrous, margin lacerate; corollas 1.5-2.5 mm, glabrous or apically powdery puberulent; limb purplish, 5-lobed. Achenes black, 5-angled, 1.2-1.7 mm, sparsely white setuliferous; pappus scales 5 or awned, 1.5-3 mm. Fl. and fr. year-round.

Ageratum conyzoides L.; Family Asteraceae

Distribution: Common weed everywhere.

Parts used: The whole plant, except the roots (Herba Agerati), is collected throughout the year. It is used fresh or dried.

Chemical composition:  The plant yields 0.7-2% essential oil consisting of ageratochromene, dimethoxy - ageratochromene, cadinene and caryophyllene; it also contains alkaloids and saponins.

Pharmacology: Anti-inflammatory, arresting pain and antibiosis.

Properties & Actions: Pungent, little bitter, cool. Clearing heat and detoxifying and arresting bleeding and pain.

Indications & Usage: Pyrexia induced by influenza, swelling and pain in the throat, empsyxis, non-traumatic hemorrhage, metrorrhagia and metrostaxis, pain in the gastric cavity and abdomen, rheumatic arthralgia. Oral administration: decocting, 15-30g; fresh products: doubled in amount; or powdered or smashed to extract juice. External application: appropriate amount, smashed; powdered to blow throat or infused with water or wine.

Examples 

1. Throat diseases: fresh leaves of tropic ageratum herb 30-60g, wash clean, squeeze juice, prepare with crystal sugar and drink, 3 times each day.

2. Pyrexia due to common cold: white sweet clover 60g. Decoct in water and swallow.

3. Epistaxis: knead the fresh leaves of white sweet clover and block nose.

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