Adenosma caerulea (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Adenosma caerulea R.Br.

Protologue: Prodr.: 443 (1810).

Synonyms

Adenosma glutinosa (L.) Druce var. caerulea (R.Br.) Tsoong (1974).

Vernacular names

• Malaysia: rumput gembot, magun jantan, berpulut (Peninsular)
• Laos: ha:x na: (Borikhane), hlak na: (Khammounane)
• Thailand: ya khao kam (north-eastern), sanam chao (south-eastern)
• Vietnam: nhân trần, chè cát, chè nội.

Distribution

India, Sri Lanka, Indo-China, southern China, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Java, Borneo and Australia.

Uses

In Malaysia, a decoction of the roots has been used internally to treat bowel complaints and rheumatism. In Vietnam, the flowering tops are used as a diuretic, diaphoretic and cholagogue, and in tonics and alterative for women after childbirth as well as to treat fever, jaundice, viral hepatitis and eye inflammations. In China, A. caerulea is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and skin complaints.

Observations

An erect perennial herb up to 100 cm tall, stems densely glandular hairy; corolla 8-25 mm long, pilose outside, purple; fruit 7 mm × 5 mm. A. caerulea occurs in edges of evergreen forest, in open, grassy forest, upland rice fields and on sandy locations along watercourses, up to 1300 m altitude.

Selected sources

6, 121, 217, 249, 250, 671, 673, 731, 741, 971.

Main genus page

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Authors

Nguyen Tap & Nguyen Kim Bich