Common Name: Goatweed

General Information

Goatweed is an evergreen perennial plant producing multiple stems up to 1.5 metres tall from a well-developed, long-lived taproot. Individual stems are usually much branched and live 2 - 3 years or more, becoming somewhat woody with age[, , ].
A popular tea and medicinal herb in parts of its range, where it is usually gathered from the wild. The plant is cultivated for medicinal use in Cuba[].

Known Hazards

The plant is used to make a tonic tea and also for medicinal purposes. However, caution needs to be exercised since it can be a dangerous depressant in large quantities, with overindulgence sometimes leading to in stupor, disorientation, and paralysis[, ].

Botanical References

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Range

S. America - Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama to Mexico; through the Caribbean to Florida.

Habitat

Moist thickets and swamps, salt flats or in mangrove, abundant in once cleared lands[]. Open sunny sites in lowland situations at elevations from sea level to 500 metres, occasionally to 1,000 metres in Costa Rica[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of lowland areas in the tropics and subtropics, where it can be found at elevations up to 1,000 metres[]. In Puerto Rico, it occurs in areas that receive from 750 - 1,700mm of precipitation a year[].
Requires a sunny position[]. The plant grows on soils derived from both sedimentary and igneous rocks in a wide range of soil textures and fertility but requires well-drained conditions[].
The plant flowers and produces seed all year round[].
Plants readily sprout from the lower stem or root when they have been cut or burned[].

Edible Uses

The aerial parts of the plant are used to make a tea[]. The flowering stems are used[]. A very agreeable substitute for tea[]. Some caution is advised, however, since it can be a dangerous depressant in large quantities[].

Medicinal

The plant is often used in traditional medicine. Research has shown that it contains several medically active compounds, including alkaloids and sesquiterpenes[]. Some caution should be exercised, however, since overindulgence can result in stupor, disorientation, and paralysis[].
The alkaloid biflorine, present in the leaves, has demonstrated antibiotic properties[]

The plant is antibiotic, cholagogue, digestive, diuretic and tonic. An infusion also has an antispasmodic action, especially if taken after a violent purgative[]. A saline decoction is used as a vermifuge[]. An infusion is used as a general tonic; to aid in recovery after childbirth; and to treat fever, flu, vomiting, diarrhoea, haemorrhoids, rheumatism, urinary problems, swellings etc[, ].
A tea prepared from the leaves is used externally as an eyewash and to soothe skin itch[]. The young plant is pulverised and mixed with soft grease and sugar in a poultice which is applied to hard boils to bring them to a point[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Goatweed helps revegetate disturbed areas, protects the soil, and furnishes cover for wildlife[].. It is a nectar source for butterflies and is recommended in natural landscaping[].
Once established, goatweed competes relatively well with grass, weeds, and low brush[].

Other Uses

A number of compounds in the aerial parts of the plant, comprising sesquiterpenoids and caprariolides A and B, have demonstrated strong insecticidal activity against adult sweet potato weevils, Cylas formicarius elegantulus[].

Propagation

Seed - best surface sown because it is so small. Press the seed gently into the soil and make sure it does not dry out. In one germination test, 21% of the seed germinated within 10 - 35 days[].

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