Common Name:

General Information

Centipeda minima is a small, erect to prostrate herb, often much branched from the base, that usually has stems 8 - 20cm long, sometimes to 30cm[, ].
The plant is widely used in traditional medicine[]. It is harvested from the wild for mainly local medicinal use[].

Known Hazards

The plant is said to have caused poisoning of livestock in northern Australia[].

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - China, Japan, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines to New Guinea, Australia and the Pacific Islands.

Habitat

Humid open locations; thinly grassed patches in savannah; banks of permanent waterholes; muddy banks of rivers; fallow rice-fields and waste land; at elevations from sea-level to 1,200 metres, sometimes to 2,400 metres[, ].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.10 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant can be a weed of cultivated crops, but is considered to be only a minor weed because it does not root deeply, and it stays small[]

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

In China, the plant is considered a hot and dry medicine which is useful as a decoction in the treatment of paralysis and pain in the joints, and also against malaria, hepatitis, diabetes mellitus, eczema, insect or snake bites, and opium poisoning[]. Taken with wine, it is a remedy for internal injuries[].
The plant is used in general as a treatment for eye and sinus infections and nose polyps. The leaves, when squeezed between the fingers and inhaled, make the eyes water, clear the head and provoke sneezing[]. The plant is also used as a treatment against cough, common cold and bronchitis[].
The herb is boiled to a paste and applied to the cheeks in order to alleviate toothache, and is also used as a topical application on other swellings and inflammations[].

The seed, or the dried aerial parts, are used as a vermifuge and amoebicide[].

The plant contains an essential oil, myriogynic acid and a bitter principle[].
The essential oil contains bitter compounds such as myriogynic acid and myriogynin, several flavonoids, pentacyclic triterpenes and and several sesquiterpene lactones[].
The sesquiterpene lactones have shown antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus in vitro[].
An aqueous extract of the above-ground plant parts showed in vitro activity against Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia intestinalis and Plasmodium falciparum. Activity was found to be caused by the sesquiterpene lactone brevilin A[]. Ether, methanol and aqueous extracts showed significant anti-allergy activity in the passive cutaneous anaphylaxis test[].
A methanolic extract of dried aerial parts showed significant activity against herpes simplex virus, polio virus and sindbis virus[].
An infusion of dried plants exhibited antitussive activity, whilst the aqueous extract showed antispasmodic activity[].
The ether extract showed anaphylactic activity[].
Plant extracts also show moderate antimutagenic activity[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

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