Elephantopus scaber
L.
Asteraceae
Elephantopus carolinensis G.Mey.
Elephantopus plurisetus (O.Hoffm.) Clonts
Elephantopus sinuatus Zoll. & Moritzi
Elephantopus sordidus Salisb.
Scabiosa cochinchinensis Lour.
Common Name: Elephant's Foot
Growing plant
Photograph by: Mokkie
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
Growing plant
Photograph by: Mokkie
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
Flowering stems
Photograph by: J.M.Garg
GNU Free Documentation License
Close-up of the flower head
Photograph by: L. Shyamal
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5
Close-up of the flowers
Photograph by: Bryan To
General Information
Elephant's foot is an erect, perennial herb growing up to 80 cm tall[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
A popular medicinal herb in Africa, where it is often gathered from the wild. The leaves are also sometimes eaten locally.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
Range
Tropical eastern Africa - Congo to Kenya, south to Angola and Mozambique.
Habitat
Occurs in grasslands, wasteland, roadsides, along fields and in forest borders, at elevations up to 1,500 metres[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Perennial |
| Height | 0.80 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Not known
Edible Uses
Young leaves - cooked and eaten like spinach[
301- Title
- Cornucopia II
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications, California.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-2-5
- Description
- The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
].
A powder made from the plant is added to 'marcha', a fermentation cake used in the preparation of local alcoholic drinks[
301- Title
- Cornucopia II
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications, California.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-2-5
- Description
- The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
].
Medicinal
The plant is widely used as a medicinal herb in the tropics. It is anthelmintic, diaphoretic, diuretic, emmenagogue, emollient, febrifuge and tonic[310. It is used to treat conditions such as asthma, coughs and pulmonary diseases; dyspepsia, diarrhoea and dysentery; oedema; urethral discharges and venereal diseases[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. A decoction is used to treat fungal skin diseases[
348- Title
- Medicinal Plants of the Guianas
- Publication
-
- Author
- DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J.
- Website
- http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html
- Publisher
- Smithsonian Museum
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region
].
The roots are diuretic, febrifuge and tonic[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. They are used fresh to arrest vomiting[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. Either pounded or in decoction, they are also used as a remedy for leucorrhoea, anaemia, cough, malaria and as a tonic during parturition[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
The leaves are recommended for application to the abdomen to treat dropsy[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. They are also used as an anthelmintic and aphrodisiac, and to treat cough, sprue and diarrhoea[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
The plant contains deoxyelephantopine, an antitumoral sesquiterpene lactone[
348- Title
- Medicinal Plants of the Guianas
- Publication
-
- Author
- DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J.
- Website
- http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html
- Publisher
- Smithsonian Museum
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
