Common Name:

General Information

Stachytarpheta jamaicensis is a well-branched. erect, perennial herb growing up to 1 metre tall. The stems become woody at the base[].
The plant has a wide range of medicinal uses and is often gathered from the wild for local use. The plant is cultivated as a food crop and medicinal plant in India, SE Asia and the Caribbean area[]. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Northern S. America - Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; through the Caribbean to Florida and Alabama; through C. America to Mexico.

Habitat

Usually on sea beaches, sometimes along roadsides, at elevations from sea level to 900 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant has become naturalized in Africa[]. It is a common weed in Zanzibar, occurring in pure stands over large areas, it is often a weed of coconut plantations but is also troublesome in shambas[].

Edible Uses

The tips of the twigs are used as a pot herb and condiment[, ].
The green leaves are chopped and cooked alone or can be mixed with other vegetables. Coconut milk or pounded groundnuts are added and the whole is then served with a staple food such as ugali or rice[].

The leaves have been used as an adulterant for tea[]. The dried leaves are used on their own as a tea, or are used to adulterate China tea[].

Medicinal

The plant is reputed to have emetic, expectorant, sudorific and tonic[]. It has been utilized locally in treating malaria, yellow fever, amenorrhea, syphilis, and gonorrhoea[]. The whole plant is used in preparations for treating diarrhoea, dysentery, diabetes, low blood pressure and fractures[].
A decoction of the whole plant is used as a bath to remedy grippe and headache; liver ailments[]. A tincture of the plant in rum is employed as a lotion to relieve nervous pains[].
The seedling is a mild purgative[].

The root is depurative[].

The leaves are astringent, cholagogue, hypotensive and purgative[]. An infusion is used to treat high blood pressure[] The juice of the leaves is used for treating colic and the pain of dysentery[]. A stew made from the crushed leaves is used against gonorrhoea and to retard perspiration[]. A decoction, combined with sodium sulphate, is drunk to remedy cutaneous eruptions[].
The leaves are used externally as a resolutive cataplasm and for treating skins burns[]. The juice of the leaves is placed in the ears to relieve earache[].

The plant contains the iridoid ipolamiide, as well as tarphetalin, stachytarphine and dopamine, the latter being active on the central nervous system[].
The leaves contain flavone pigments and choline[].
The leaves also yield gamma-amino butyric acid, a hypertensive[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is used for hedges[].

Other Uses

The flowers are used to make earrings[].

Propagation

Seed -

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