Common Name: Goatweed

General Information

Ageratum conyzoides is a coarse annual plant with an erect stem and a strong, unpleasant smell. It can grow up to about 1 metre tall[].
A common weed of the tropical zone, it is also sometimes grown as an ornamental plant[] and is commonly used as a traditional medicine[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

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

Habitat

A common weed of cultivated ground, having spread from its native range to all areas of the Tropics within 20° of the Equator, to an elevation of 2,500 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in full sun in a sheltered position in any reasonably fertile moisture-retentive soil that does not dry out in the summer[]. Plants are reasonably tolerant of shade, though can be outcompeted by taller plants[]. Plant vigour and flowering periods are much reduced on dry soils[].
The plant is a common weed in the tropics[]. It can flower and produce fruit all year round; individual plants can produce 40,000 seeds and, in some areas, one-half of the seeds will germinate shortly after they are shed. Seeds are mainly spread by wind and water and will germinate under a wide range of conditions[].
The fresh plant is malodorous[].

Edible Uses

There are records that the fresh leaves have been eaten, combined with Abelmoschus esculentus[]. It only happens rarely and it is probably eaten mainly for its supposed medicinal benefits by nursing mothers who believe it helps to increase their milk flow[].

Medicinal

The whole plant is antiinflammatory and antiallergic[]. Antinematocidal, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, smooth muscle relaxant, haemostatic, analgesic, antifungal, antibacterial and hypothermic activities have been recorded[]. The plant also has an antidiarrhoeal effect[].
The plant contains between 0.7 - 2.0% essential oil, plus alkaloids and saponins[]. The essential oils contained in the plant have antibiotic properties[]. The plant is highly embryotoxic to Dysderus flacidis and acts on embryonic development at an early stage[].
The juice of the fresh plant, or an extract of the dried plant, is used in the treatment of allergic rhinitis and sinusitis[]. The juice of the fresh plant is also useful in treating post-partum uterine haemorrhage[].
The plant is used to treat constipation, infective hepatitis, eczema, epilepsy, fresh wounds, dizziness, diarrhoea, dysentery, sore eyes, fever, headaches, intestinal worms, filariasis, vomiting and nausea, wounds and cuts[].

The juice of the root is antilithic[, ]. A paste of the root, mixed with the bark of Schinus wallichii, is applied to set dislocated bones[].

The leaves are styptic[]. They are dried and applied as a powder to cuts, sores and the ruptures caused by leprosy[], The powder absorbs the moisture of the disease and forms a layer that is removed after 1 - 2 days[]. An effective cure for most cuts and sores, though it does not effect a complete cure for leprosy[]. The leaves are also used externally in the treatment of ague[, ].

The juice of the plant is used to treat cuts, wounds and bruises[].

A paste of the leaves is used as a poultice to remove thorns from the skin[]. A paste made of the leaves mixed with equal amounts of Bidens pilosa, Drymaria cordata, Galinsoga parviflora and the rhizome of Zingiber officinale is used to treat snakebites[].

The juice of the flowerheads is used externally to treat scabies, whilst a paste of them is used to treat rheumatism[]. A tea made from the flowerheads mixed with Ocimum tenuifolium is used to treat coughs and colds[].

Other Uses

The leaves and the flowers yield 0.2% essential oil with a powerful nauseating odour[]. The oil contains 5% eugenol, which has a pleasant odour[]. The oil from plants growing in Africa has an agreeable odour, consisting almost entirely of eugenol[].

A decoction of the fresh plant is used as a hair wash, leaving the hair soft, fragrant and dandruff free[].

Tannin extracts of goatweed showed insecticidal activity against flour beetles[].

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ

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Captcha: if i have 3 bananas, and i eat them all, how many bananas did i just eat?