If you would like to support this site, please consider Donating.
Useful Tropical Plants

Porophyllum ruderale

Cass.

Asteraceae

+ Synonyms

Cacalia glandulosa Salisb.

Cacalia porophyllum L.

Cacalia ruderalis (Jacq.) Sw.

Kleinia glandulosa Moc. & Sessé

Kleinia porophyllum (L.) Willd.

Kleinia ruderalis Jacq.

Porophyllum ellipticum (L.) Cass.

Porophyllum latifolium Benth.

Porophyllum macrocephalum DC.

Porophyllum macrolepidium Malme

Porophyllum porophyllum (L.) Kuntze

Tagetes integrifolia Muschl.

Common Name: Papalo Quelite

Porophyllum ruderale
Growing plant in Java
Photograph by: Wie146
Creative Commons License
Porophyllum ruderale Porophyllum ruderale Porophyllum ruderale Porophyllum ruderale Porophyllum ruderale Porophyllum ruderale

General Information

Porophyllum ruderale is an erect, usually rather sparsely branched annual plant growing 20 - 100cm tall[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
]. All parts of the plant are malodorous[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
].
The edible leaves, especially of the subspecies macrocephalum, are a popular flavouring and vegetable, and are commonly harvested from the wild, being also used medicinally. They are also cultivated and are sometimes sold in local markets[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
,
1169
Title
Monograph of the plant genus Porophyllum (Compositae: Helenieae).
Publication
University of Kansas Science Bulletin 48 225-257
Author
Johnson R.R.
Publisher
 
Year
1969
ISBN
 
Description
An in-depth treatment of the genus Porophyllum
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

270
Title
Flora of N. America
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
,
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
,
1169
Title
Monograph of the plant genus Porophyllum (Compositae: Helenieae).
Publication
University of Kansas Science Bulletin 48 225-257
Author
Johnson R.R.
Publisher
 
Year
1969
ISBN
 
Description
An in-depth treatment of the genus Porophyllum

Range

S. America - Bolivia, Peru, northern Brazil; C. America - Panama to Mexico; N. America - Arizona, New Mexico, Texas.

Habitat

A weed of disturbed soils[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
]. Brushy rocky slopes or plains, most often in sandy soil, frequently on sandbars along streams, at elevations of 200 - 1,200 metres[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
]. Ephemerally wet sites in desert mountains; 1,000 - 1,500 metres[
270
Title
Flora of N. America
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
].

Properties

Weed PotentialYes
Edibility Rating *  *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitAnnual
Height0.50 m
PollinatorsInsects
Cultivation StatusCultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Porophyllum ruderale is an annual plant found from the warm temperate zone of southern N. America and south through the tropical Americas to Bolivia and Peru. It is usually found in very freely draining soils, often in semi-arid regions where it grows after rains.
Requires a sunny position, succeeding in a range of soil types so long as they are well-drained.
In addition to being cultivated as a food crop, the subspecies macrocephalum is often found as a weed of waste and disturbed ground in its native habitat. It was introduced into the Galapagos as a food, where it has escaped from cultivation and is now classed as an invasive weed[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
].
The subspecies macrocephalum is the form more commonly grown for its edible leaves[
1169
Title
Monograph of the plant genus Porophyllum (Compositae: Helenieae).
Publication
University of Kansas Science Bulletin 48 225-257
Author
Johnson R.R.
Publisher
 
Year
1969
ISBN
 
Description
An in-depth treatment of the genus Porophyllum
].
The aromatic oils, which are contained largely in the pores or glands that are especially plentiful on the leaves, produce a strong odour when the foliage is bruised, broken, or heated. Cures, real or fancied, that are attributed to various species of Porophyllum are probably largely due to either the soothing properties of the oils or the imagination by the patient that anything that is so odoriferous must be beneficial[
1169
Title
Monograph of the plant genus Porophyllum (Compositae: Helenieae).
Publication
University of Kansas Science Bulletin 48 225-257
Author
Johnson R.R.
Publisher
 
Year
1969
ISBN
 
Description
An in-depth treatment of the genus Porophyllum
].

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw or cooked. They can be added to salads or cooked as a flavouring in foods such as stews and salsa[
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.
]. They are said to make a delicious salsa with tomatoes, onions and chilli[
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.
]. The leaves have a very distinctive pungent aroma and flavour which has been compared to cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)[
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 used as an antiinflammatory[
1170
Title
Antifungal activity of essential oils extracted from Agastache mexicana ssp. Xolocotziana and Porophyllum linaria ag
Publication
Industrial Crops and Products 74 (2015) 178-182
Author
Zaida N. Juárez; Luis R. Hernández et al
Publisher
 
Year
2015
ISBN
0926-6690
Description
 
].
The roots are used in treating snakebite and also to relieve pain from rheumatism and the bacterial disease erysipelas[
1169
Title
Monograph of the plant genus Porophyllum (Compositae: Helenieae).
Publication
University of Kansas Science Bulletin 48 225-257
Author
Johnson R.R.
Publisher
 
Year
1969
ISBN
 
Description
An in-depth treatment of the genus Porophyllum
].

Other Uses

An essential oil obtained from the plant is used medicinally and also has significant antifungal activity. It has been recommended for use to develop natural fungicidal formulations in order to protect post-harvest stored grains[
1170
Title
Antifungal activity of essential oils extracted from Agastache mexicana ssp. Xolocotziana and Porophyllum linaria ag
Publication
Industrial Crops and Products 74 (2015) 178-182
Author
Zaida N. Juárez; Luis R. Hernández et al
Publisher
 
Year
2015
ISBN
0926-6690
Description
 
]. Higher antifungal activity is displayed when the complete essential oil is used, as opposed to individual components from the oil used in isolation, suggesting that enhancement of antifungal activity is obtained when other minor compounds are present in the oil, suggesting that the antifungal activity is a result of a synergistic effect.[
1170
Title
Antifungal activity of essential oils extracted from Agastache mexicana ssp. Xolocotziana and Porophyllum linaria ag
Publication
Industrial Crops and Products 74 (2015) 178-182
Author
Zaida N. Juárez; Luis R. Hernández et al
Publisher
 
Year
2015
ISBN
0926-6690
Description
 
].
The oil contains a significant amount (25%) of waxes and fatty acids, with the following major compounds identified: citronellal (29.3%), -caryophillene (12.4%), hexyl cinnamic aldehyde (8.4%), and bisabolene (7.41%)[
1170
Title
Antifungal activity of essential oils extracted from Agastache mexicana ssp. Xolocotziana and Porophyllum linaria ag
Publication
Industrial Crops and Products 74 (2015) 178-182
Author
Zaida N. Juárez; Luis R. Hernández et al
Publisher
 
Year
2015
ISBN
0926-6690
Description
 
].

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-12-12. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Porophyllum+ruderale>

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.