This plant has cylindrical, grayish roots. Solid, circular, purplish stems with white fine hairs 0.8m. Leaves arranged in opposite pairs, hairy in two-sided, lanceolate, serrated 2–12.5 cm long, 5-35 mm wide.
The solitary flower heads are 6–8mm (0.24–0.31in) in diameter, with white florets. The bumpy achenes are compressed and narrowly winged.[7]
Flower of Eclipta prostrataSeed of Eclipta prostrata, closeup view
The plant has traditional uses in Ayurveda. In Hindi speaking regions of India, it is known as bhangra or bhringaraj. Wedelia calendulacea is known by the same names, so the white-flowered E. alba is called white bhangra and the yellow-flowered W. calendulacea is called yellow bhangra.[8]
In Southeast Asia, the dried whole plant is used in traditional medicine,[9] although there is no high-quality clinical research to indicate such uses are effective. The Balinese cook it as a vegetable, the Javanese consume this herb (orang-aring or urang-aring) as part of their lalap, they also infuse it with coconut oil as a kind of hair oil popular until the 1970s[10] Its leaves are extracted as a black hair dye, and in tattooing.[11]
Nantana Sittichai; Chayan Picheansoothon, eds. (2014). Herbal Medicines Used in Primary Health Care in ASEAN. Department for Development of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine. pp.148–149. ISBN9786161122119.
Jukema, J., N.Wulijarni-Soetjipto, R.H.M.J. Lemmens & J.W.Hildebrand (1991). Eclipta alba (L.) Hassk.Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Internet Record from Proseabase. Lemmens, R.H.M.J. and Wulijarni-Soetjipto, N. (Editors). PROSEA (Plant Resources of South-East Asia) Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia
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