Blainvillea acmella
StarBlainvillea acmella
Synonyms: Acmella mauritiana, Acmella linnaei, Spilanthes acmella, Coreopsis acmella, Blainvillea polycephala, Pyrethrum acmella, Blainvillea alba, Blainvillea hispida, Blainvillea rhomboidea var. polycephala, Blainvillea rhomboidea var. lanceolata, Oligogyne burchellii, Blainvillea racemosa, Ceratocephalus acmella, Blainvillea rhomboidea var. racemosa, Calyptocarpus burchellii, Ecliptica latifolia, Blainvillea latifolia, Eclipta latifolia, Eisenmannia clandestina, Verbesina lavenia, Bidens acmella, Verbesina acmella, Verbesina lanceolata
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
Blainvillea acmella is used in folk medicine in India and parts of Southeast Asia. The plant is traditionally used for toothache, stomatitis and sore throat and as a wound healer and snakebite remedy; the leaves are applied in rheumatism and the flowers used for headache, and in Malaysia ("Subang Nenek") it is taken for tooth pain (Philipson literature; Frontiers Pharmacol., 2021). Species-specific studies document antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity supporting several of these uses.
Botanical Description
Blainvillea acmella is an erect, branching annual herb of the Asteraceae, widespread as a weed throughout the pantropics. It grows up to about a metre tall with rough, hairy stems and opposite, ovate to lance-shaped, three-veined, toothed leaves on short stalks. The small flower heads are borne singly or in loose clusters at the branch tips; each head has a few inconspicuous whitish to pale yellow ray florets and a central disc of yellowish florets, subtended by leafy bracts. The fruit is a small, angled, hairy achene. It is a common plant of roadsides, waste ground, fields and disturbed places in tropical Africa, Asia and the Americas. Despite a shared common epithet it is distinct from the toothache plant Acmella oleracea, a different genus.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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