Ngai camphor
StarBlumea balsamifera
Synonyms: Blumea balsamifera var. microcephala, Baccharis salvia, Pluchea appendiculata, Baccharis gratissima, Conyza balsamifera, Conyza grandis, Pluchea balsamifera, Blumea appendiculata, Placus balsamifer, Blumea densiflora var. excisa, Blumea excisa, Conyza vestita, Blumea grandis
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
In the Philippines, Blumea balsamifera ('sambong') leaf is officially recognized in the Philippine National Formulary and Philippine Pharmacopoeia and is widely used as a decoction to promote diuresis and to dissolve urinary calculi, as well as for cough and colds (Department of Health Philippines, 1997). In Indonesian and Malay 'jamu' medicine, the leaves ('sembung') are taken as an expectorant and warming tonic for cough, post-partum recovery, and rheumatic pains (Burkill, 1966).
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Botanical Description
Blumea balsamifera (Asteraceae) is a robust aromatic perennial shrub or subshrub native to South and Southeast Asia, including India, Bhutan, southern China, Myanmar, Thailand, Indochina, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia, where it grows in open grasslands, forest clearings, and disturbed ground from sea level to 1500 m elevation. Plants reach 1-3 m in height with stout, longitudinally ridged, white-woolly stems. The alternate elliptic to oblanceolate leaves are 15-30 cm long, irregularly toothed and sometimes auriculate at the base, densely silky-tomentose beneath, and emit a strong camphoraceous odor when crushed due to a high content of l-borneol and related monoterpenes. Numerous small yellow discoid heads are borne in large terminal leafy panicles in the dry season. The genus is well known in trade for 'Ngai camphor' distilled from the leaves of this species.
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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