Mikania glomerata
StarMikania glomerata
Synonyms: Cacalia trilobata, Mikania glomerata var. montana, Corynanthelium moronoa, Mikania scansoria, Aliconia guaco, Mikania hederifolia, Willoughbya moronoa, Mikania hatschbachii, Willoughbya glomerata
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
Mikania glomerata, known throughout Brazil as guaco, is one of the most widely used Brazilian medicinal plants and is the subject of an official monograph in the Farmacopeia Brasileira (6th edition). Leaf preparations (xarope de guaco, infusions, tinctures) are taken as an expectorant, antitussive and bronchodilator for asthma, bronchitis and other upper respiratory conditions, with coumarin (cumarina) identified as the principal marker compound. Guaco is listed on the Brazilian national list of medicinal plants (RENAME) and is dispensed through the public phytotherapy programme (Lorenzi and Matos, 2008; Farmacopeia Brasileira, 6th ed.).
Botanical Description
Mikania glomerata (guaco) is a vigorous perennial climbing vine of the Asteraceae, native to the Atlantic forests of south-eastern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and northern Argentina. The stems are woody at the base, cylindrical, and can extend many metres over shrubs and small trees. Opposite leaves are broadly ovate to cordate, 7-15 cm long, with three to five prominent palmate veins and finely toothed margins; crushed foliage emits a characteristic warm, coumarin-vanilla scent. Small cream to whitish flower heads are densely clustered (glomerate) in axillary and terminal panicles, each containing four florets surrounded by four phyllaries; the achenes bear a tawny pappus. It thrives along forest edges and in moist clearings.
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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