Stinging pavonia
StarPavonia urens
Synonyms: Malache urens
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
Across tropical Africa Pavonia urens is widely used in traditional medicine. In DR Congo the scraped, softened root is applied to wounds; in Burundi pounded roots and leaves dress fractures and dislocations and root and leaf decoctions treat infant diarrhoea, cough and abdominal pain; in Ethiopia leaf preparations are applied to ulcers; and in Tanzania root and leaf preparations are taken for stomach problems and chest complaints (Burkill; PROTA). Its documented external use for wounds, sores and ulcers supports a vulnerary classification.
Gallery
Botanical Description
Pavonia urens is an erect, softly woody herb or subshrub of the mallow family, often 1 to 3 m tall, clothed throughout in irritant stinging and stellate hairs. The alternate leaves are large, broadly heart-shaped and shallowly three- to five-lobed, with toothed margins, prominent palmate venation and long stalks. The flowers are borne singly or in small clusters in the leaf axils and have five pink to mauve or whitish petals surrounding the typical mallow staminal column, subtended by a whorl of narrow epicalyx bracts. The fruit is a schizocarp that splits into several one-seeded segments often bearing barbed bristles. Widespread in tropical and subtropical Africa, it grows in forest margins, clearings, grassland, riverbanks and disturbed places at a wide range of elevations.
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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