Salmea scandens
StarSalmea scandens
Synonyms: Salmeopsis claussenii, Ceratocephalus nitidus, Salmea scandens var. genuina, Salmea salicifolia, Spilanthes nitida, Salmea sessilifolia, Salmea pubescens, Fornicaria scandens, Salmea nitida, Spilanthes volubilis, Calea amellus, Salmea eupatoria, Salmea oppositiceps, Hopkirkia eupatoria, Salmea scandens var. amellus, Salmea grandiceps, Salmea scandens subsp. paraguariensis, Santolina amellus, Salmea tomentosa, Melanthera amellus, Bidens scandens, Salmea scandens var. pubescens, Isocarpha amellus, Salmea scandens var. obtusata, Verbesina scandens, Hopkirkia scandens, Salmea eupatoria var. intermedia, Salmea parviceps
Safety at a glance
No rule in our tables for this herb: pregnancy, breastfeeding, incompatible pairs (十八反 / 十九畏), herb–drug, dose ceiling. This is not a safety clearance.
Not graded — No toxicity grade is recorded. Most herbs in the catalogue carry none.
Traditionally used for
- Nose & throat
- Teeth & mouth
- Pain & joints
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
In Mexican and Mesoamerican folk medicine the root and bark of chilcuán (Salmea scandens) are a long-established remedy for toothache, sore throat and gum complaints: a piece is chewed or pressed against the affected tooth to produce intense numbing, salivation and local pain relief, and decoctions are gargled for sore throat (Argueta, 1994 Atlas de las Plantas de la Medicina Tradicional Mexicana; González-Stuart, 2010). The numbing alkamides have been characterised in named pharmacology of S. scandens (affinin-related compounds).
Botanical Description
Salmea scandens, the chilcuán or toothache vine, is a scrambling shrub or woody climber of the Asteraceae native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America. It produces long, flexuous, often climbing stems 3–8 m long with opposite, ovate-lanceolate leaves bearing serrate margins. Large terminal panicles carry many small white-rayed daisy heads in the dry season, attractive to bees and small flies. Cypselae are small, dark and crowned with a pappus of barbed awns. The root and bark are the parts long valued in Mexican folk medicine; chewing them produces a pronounced, immediate numbing, tingling and sialagogue effect — the so-called "buzz-button" sensation — due to alkamide compounds in the affinin (spilanthol) class. It grows in tropical deciduous forest, thorn scrub and forest edges, often climbing over shrubs and small trees.
Dosage Calculator
⚖ Dosage Calculator
A weight-based mathematical estimate for Salmea scandens. Not a prescription.
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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