Mexican-sunflower
StarTithonia rotundifolia
Synonyms: Urbanisol heterophyllus, Leighia speciosa, Tithonia speciosa, Verbesina szyszylowiczii, Tagetes rotundifolia, Tithonia vilmoriniana, Tithonia aristata, Tithonia tagetiflora, Tithonia heterophylla, Tithonia macrophylla, Tithonia uniflora, Urbanisol aristatus, Urbanisol tagetiflorus var. speciosus, Urbanisol tagetiflorus var. normalis, Helianthus speciosus, Urbanisol tagetiflorus
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
In Mesoamerican and pantropical folk medicine Tithonia species, including the Mexican sunflower, are used for their leaves: leaf infusions and poultices are applied for the relief of inflammation, sprains, bruises, and skin complaints, and are taken for digestive upset and as a febrifuge, with the related Tithonia diversifolia being more extensively documented for malaria and inflammatory conditions (Burkill, 1985; Chagas-Paula et al., 2012). Phytochemical studies of the genus report sesquiterpene lactones with anti-inflammatory and antiplasmodial activity.
Gallery
Botanical Description
Tithonia rotundifolia, the Mexican sunflower or red sunflower, is a tall, robust annual herb of the Asteraceae growing one to three metres tall, with stout, branching, softly hairy stems. The alternate leaves are large, broadly ovate, sometimes shallowly three-lobed, with toothed margins and a rough-hairy surface, the lower ones long-petioled. The showy flower heads are borne singly on swollen, hollow stalks and have brilliant orange to scarlet ray florets surrounding an orange-yellow disc, attracting butterflies and other pollinators. The achenes are flattened and bear a short scaly to bristly pappus. Native to Mexico and Central America, it grows in disturbed ground, roadsides, fields, and open slopes, and is very widely cultivated as an ornamental and has naturalized as a weed throughout the tropics and subtropics.
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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