White velvetleaf
StarWissadula periplocifolia
Synonyms: Wissadula rostrata, Abutilon periplocifolium, Abutilon periplocifolium var. peruvianum, Abutilon periplocifolium var. zeylanicum, Wissadula zeylanica, Sida periplocifolia var. peruviana, Sida periplocifolia var. zeylanica, Wissadula periplocifolia var. fadyenii, Abutilon hastatum, Wissadula periplocifolia var. genuina, Wissadula periplocifolia var. antillarum, Wissadula periplocifolia var. heterosperma, Wissadula periplocifolia var. gracillima, Wissadula rostrata var. zeylanica, Wissadula zeylanica var. truncata
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
In Brazilian folk medicine Wissadula periplocifolia, known as malva amarela, is applied to inflamed snake bites and bee stings and used as an antiseptic; experimental study has confirmed anti-inflammatory activity of the leaf extract, supporting these traditional uses (Edla et al., 2016).
Gallery
Botanical Description
Wissadula periplocifolia is an erect, soft-woody shrub or subshrub of the mallow family (Malvaceae) growing to roughly 1 to 2 metres tall, the stems and foliage finely clothed in stellate (star-shaped) hairs. The alternate, long-petioled leaves are ovate to triangular-cordate with a heart-shaped base and a tapering tip, soft and grey-green, sometimes the lower leaves shallowly lobed. Small mallow-type flowers with five pale yellow to yellowish petals are borne in terminal panicles. The fruit is a schizocarp that splits into several beaked one- to few-seeded segments (mericarps), each often constricted into upper and lower chambers, releasing small hairy seeds. Widely distributed in the warmer parts of the Americas and extending into tropical Asia, the species grows as a weedy plant of roadsides, waste ground, pastures and disturbed open habitats in seasonally dry tropical regions, and is known in Brazil as malva amarela or jangadeira.
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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