Cyanthillium cinereum

Cyanthillium cinereum (also known as little ironweed and poovamkurunnal or poovamkurunnila in Malayalam, and monara kudumbiya in Sinhalese) is a species of perennial plants in the sunflower family. The species is native to tropical Africa and to tropical Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Indochina, Indonesia, etc.) and has become naturalized in Australia, Mesoamerica, tropical South America, the West Indies, and the US State of Florida. Cyanthillium cinereum is an annual herb up to 120 cm (4 feet) tall. It produces flat-topped arrays of numerous flower heads, each with pinkish or purplish disc florets but no ray florets. The species can be confused with Emilia sonchifolia, but the flower bracts of the latter are much longer and vase-shaped. Cyanthillium cinereum has been used for smoking cessation in Thailand and other countries, and as relief for the common cold. It used to be called Vernonia cinerea, but apparently there was a taxonomic update, sometime prior to early 2014. It's also called Sahadevi. This is a special medicinal plant used in Ayurveda. Its leaves are green and shiny, and the flowers are white or light purple in color. This plant naturally helps boost the body's immune system. It is mostly grown in warm and humid regions.

Description

An annual erect herb with stout spreading branches. It can continue to grow from year to year from its rootstock. It is about 50-100 cm high. The stems are firm and rounded but with ribs. It sprawls over other plants. The leaves have almost no leaf stalk and they are 2 to 12 cm long and shallowly toothed. The leaves are sparse on the upper stems. Leaves are paler underneath. About 40 to 70 flowers make up the flower head. This head is 2.5 mm across. The flower bract is green and the flowers pale purple.

Edible Uses

The young leaves are edible cooked and used as a pot-herb, often cooked with other leaves to improve flavor. The plant is powdered and added to millet or rice to make beer and other alcoholic drinks.

Traditional Uses

The young leaves are edible cooked. They are used as a pot-herb. It is cooked with other leaves to improve the flavour. Caution: Older plants contain cyanide and would need to be well cooked. The plant is powdered and added to millet or rice to make beer and other alcoholic drinks. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer.

Medicinal Uses

The plant has been used in medicine.

Known Hazards

Older plants contain cyanide and require thorough cooking before consumption.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It is widely distributed in the tropics. It grows in the lowlands. It is a common weed in open waste spaces throughout the Philippines at low and medium altitudes. In Papua New Guinea it grows to 1200 m altitude. In Kenya it grows in hot coastal areas from sea level to 1,700 m altitude. In Nepal it grows between 80-2,300 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

Where It Grows

Africa, American Samoa, Angola, Asia, Australia, Benin, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central America, China, Congo DR, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Ecuador, Eswatini, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, Guiana, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Hawaii, Himalayas, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kenya, Kiribati, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marquesas, Micronesia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pacific, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South America, Southern Africa, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, USA, Venezuela, West Africa, West Indies, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

It spreads naturally by seed.

Other Uses

The seeds yield a fatty oil which is used medicinally.

Notes

The plant has been used in medicine.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Agas-moro, Akar semboh, Babututuri, Barangam, Buyung-buyung, Chibuzi, Daudotpala, Devasahra, Fenkumburuvaano, Gadlak biro, Garitikamma, Ghaudavalli, Gyantaka, Jhurjhure, Jonge aroi, Kadu-pyan, Kalajira, Kambulic, Kukshim, Lalang-kapan, Marjuna, Maryuna, Mouku fai pula, Mukuttipundu, Namuipe, Osari, Piripudenaba, Puvank-odanthel, Puvankodanthel, Sadodi, Sadori, Sahadevi, Sasawi langit, Scrashangalamir, Sembung bikul, Sembung kebo, Tambak-tambak, Tombak-tombak

References (58)

• Achigan-Dako, E, et al (Eds), 2009, Catalogue of Traditional Vegetables in Benin. International Foundation for Science. (As Vernonia cinerea)
• Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 672 (As Vernonia cinerea)
• Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 60 (As Blumea chinensis)
• Borrell, O.W., 1989, An Annotated Checklist of the Flora of Kairiru Island, New Guinea. Marcellin College, Victoria Australia. p 64 (As Vernonia cinerea)
• Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 1. Kew. (As Vernonia cinerea)

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