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Botany:
· An erect, branched, pubescent annual,
the branches more or less thickened and often purplish at the
nodes.
· Leaves: opposite, petioled, oblong acute or obtuse,
7 to 11 cm long.
· Flowers: numerous, densely crowded in globose heads,
the heads are white, pink or purple, solitary, peduncled, 1.5
to 2 cm long in diameter, subtended by 2 bracts. Bracteoles 8
to 10 mm long, enclosing the flowers, lateral, keeled. Sepals,
pubescent, 5, lanceolate, cleft at the tip, usually without staminodes.
Ovary 1-celled, 1-ovuled; style short or long, stigmas 2.
· Fruits: utricles, compressed, indehiscent.
Distribution
In settled areas throughout
the Philippines.
Propagate by seeds or cuttings.
Parts utilized
· Flowers.
· Collect the head inflorescence during May to October, during
the flowering season.
· Sun-dry.
Properties and constituents
Sweet tasting.
Antitussive, antiasthmatic.
Study yielded a triterpenoid saponin (gomphrenoside-1), an new hopane
derivative along with known compounds.
Uses
Folkloric
Bronchial asthma, acute and chronic
bronchitis, whooping cough: Decoction of 9-15 g of dried material or
10 head inflorescence.
In Trinidad and Tobago,
used for diabetes and for high blood pressure, jaundice, oliguria and
other kidney problems and as heart tonic.
In Myanmar, decoction
of plant used for cough.
Studies
• Rapid Identification
of Betacyanins from Amaranthus tricolor, Gomphrena globosa, and Hylocereus
polyrhizus: Natural betacyanins are studied for its
potential as food colorasnts and antioxidants. Fourteen free and acetylated
betacyanins were identified.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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