Dila-dila
Elephantopus scaber
PRICKLY-LEAVED ELEPHANT'S FOOT
Ti Tan-t'ou

Dila-dila is a shared common name by many different species of plants: (1) Onychium siliculosum: Buhok-virgin (Tag.); dila-dila (Tag) (2) Nopalea cochinellifera: Dila-dila (Ilk.); dilang baka (Tag.) (3) Elephantus scaber: Dila-dila (Tag.), kabkabron (Ilk.); prickly leaved elephant's food (Engl.) (4) Pseudoelephantopus spicatus: Dila-dila (Tag.); dilang-aso (Tag.) Kabkaron (Ilk.) Plus, close variations and use of "dila" for other plants further add to the confusion and difficulty in the list of common names: Dila-dilag (Spilanthes acmella); Dilang aso (P. spicatus); Dilang-baka (N. Cochinellifera); Dilang-boaia, dilang-halo (Aloe vera); Dilang-butiki (Dentella repens); Dilang-butiki (Hedyotis philippensis); Dilang-usa (Trichodesma zeylanicum); and Dildila (Cordyline roxyburghiana).

Common names
Dila-dila (Tag.)
Kabkabron (Ilk.) 
Lengua de vaca (Sp.) 
Tabatabakohan (Tag.) 
Ti Tan-t'ou (Chin.)
Prickly-leaved elephant's foot (Engl.) 


Description
· A rather coarse, rigid, erect, hairy herb 30 to 60 cm high. Stems forked, and the few and stiff.
· Leaves: mostly in basal rosette and oblong-ovate to oblong-lanceolate, 10-25 cm in length and often very much notched on the margins. Those on the stem few and much smaller.
· Flowers: Corolla 8-10 mm long, purple. Flowering heads borne in clusters at the end of the branches and usually enclosed by 3 leaflike bracts which are ovate to oblong-ovate, 1 to 1.5 cm long, and heart-shaped at the base. The flowering heads many-crowded in each cluster. Each head comprises about 4 flowers. Involucral bracts 8 to 10 mm long.
· Fruits: achenes, ribbed. Pappus from 4 to 6 mm long with rigid bristles.

Distribution
Most likely introduced. Common in open ; grasslands and waste places Common in provinces of La Union, Bulacan, Rizal, Bataan, Laguna, Quezon, and Mindoro.


Part utilized and preparation
· Entire plant.
· Collect from January to September.
· Wash, cut in pieces, dry under the sun.

Characteristics and Pharmacological Effects:
Bitter tasting; antipyretic, antiinfection.

Folkloric Uses
· Upper respiratory afflictions: Colds, flu, tonsillitis, laryngopharyngitis, conjunctivitis.
· Snakebites, furuncle swellings, eczema, ulcer the lower limb.
· Nephritis, beriberi, edema, hepatitis.
· Dosage: 15 to 30 gms dried material in decoction.
· Pounded fresh material is applied as poultice for snakebites, furuncle swelling.
· Juice of pounded leaves applie to scalp to slow down hair loss.
· Decoction of fresh material is used as wash for eczema.

Availability
Wild-crafted.