NAME: Chromolaena odorata

FAMILY: Compositae (Asteraceae)

COMMON NAMES: Siam weed, Christmas bush, devil weed, triffid weed.

LOCAL NAMES: Akintola ,Awolowo,Obiarakara

MORPHORLOGICAL DESCRIPTION:

Chromolaena odorata is an erect or sprawling shrub, perennial plant with more or less woody stems.

USEFUL PART(s): Leaves,stem-twigs

GENERAL USES:

Used as a green manure
Used for embalming dead bodies
The leaves can be used occasionally as an aromatic addition to soups

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION:

South-eastern USA, Mexico, Caribbean, Tropical South America

WHY IS IT GREEN?

Antimicrobial
Dysentery
Headache
Malaria fever
Toothache
Haemostatic
Skin diseases

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Can serve as an ornamental plant

Plant is toxic to livestock like fish when used as a green manure.

It is regarded as an environmental weed.

FUN FACT

The leaves give off a pungent, aromatic odor when crushed.

FURTHER READINGS

Chakraborty, A. K., Rambhade, S., & Patil, U. (2011). Chromolaena odorata ( L .) : An Overview. Journal of Pharmacy Research.

Kriticos, D. J., Yonow, T., & McFadyen, R. E. (2005). The potential distribution of Chromolaena odorata (Siam weed) in relation to climate. Weed Research. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3180.2005.00458.x

Kusuma, I. W., Murdiyanto, Arung, E. T., Syafrizal, & Kim, Y. (2014). Antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of medicinal plants used by the Bentian tribe from Indonesia. Food Science and Human Wellness. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fshw.2014.12.004

Onkaramurthy, M., Veerapur, V. P., Thippeswamy, B. S., Madhusudana Reddy, T. N., Rayappa, H., & Badami, S. (2013). Anti-diabetic and anti-cataract effects of Chromolaena odorata Linn.; In streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2012.11.023

Vaisakh, M. N., & Pandey, A. (2012). The invasive weed with healing properties: A review on chromolaena odorata. In International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences.