Sphagneticola trilobata

Scientific name: Sphagneticola trilobata (L.) Pruski

Family: Asteraceae

Synonym: Wedelia trilobata (L.) Hitchc.

Bengali/Vernacular name: Latadeji.

Tribal name: Bhringaraj (Marma).

English name: Creeping daisy, Trailing daisy, Yellow dots.

Description of the plant: A creeping, mat-forming perennial herb, rooting at the nodes, stem glabrous or pubescent. Leaves elliptic-obovate, usually 3 angular lobes with toothed margin, acute at the apex, basally cuneate, short petiolate. Inflorescence a capitulum, yellow, heterogamous, solitary on 3-10 cm long peduncles, involucres campanulate, colour yellow. Ray-florets 1-seriate, female, ligulate, 5-12 mm long. Disc-florets many-serrate, tubular, bisexual. Fruit a cypsela, cypsela of ray-florets 3-angled, those of disc-florets sub-terete, tuberculate, pappus a crown of short fimbriate scales.

Plant parts used: Leaf.

Medicinal uses: Extract from leaves is used for every day until the hair fall is stopped.

Paste prepared from leaves is used for the treatment of eczema.

Decoction of leaves is taken once a day in morning for seven days to treat the nervous weakness.

Distribution: It is planted in the island of Dhaka city streets and also found in Noakhali districts fallow lands.

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