Youngia japonica (L.) DC.

Family: Asteraceae

Synonym: Crepis japonica (L.) Benth.,Prenanthes japonica L.

Bengali/Vernacular name:Youngaful.

English name: Oriental false hawksbeard, Japanese hawkweed.

Description of the plant: An erect, annual herb, stem slender, minutely grooved, elongated, up to 50 cm tall, glabrous. Leaves mostly radical, up to 12 X 4 cm, oblanceolate-obovate, few, alternate, cauline and semi-amplexicaul, simple or lyrate, pinnatified, petiolate, acute-obtuse at the tip. Inflorescence a capitulum, numerous in cymose-corymbs, involucre urceolate-cylindric; flowers 10-20 per capitulum, yellow. Fruit a cypsela, compressed, usually 10-ribbed, pappus 1-seriate.

Plant parts used: Leaf, stem.

Herbal uses:Paste prepared from the leaves and stems of the plant is applied to the wounds by tying with a piece of cloth to treat it.

A fresh juice extracted from the leaves of the plant is taken thrice a day (5 ml amount each time) for three days to treat fever.

Leaves of the plant are used for the treatment ofboils and snakebites.

Distribution:The species is found all over the country.

Is this plant misidentified? If yes, please tell us….