Leucas cephalotes

Taxobox
name = "Leucas cephalotes"


image_width = 240px
image_caption =
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Lamiales
familia = Lamiaceae
genus = "Leucas"
species = "L. cephalotes"
binomial = "Leucas cephalotes"
binomial_authority = (Roth) Spreng.The flowering annual herb "Leucas cephalotes" is a common weed which also has uses as an edible vegetable and herbal remedy. It has many common names, including guma, dronpushpi or drona puspi, and tou xu bai rong cao. It is a common plant across Asia from China to the Indian subcontinent.

"L. cephalotes" springs up in cultivated fields as a weed, especially after a period of rain. It is collected for use as a leafy vegetable in rural areas. It is cultivated itself for its medicinal uses and is readily available in markets. One of the plant's most common historical uses has been as a treatment for snakebite. It is also steeped in water which is then used for bathing and for washing livestock.

Two biologically active compounds found in the plant are labellenic acid and beta sitosterol.

External links

* [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/CropFactSheets/guma.html Crop Fact Sheet]
* [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/tax_search.pl?Leucas%20cephalotes GRIN Taxonomy]
* [http://www.hear.org/pier/species/leucas_cephalotes.htm "L. cephalotes" in the Pacific Islands"]