Chromolaena odorata

Chromolaena odorata
Chromolaena odorata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Chromolaena
Species: C. odorata
Binomial name
Chromolaena odorata
(L.) King & H.E.Robins.
Synonyms

Eupatorium odoratum
Osmia odorata (L.) Sch.Bip.
Indian Cabbage White (Pieris canidia) on C. odorata at Samsing in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India.

Chromolaena odorata is a species of flowering shrub in the sunflower family, Asteraceae. It is native to North America, from Florida and Texas to Mexico and the Caribbean,[1] and has been introduced to tropical Asia, west Africa, and parts of Australia. Common names include Siam Weed, Christmas Bush, and Common Floss Flower. It is sometimes grown as a medicinal and ornamental plant. It is used as a traditional medicine in Indonesia. The young leaves are crushed, and the resulting liquid can be used to treat skin wounds.

It was earlier taxonomically classified under the genus Eupatorium, but is now considered more closely related to other genera in the tribe Eupatorieae.[2]

Chromolaena odorata is considered invasive weed of field crops in its introduced range, and has been reported to be the most problematic invasive species within protected rainforests in Africa.[3]

Contents

Toxicity

Chromolaena odorata contains carcinogenic pyrrolizidine alkaloids.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Chromolaena odorata". Flora of North America. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242312602. 
  2. ^ GJ Schmidt, EE Schilling (May 2000). "Phylogeny and Biogeography of Eupatorium (Asteraceae: Eupatorieae) Based on Nuclear ITS Sequence". American Journal of Botany (Botanical Society of America) 87 (5): 716–726. doi:10.2307/2656858. JSTOR 2656858. PMID 10811796. http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/full/87/5/716. 
  3. ^ TT Struhsaker, PJ Struhsaker, KS Siex (May 2005). "Conserving Africa’s rain forests: problems in protected areas and possible solutions" (PDF). Biological Conservation 123 (1): 45–54. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2004.10.007. ISSN 0006-3207. http://rmportal.net/library/content/frame/africas-forest-parks-final-paper.pdf/at_download/file. 
  4. ^ Fu, P.P., Yang, Y.C., Xia, Q., Chou, M.C., Cui, Y.Y., Lin G., "Pyrrolizidine alkaloids-tumorigenic components in Chinese herbal medicines and dietary supplements", Journal of Food and Drug Analysis, Vol. 10, No. 4, 2002, pp. 198-211 [1]

Further reading

External links

Media related to Chromolaena odorata at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Chromolaena odorata at Wikispecies


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