Languichat

Medicinal Uses in Haiti

Used as a herbal tea / infusion for relief of cold, cough, flu symptoms.

• It has antibacterial activity: studies show extracts of the leaves act against bacterial strains such as Klebsiella oxytoca, Salmonella enterica, Shigella sonnei, Vibrio cholerae. PMC

• Also used for catarrh, sore throat (amygdalitis), decongestant (clear mucus), treating colds, etc.

• Scientific Name: Chromolaena odorata (synonym Eupatorium odoratum) worldfloraonline.org+2tramil.net+2

• Family: Asteraceae (the daisy / sunflower family) tramil.net+1

• Growth Habit: A perennial shrub, sometimes scrambling, usually about 1-3 meters tall. tramil.net+1

• Stems: Branched, often pubescent (hairy) when young. Older stems more woody. asianplant.net+1

• Leaves:

  • Arrangement: Opposite leaves (paired on stem) tramil.net+1

  • Shape: Ovate to ovate-lanceolate (somewhat egg-shaped tapering to a point), sometimes rhomboid, occasionally hastate (spear-shaped) margins. worldfloraonline.org+1

  • Size: Typically 3-12 cm long and 1.5-6.5 cm wide. worldfloraonline.org

  • Margin: Irregularly toothed (dentate) or somewhat serrated. tramil.net+1

  • Texture: Both surfaces (upper & lower) of the leaf have hairs; sometimes the underside has glandular dots. The leaf is more or less membranous (thin). worldfloraonline.org+1

• Flowers / Inflorescence:

  • Flowers are arranged in terminal corymbs (flat-topped clusters at the ends of branches). asianplant.net+1

  • The flower heads (capitula) are many, small; florets are tubular, with no ray florets (so the “petal-like rays” you see in daisies are absent) and the color is usually pale mauve, white, or blue.