Ageratum conyzoides
(L.) L.
Billygoat Plant, Goatweed
(c) 小铖/Smalltown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by 小铖/Smalltown
(c) Franz Anthony, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Franz Anthony
(c) Ken Janes, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Ken Janes
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves - oil, Flowers - oil, Seeds - oil, Leaves, Vegetable, Salt, Leaves - tea
There are records that the fresh leaves have been eaten, combined with Abelmoschus esculentus. It only happens rarely and it is probably eaten mainly for its supposed medicinal benefits by nursing mothers who believe it helps to increase their milk flow.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. It does best in well composted well drained soils. It suits a sunny position. It is drought and frost tender. It can grow in arid places. In Sikkim it grows between 200-2,000 m above sea level.
Africa, American Samoa, Andamans, Angola, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Bougainville, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Terr., BIOT, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Caribbean, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Central America, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Easter Island, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Europe, Fiji, France, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guiana, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti*, Hawaii, Himalayas, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Marquesas, Mauritius, Mediterranean, Mexico, Middle East, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, North Africa, Northeastern India, North America, Pacific, Panama, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rotuma, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Seychelles, Socotra, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sikkim, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Sri Lanka, St Helena, St Lucia, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad-Tobago, Uganda, Uruguay, USA, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies*, West Timor, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
How to Identify
A small annual under shrub. It grows to 0.6 m tall and spreads to 1 m across. The stem is erect and branching. The leaves are oval and opposite. They are 6 cm long by 4 cm wide. They taper towards the tip and are hairy. The edges have teeth. The flowers are white and insignificant. They occur in small clusters at the ends of branches. The fruit are dry, black hairy capsules.
Nutrition Score: 34/100
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leaves | 90.4 | 130 | 31 | 3.5 | — | 29 | — | — |
How to Grow
Succeeds in full sun in a sheltered position in any reasonably fertile moisture-retentive soil that does not dry out in the summer. Plant vigour and flowering periods are much reduced on dry soils. This species is not frost hardy, though it can be grown as a summer annual in Britain. The fresh plant is malodorous.
Propagation: Sow seed in late winter or early spring in a warm greenhouse, barely covering it. Prick out seedlings when large enough to handle and plant out after the last expected frosts. Seed can also be sown in situ in spring, or in late summer or early autumn for earlier blooms, though autumn-sown plants will need to be overwintered in a warm greenhouse.
Medicinal Uses
The plant contains 0.7–2.0% essential oil, along with alkaloids and saponins. The whole plant is antiinflammatory and antiallergic. Juice of the fresh plant, or an extract of the dried plant, is used to treat allergic rhinitis and sinusitis. Fresh plant juice is also useful for post-partum uterine haemorrhage. Root juice is antilithic. A paste of the root mixed with the bark of Schinus wallichii is applied to set dislocated bones. The leaves are styptic — dried and powdered, they are applied to cuts, sores, and ruptures caused by leprosy. The powder absorbs moisture and forms a layer that is removed after 1–2 days, offering an effective cure for most cuts and sores, though not a complete cure for leprosy. Leaves are also used externally for ague. Plant juice treats cuts, wounds, and bruises. A paste of the leaves draws thorns from the skin. A paste combining equal amounts of the leaves with Bidens pilosa, Drymaria cordata, Galinsoga parviflora, and the rhizome of Zingiber officinale is used for snakebites. Juice of the flowerheads treats scabies externally, and a paste of them is used for rheumatism. A tea made from flowerheads combined with Ocimum tenuifolium is used for coughs and colds.
Other Uses
The leaves and flowers yield 0.2% essential oil with a powerful nauseating odour. The oil contains 5% eugenol, which has a pleasant scent. Oil from plants grown in Africa has an agreeable odour and consists almost entirely of eugenol. A decoction of the fresh plant is used as a hair wash, leaving hair soft, fragrant, and dandruff free.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Ageratum conyzoides (billygoat-weed, chick weed, goatweed, whiteweed, mentrasto) is native to Tropical America, especially Brazil, and is an invasive weed in many other regions. It is an herb that is 0.5–1 m. high, with ovate leaves 2–6 cm long, and flowers are white to mauve. In Vietnamese, the plant is called cứt lợn (meaning "pig feces") due to its growth in dirty areas.
Other Information
It is not known if it is used for food in Papua New Guinea. It is sold in local markets in China.
Notes
It is used for medicine in Nepal. The leaves are used externally and the flower heads are taken in small doses. It has anti-bacterial properties. There are about 40 Ageratum species.
Names & Synonyms
Adwowakuro, Ahimaimbo, Ajagandha, Anatsiataolana, Bái huā chòu dì wén, Bakariabish, Balquiama, Balquiana, Bandotan, Barba de chivo, Baume, Berokan, Bhusuripata, Blue floss flower, Blue top, Boksunga, Bolbol, Boroboro-menchena, Botebotekoro, Bulak-manok, Dholi sadodee, Elame, Elamey, Gandhe, Gandhari, Gane, Ghaneraosadi, Gua kubo, Gumdrya, Gunyato, Hapon-hapon, Hierba de chivo, Ilamejhar, Jukut bau, Kadu-hpo, Kaziraruguma, Kondre, Koobhi, Laboel, Luboel, Lulubye, Matamocemoce, Mentrasto, Mpata kasakula, Nayitulasi, Ngonamshu, Ntongola, Osari, Poksunga, Pumpillu, Puru, Quicala-pure, Rumput sekedok, Sahadevi, Selaseh dandi, Sesumpate, Seto ghandhe, Sinnapo-ompillu, Tekote tea, Teteco, Timimbo, Uchanti, Uchunti, Uru ute, Yima
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