False Daisy (Marshes, swamp and Riverside vegetation of Khandwa district)

False Daisy

Eclipta prostrata

Summary ⁴

Eclipta prostrata (syn. Eclipta alba) commonly known as false daisy, yerba de tago, and bhringraj, is a species of plant in the family Asteraceae.

Description ⁵

This native plant is an annual in Illinois, while in areas with warmer climates it may be a short-lived perennial. It is about 1-2' long and has a tendency to sprawl along the ground in the absence of supportive vegetation. The reddish purple stems branch occasionally. They are round and have scattered white hairs that are appressed upward. The leaves are up to 5" long and 1" across. They are usually opposite, although some of the upper leaves may be alternate. The leaves are sessile against the stems, or they have short pedicels. Each leaf is more or less lanceolate, with scattered hairs that are appressed against the upper surface and a few blunt teeth along the margins. From the axils of the leaves, there are 1-3 flowerheads on short pedicels. Each flat-topped flowerhead is about 1/3" across, consisting of about 8-16 bracts and numerous ray florets that surround the numerous disk florets. The spreading green bracts are triangular-shaped and form the base of the flowerhead. The ray florets are white and quite narrow and short, while the disk florets are cream or dull white with 4 small spreading lobes. Pale yellow or light brown anthers protrude slightly from the disk florets. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer until the fall, and lasts about 2-3 months. The flowerheads are not noticeably fragrant. As the achenes develop in a flowerhead after the petals fall off, they are initially green and cause the flowerhead to swell in size to about ½" across. Each achene is oblong, truncate at the top, and tapering to well-rounded tip at the bottom. Sometimes an achene may have 2 or 4 small teeth at the top. This plant can spread by forming rootlets at the nodes of the leaves in muddy ground. It also reseeds itself, and can form colonies at favorable sites.

Comments ⁶

Other common names are "False Daisy" and "Tattoo Plant." The latter name refers to the fact that the juice of Yerba de Tajo can be used to make blue tattoos. This plant is used in Chinese medicine and has been found to function as an antidote to the venom of Rattlesnakes. Apparently, when an aqueous solution of the plant juice is injected into the affected muscle tissue, this reduces the hemorrhaging caused by the venom. Yerba de Tajo resembles one of the white-flowered Aster spp. (Asters), but its flowerheads have much shorter ray florets and there is no tuft of hairs attached to each achene. The flowerheads of Galinsoga spp. (Peruvian Daisies) have short ray florets, but they are widely spaced and much fewer in number than the ray florets of Yerba de Tajo.

Distribution ⁷

"Found in moist grounds, paddy fields, drainages and watercourses from plains to 750m. Common. Pantropic."

Local names ⁸

Jangli suraj-mukhi

Flowering and fruiting ⁸

Throughout the year

Sources and Credits

(c) Dinesh Valke, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/dinesh_valke/817737922/
no rights reserved, https://www.flickr.com/photos/aspidoscelis/4886445795/
(c) Lauren Gutierrez, some rights reserved (CC BY-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/guam-flora-fauna/14655990529/
Adapted by Chandan Pandey from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eclipta_prostrata
(c) John Hilty, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/29446631
(c) John Hilty, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/29446636
(c) India Biodiversity Portal, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/26333552
(c) Chandan Pandey, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

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False Daisy

Summary 4

Description 5

Comments 6

Distribution 7

Local names 8

Flowering and fruiting 8