Vernonia patula (PROSEA)

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Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Vernonia patula (Dryander) Merr.

Protologue: Philipp. Journ. Sci., Bot. 3: 439 (1908).

Synonyms

• Vernonia chinensis Less. (1831).

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: yawun (Javanese), sarap (Madurese)
• Malaysia: ruku gajah, perasi putih (Peninsular)
• Vietnam: bạc dầu.

Distribution

Common in north-east India, Burma (Myanmar), Indo-China, southern China, Japan and throughout Malesia.

Uses

In Malaysia a decoction of roots and leaves is applied to treat colds and fevers. In Indo-China the plant is used as a tonic and against diarrhoea. The young shoots are consumed as a vegetable in Java.

Observations

• An almost shrubby herb, 20-70 cm tall, stem much branched, roots crowded.
• Leaves very variable, lower ones 2.5-10.5 cm × 1-4.5 cm, upper ones up to 1.5 cm × 0.5 cm.
• Inflorescence a widely branched panicle or corymb consisting of many heads.
• Head campanulate, 75-100-flowered, involucre 4-seriate, almost as long as the head, 4-6 mm long, tomentose, corolla 6-7 mm long, tubular.
• Fruit 1-1.5 mm long, 4-6-angular, with prominent ribs, glabrous, glandular, pappus uniseriate, 2 mm long, caducous, setaceous, white.

V. patula is polymorphic, and may be divided into several varieties. It flowers throughout the year and grows on a wide range of soils in rather open habitats, from sea-level to 1400 m altitude.

Selected sources

• Backer, C.A., 1928-1934. Onkruidflora der Javasche suikerrietgronden. Handboek ten dienste van de suikerriet-cultuur en de rietsuiker-fabricage op Java [Weed flora of Javanese sugar-cane fields. Handbook for the cultivation of sugar-cane and manufacturing of cane-sugar in Java]. Vereeniging het Proefstation voor de Java-Suikerindustrie, Pasuruan, Indonesia. 4 volumes. 970 pp.
• Backer, C.A. & Bakhuizen van den Brink Jr, R.C., 1963-1968. Flora of Java. 3 volumes. Noordhoff, Groningen, the Netherlands. Vol. 1 (1963) 647 pp., Vol. 2 (1965) 641 pp., Vol. 3 (1968) 761 pp.
• Burkill, I.H., 1966. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. Revised reprint. 2 volumes. Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol. 1 (A-H) pp. 1-1240. Vol. 2 (I-Z) pp. 1241-2444.
• Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, 1948-1976. The wealth of India: a dictionary of Indian raw materials & industrial products. 11 volumes. Publications and Information Directorate, New Delhi, India.
• Gagnepain, F., 1924. Composées [Compositae]. In: Gagnepain, F. (Editor): Flore générale de l'Indo-Chine [General flora of Indo-China]. Vol. 3. Masson & Cie, Paris, France. pp. 448-663.
• Heyne, K., 1950. De nuttige planten van Indonesië [The useful plants of Indonesia]. 3rd Edition. 2 volumes. W. van Hoeve, 's-Gravenhage, the Netherlands/Bandung, Indonesia. 1660 + CCXLI pp.
• Koster, J.T., 1935. The Compositae of the Malay Archipelago. I. Vernonieae and Eupatorieae. Blumea 1: 351-536.
• Perry, L.M., 1980. Medicinal plants of East and Southeast Asia. Attributed properties and uses. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States & London, United Kingdom. 620 pp.
• Pételot, A., 1952-1954. Les plantes médicinales du Cambodge, du Laos et du Vietnam [The medicinal plants of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam]. 4 volumes. Centre National de Recherches Scientifiques et Techniques, Saigon, Vietnam..

Main genus page

• Vernonia (Medicinal plants)

Authors

• B. Ibnu Utomo & J.L.C.H. van Valkenburg