Euphorbia hirta (sometimes called asthma-plant[3]) is a
pantropical weed, originating from the tropical regions of the Americas.[4] It is a hairy herb that grows in open
grasslands, roadsides and pathways. It is widely used in traditional
herbal medicine across many cultures, particularly for
asthma, skin ailments, and
hypertension.[5] It is also consumed in
herbal tea form as folk medicine for fevers in the
Philippines (where it is known as tawa-tawa), particularly for
dengue fever and
malaria.[6][7]
Description
This erect or prostrate
annual herb can grow up to 60 cm (24 in) long with a solid stem that is furnished with many yellow to reddish coarse hairs, and produces an abundant white latex.[8] There are
stipules present. The leaves have an oblique base and are
simple, elliptical to slightly rhombic, hairy (on both upper and lower surfaces but particularly on the veins on the lower leaf surface), with a finely dentate margin, the veins upperside being deep-set and conspicuous on the underside, and the leaf surface somewhat leathery. Leaves occur in opposite pairs on the stem. The flowers are
unisexual and found in axillary
cymes at each leaf node, held as dense balls of flowers and fruit capsules usually close to the stem, the flower glands with tiny white/pinkish petal-like appendages. The fruit is a capsule with three valves (creating 3 sides), uniformly appressed hairy, containing tiny (0.7–0.9 mm), oblong, four-sided orange to pink or red seeds. It has a white or brown
taproot.
FNA
Quy, Trinh; Ly, Le (April 2014). "An investigation of antidiabetic activities of bioactive compounds in Euphorbia hirta Linn using molecular docking and pharmacophore". Medicinal Chemistry Research. 23 (4): 2033–2045.
doi:
10.1007/s00044-013-0794-y.
S2CID1918125.