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COMPOSITAE
6. Centipeda minima (L.) A. Br. A Aschers. Ind Sem. HOT. Berol. App. 6. 1867. (Fig. 125).
Artemisia minima Linn.—Centipeda orbicularis Lour.—Centipeda minuta Benth.—Cotula minima
WilJd —Myriogyne minuta Less.—Cotula sternutatoria Wall.—Dichrocephala schmidii Wight.—
Artemisia sternutatoria Roxb.—Sphaeromorphaea centipeda DC.
Engl. Sneezewort; Sink. Wisaduli; Hindi Nagdowana, Nakchhikni, Nakkchikni,
Pachittie; Sans. m Chhikkani, Chhikkika, Ghranadukhada, Kruranasa, Kshavaka, Kshavakrita,
Sanycdanapatu, Tikshna, Ugra, Ugragandha.
A small, annual herb with numerous, prostrate, slender, branching stems S—10 cm
long, spreading from the centre; leaves simple, alternate, subsessile, 0.6—1.2 cm long, 0.5—
0.6 cm broad, oblong—spathulate, tapering to the base, obtuse at apex, with 2 sharp teeth on
each side, glabrous on both surfaces; flowers numerous, very small, regular, female and bisexual,
all tubular, the outer rows female without corolla segments, inner rows bisexual. 1.5 mm long
on nearly sessile globose axillary heads 3—3.5 mm in diameter; involucral bracts very small
in two rows, about 1 mm long, oblong, obtuse with membranous margins; sepals absent or
reduced to. protruberances; petals 4, fused into a corolla-tube, segments diverging in bisexual
flowers, absent in female flowers; stamens 4, epipetaious, filaments free, anthers fused into a
tube round the style, anther-bases obtuse; ovary inferior, unilocular with a single basal ovule,
style arms short and truncate; fruit a minute achene, tipped with persistent style, bristly on
angles without a pappus.
Flowers from January to March.
Illustrations. Wight, Ic. PI. Ind. Orient, pi. 1610. 1850; Kirtikar and Basu, Indian Med.
Plants, pi. 538. 1933; Herb. Peradeniya, drawing.
Distribution. Grows in moist places in India, Ceylon, Malaya, China, Australia and
Pacific Islands. In Ceylon, it is rather rare confined to damp places in the lower montane zone,
Malurata, Dolosbage, Maskeliya, Peradeniya, etc.
India. Chota Nagpore, Clarke 25238, Dec. 1874; Clarke 26241, April 1875. Ganget.
Plain. T. Thomson. Assam. Jenkins. Ceylon. Central Prov., Maturata and Dunutibu Oya,
Thwaites CP. 2715; Maskeliya, Herb. Peradeniya. March 1882; Dolosbage, Herb. Peradeniya,
Sept. 1885; Rosella Estate, Herb. Peradeniya, May 1886. Tenasserim and Andamans. Herb.
Heifer 3216/2, Kew Distribution 1862—3.
Composition. Wehmer records that the herb contains an amorphous volatile oil and a
bitter principle, myriogynin while Caius reports that it contains an alkaloid, a glucoside and
traces of saponin.
Uses. The powdered herb and seeds are used as a sternutatory and administered for
ozaena, headaches and colds. It is useful in paralysis and pains in the joints. In the Punjab,
the herb is boiled and ground into a paste and applied on the cheeks for toothache.
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