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9. Emilia sonchifolia (Linn.) DC. in Wight Contrib. 24. 1834 (Fig. 128).<br />
COMPOS1TAE<br />
Cacalia sonchifolia Linn.—Cacalia glabra Heyne—Gynura ecalyculata DC.—Prenanthes<br />
sarmcniosa Wall.—Crassocephalum sonchifolium Less.—Emilia humifusa Elm. —Emilia<br />
marivelensis Elm.<br />
Sinh. Kadupara.<br />
A perennial herb with prostrate or decumbent stems, becoming erect at the ends, much<br />
branched, glabrous and often rooting; leaves simple, alternate, sessile, 3.7—10 cm long, 2.5—<br />
4.5 cm broad, somewhat lyrate on the barren shoots, with the upper half ovate and the lower<br />
narrower and oblong, on the flowering branches, oblong or lanceolate-oblong, sagittate with<br />
acute auricles at the base, hairy on both sides, rather thick, glaucous beneath; flowers regular,<br />
bisexual, bright pinkish-violet, slightly bent, all tubular, sessile on heads which are few and<br />
nodding when young, about 1.2 cm wide, involucre about 0.6 cm long, nearly glabrous, bracts<br />
8 in one row, connate near the top, flowers much exceeding involucre, outer ones spreading;<br />
sepals reduced to bristles; petals 5, fused, corolla-tube 8 mm long, segments 5, oblong, 2.5 mm<br />
long; stamens 5, on the corolla-tube, filaments free, anthers fused into a tube round the style,<br />
anther bases obtuse; ovary inferior, 1 mm long, 2—carpellary, unilocular with a single basal<br />
ovule, style-arms tipped with tufts of hair; fruit an oblong brown achene, about 2.5 mm long<br />
with 5 rows of white bristles on the ribs and copious white pappus.<br />
Flowers all the year round.<br />
Illustrations. Kirtikar and Basu, Indian Med. Plants, pi. 544/*. 1933; Herb. Peradeniya<br />
drawing.<br />
Distribution. A weed found commonly growing along with grass in most parts of India,<br />
Ceylon, Malaysia, China and other tropical countries. In Ceylon, it is abundant all over the<br />
island.<br />
India. Chota Nagpore, Clarke 24921, Nov. 1874; Clarke 25060B, Nov. 1874. Calcutta:<br />
Clarke 3607, Feb. 1866. Ceylon. Thwaites CP. 3343. Southern Prov., Kirinde, Alston 1643, Jan.<br />
1928. Maldlve Islands. Hirikulla, Didi 124, 1896; Horsburgh Atoll, Gardiner, 1899—1900.<br />
China. Hongkong: Herb. Hance 481. Japan. Nagasaki, Maximowicz, 1863. Philippine Islands.<br />
Luzon: Sulu Prov., Tawitawi, Ramos and Edano 44037, July—Aug. 1924.<br />
Composition. The plant contains an alkaloid.<br />
Uses. Used as a salad before flowering, in Malaysia and Indo-China. In India, the juice<br />
of the plant, mixed with sugar, is given for bowel complaints. The pure juice is poured into the<br />
eyes, drop by drop, for night blindness and eye inflammations. In Indo-China, a decoction of<br />
the leaves is prescribed as an antipyretic. In Ceylon and in the Philippine Islands, the leaves<br />
are used as a styptic for cuts and wounds and long-standing superficial ulcers. A decoction of<br />
the plant is given as an expectorant, anti-haemostatic and in cases of fever. In Malaya, the<br />
leaves are used for dressing ulcers and in decoction as a cure for coughs and phthisis and to arrest<br />
diarrhoea. The plant is used as an astringent, an anti-asthmatic and vulnerary in Africa and<br />
also to treat sore throat.<br />
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