,r\/*> - National Science Foundation

COMPOSITAE
18. Wedelia chinensis (Osbeck) Merrill in Philip. Journ. Sc. Bot. 12: 111. 1917. (Fig. 136).
Solidago chinensis Osbeck— Wedelia calendulacea Less.—Wedelia prostata Hemal.— Wedelia
hengalensis Rich.— Verbesina calendulacea Linn.—Joegeria calendulacea Spreng.
Sinh, Ranwankikirindiya; Tarn. Palalaikaiantagerai; Hindi Bhangra, Bhanra; Sans.
Bhringaraja. Dcvapriya, Haripriya. Harivcsa, Kesaraja, Pavana, Pitabhringaraja, Pitabhringi.
Svarnabhringara, Vandaniya.
A perennial herb with a short, procumbent stem, rooting at nodes and then ascending,
cylindrical, slightly rough with adpressed hair; leaves few, simple, opposite, nearly sessile,
4—6 cm long, I —1.7 cm broad, oblong, strap—shaped or oblong—oval, tapering to base,
acute, sparingly and shallowly serrate or entire, slightly rough with adpressed hair on both sides,
somewhat 3-vcined; flowers yellow, ligulate female ray florets, and regular bisexual disc florets,
on large heads about 1.8 cm diameter, borne in axillary peduncles 2—6 cm long; bracts 5—10,
each I cm long, 3 mm broad, leafy, oblong, obtuse, hairy, inner ones much smaller, hairy along
the margin; receptacle flat with a linear acute, hyaline, ciliate bractlet to each flower, ray florets
8—12, spreading, about equalling the bracts, broad, corolla deeply 2-or 3-toolhed bearing 3 or
4 staminodes at the base; disc flowers absut 20, short, narrowed at the base so that they are almost
pedicellate; sepals reduced to scales; petals 5, fused into a corolla-tube, lobes valvate; stamens 5,
adnate to corolla-tube, filaments free, anthers-fused into a tube round the style, anther bases
triangular; ovary inferior, 1.5 mm long, 2-carpellary, unilocular with a single ovule at the
base, style stou*. with pubescent stigma lobes and a fleshy cup round the base; fruit-a nearly
cylindrical pubescent achene crowned by a ring of short, scarious, ciliate, scaly calyx.
Flowers between October and March.
Illustrations. Wight, Ic. PI. Ind. Orient, pi. 1107. 1846; Kirtikar and Basu, Indian Med.
Plants, pi. 528. 1933; Herb. Peradeniya., drawing.
Distribution. Occurs in moist places in India, Ceylon, Burma, China, Philippine Islands
and Japan. In Ceylon, it is common in damp grassy places up to an altitude of 4000
feet. Batticaloa, Kurunegala, Negombo, etc.
India. East Bengal: Herb. Griffith 3184, Kew Distribution 1862—3; Calcutta: Salt Lakes,
Clarke 2161 \B, March 1874; Clarke 2161 It, March 1874. Ceylon. Walker: Thwaites CP. 1756
in part. Western Prov., Negombo, Simpson 7912, April 1931; Heyare, Alston 1280, Aug. 1926.
China. Canton River: Dane's Island, Herb. Hance 38, Sept. 1857.
Uses. A decoction of this plant is given for uterine haemorrhage and menorrhagia. It
is a useful deobstruent. The (eaves are used to treat coughs, cephalalgia, skin diseases and
alopecia. They are also used for dyeing grey hair and to promote hair growth.
79