YERBA DE TAJO
Eclipta prostrata
SUNFLOWER FAMILY (Asteraceae)
Identification
- Flowering time - July, August, September, October
- Rare in muddy or sandy disturbed areas
- Low, sprawling habit
- Daisy-like flower with many white outer rays
- Narrowly lance-shaped leaves
This weedy annual is a native of the New World tropics. This spreading plant forms roots at its nodes and reaches about 12 inches in height. The elongate lance-shaped leaves, up to 5 inches long, have shallow teeth and are opposite on a reddish stem (C). The small composite flowers, about 1/4 inch across, have numerous white ray florets and a pale yellow central disk (A). The developing fruit is shown in image (B).
This plant thrives in damp, sandy waste soils, and was common along the floodplain boardwalk at Fontenelle Forest in 2012, a year after the extensive flooding. As the open, wet waste areas disappeared after the flood, so did this plant which is now hard to find. It has never been reported from Neale Woods, but is possible under proper conditions.
Flowering occurs from July to October.
The alternate name Tattoo Plant is related to use of its juice to make blue tattoos. Another common name is False Daisy.
This plant has had many folk medicine uses including the treatment of snakebites.
The content of NatureSearch is provided by dedicated volunteer Naturalists of Fontenelle Forest who strive to provide the most accurate information available. Contributors of the images retain their copyrights. The point of contact for this page is: Roland Barth.