Blumea
Encyclopedia
Blumea is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the Asteraceae
family.
and Southeast Asia. A few species are found in Australia
and still fewer in Africa
.
The plants of this genus are mostly relatively small weeds. Some of them are ruderal species.
A few of the species were formerly included in genus Conyza
.
Many species of genus Blumea are used in used in traditional Chinese medicine
. Other uses include as decorative dry plants.
Blumea balsamifera
(Nat; หนาด) is reputed to ward off spirits in Thai folklore, and is used in Philippines
herbal medicine as well.
Blumea mollis leaf essential oil contains linalool (circa
19%), γ-elemene
(c.12%), copaene
(c.11%), estragole
(c.11%), allo-ocimene
(c.10 %), γ-terpinene
(8 %) and allo-aromadendrene (c.7 %). The essential oil had significant toxic effect against early fourth-instar larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus
with LC50 = 71.71 and LC90 = 143.41 ppm.
published by the National Herbarium of the Netherlands
.
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
family.
Characteristics
Genus Blumea is found in the tropical and sub-tropical zones of Asia, especially the Indian SubcontinentIndian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
and Southeast Asia. A few species are found in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and still fewer in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
The plants of this genus are mostly relatively small weeds. Some of them are ruderal species.
A few of the species were formerly included in genus Conyza
Conyza
Conyza is a genus of about 50 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to tropical and warm temperate regions throughout the world, and also north into cool temperate regions in North America and eastern Asia...
.
Many species of genus Blumea are used in used in traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
. Other uses include as decorative dry plants.
Blumea balsamifera
Blumea balsamifera
Blumea balsamifera is a flowering plant belonging to the Blumea genus, Asteraceae family.-Description:Blumea balsamifera is used as an herbal treatment for the common cold and as a diuretic in Philippines medicine, where is it most commonly known as sambong...
(Nat; หนาด) is reputed to ward off spirits in Thai folklore, and is used in Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
herbal medicine as well.
Blumea mollis leaf essential oil contains linalool (circa
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
19%), γ-elemene
Elemene
Elemenes are a group of closely related natural chemical compounds found in a variety of plants. The elemenes, which include α-, β-, γ-, and δ-elemene, are structural isomers of each other and are classified as sesquiterpenes...
(c.12%), copaene
Copaene
Copaene, or more precisely, α-copaene, is the common chemical name of an oily liquid hydrocarbon that is found in a number of essential oil-producing plants. The name is derived from that of the resin-producing tropical copaiba tree, Copaifera langsdorfii, from which the compound was first...
(c.11%), estragole
Estragole
Estragole is a phenylpropene, a natural organic compound. Its chemical structure consists of a benzene ring substituted with a methoxy group and a propenyl group. Estragole is a double-bond isomer of anethole. It is a colorless to pale yellow liquid...
(c.11%), allo-ocimene
Ocimene
Ocimene refers to several isomeric hydrocarbons. The ocimenes are monoterpenes found within a variety of plants and fruits. α-Ocimene and the two β-ocimenes differ in the position of the isolated double bond: it is terminal in the alpha isomer. α-Ocimene is 3,7-dimethyl-1,3,7-octatriene. ...
(c.10 %), γ-terpinene
Terpinene
The terpinenes are three isomeric hydrocarbons that are classified as terpenes. They each have the same molecular formula and carbon framework, but they differ in the position of carbon-carbon double bonds. α-Terpinene has been isolated from cardamom and marjoram oils, and from other natural...
(8 %) and allo-aromadendrene (c.7 %). The essential oil had significant toxic effect against early fourth-instar larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus
Culex quinquefasciatus
Culex quinquefasciatus is the vector oflymphatic filariasis caused by the nematode Wuchereria bancroftiin the tropics and sub tropics.-Primary vector of Lymphatic Filariasis in India:...
with LC50 = 71.71 and LC90 = 143.41 ppm.
Other uses of the name
Blumea is also the name of the Journal of Plant Taxonomy and Plant GeographyBlumea (journal)
Blumea - Journal of Plant Taxonomy and Plant Geography is a peer-reviewed journal of botany published by the National Herbarium of the Netherlands.Except for a short period during World War II, Blumea has been published continuously since 1934...
published by the National Herbarium of the Netherlands
National Herbarium of the Netherlands
The National Herbarium of the Netherlands was established in 1999 through a decentralized merger of the major university herbaria of Leiden , Utrecht and Wageningen...
.
Species
- Blumea amakidophora
- Blumea arfakiana
- Blumea aromatica
- Blumea balsamiferaBlumea balsamiferaBlumea balsamifera is a flowering plant belonging to the Blumea genus, Asteraceae family.-Description:Blumea balsamifera is used as an herbal treatment for the common cold and as a diuretic in Philippines medicine, where is it most commonly known as sambong...
- Sambong or naat หนาด - Blumea brevipes
- Blumea canalensis
- Blumea clarkei - Clarke blumea, 七里明
- Blumea densiflora
- Blumea fistulosa
- Blumea hieraciifolia - Hawkweed leaf blumea, 毛毡草
- Blumea integrifolia
- Blumea lacera - Malay blumea, Kakronda, 红头草
- Blumea laciniata - Cutleaf false oxtongue, 走马风
- Blumea lanceolaria
- Blumea megacephala - Largehead blumea, 东风草
- Blumea mollis - Pink-flowered blumea
- Blumea napifolia
- Blumea oxyodonta - Spiny leaved blumea
- Blumea paniculata - Mharbir (HindiHindiStandard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
) - Blumea psammophila
- Blumea riparia
- Blumea saxatilis
- Blumea sessiliflora
- Blumea sinuata
- Blumea tenella
- Blumea virens
- Blumea viscosa - Clammy false oxtongue