Emilia sonchifolia (L.) DC.

DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY
MEDICINAL PLANTS

Emilia sonchifolia (L.) DC.

Family: Compositae
Common Name: Lilac tassel flower
Vernacular Names: Hirankhuri (Hindi), Shashashrutih (Sanskrit), Muyalccevi (Tamil), Muyalchevian (Malayalam)
Plant Description
Emilia sonchifolia is an erect to ascending, smooth or sparingly hairy, soft stemmed, slenderly branched annual herb
Habit: Herb
Stems: Smooth or sparsely hairy, soft, and slenderly branched
Leaves: Alternate, with lower leaves being round, kidney-shaped, or triangular-ovate, and upper leaves being lanceolate
Inflorescence: Terminal, flat-topped, and composed of 3–6 stalked flower heads
Flowers: Purple, scarlet, red, pink, orange, white, or lilac, with 30–60 florets per head
Fruit: An oblong, dry, ribbed achene that is reddish brown or off-white
Beneficial Properties
Medicinal Properties
• In Ayurvedic medicine, Emilia sonchifolia is used to treat a variety of conditions, including diarrhoea, gastropathy, asthma, and eye and ear ailments. It’s also used in ethnomedicine to treat inflammation, rashes, measles, and more.
• The plant has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and can inhibit hydroxyl radical formation and superoxide radical generation.
• Emilia sonchifolia has been shown to have wound healing properties.
• It is also used for the treatment of fever, sore throat, eczema and as an antidote for snake bites.
Other Uses
• The plant is a traditional vegetable salad in Malaysia, Bangladesh, and India
• An extract of Emilia sonchifolia leaves can be used to manufacture copper nanoparticles