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Spilanthes acmella

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Name

Identification
Acmella caulirhiza Delile in Caill. [family ASTERACEAE ] (stored under name); Verified by Not on Sheet, Eclipta filicaulis Schumach. and Thonn. [family ASTERACEAE ] Verified by R.K. Jansen, 1983 Spilanthus guineensis Not on sheet [family ASTERACEAE ] Verified by Not on Sheet, Spilanthes acmella Murr. [family ASTERACEAE ] Verified by J. Clausen, 1922
Related name
  • Spilanthes abyssinica
  • Acmella radicans
  • Spilanthes oleracea
  • Eclipta filicaulis
  • Acmella uliginosa
  • Spilanthes africana
  • Spilanthus heliantiflorus
  • Spilanthes acmella
  • Spilanthus guineensis
  • Spilanthes ocymifolia
  • Spilanthes costata
  • Acmella caulirhiza
  • Spilanthes uliginosa
  • Spilanthes urens
  • Acmella brachyglossa
  • Spilanthus multiflora
  • Acmella caulorrhiza
  • Spilanthes calva
  • Achillea acmella
  • Acmella calva
Common name
  • saraktro (K&B) (UPPER VOLTA, MANDING-DYULA), Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 1
  • awere pépé (auctt.) (NIGERIA, YORUBA), Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 1
  • ilulonoica (NWT) (NIGERIA, IGBO), Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 1
  • sekke (Waldau) (WEST CAMEROONS, KPE), Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 1
  • kírí ẹ̀bẹ̀dẹ̀ = ground new foliage (KW) kírí ị̀gị̀ná = ground pepper (KW) kírí ị̀sànị̀ = ground pepper (KW) (NIGERIA, IJO-IZON (Kolokuma)), Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 1
  • osana (NWT; JMD) (NIGERIA, IGBO (Awka)), Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 1
  • Brazil cress; Para cress., Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 1
  • ósē ànì = pepper of the ground (NWT; KW) (NIGERIA, IGBO (Okpanam)), Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 1
  • nyame nyen? (FRI) (GHANA, AKAN-ASANTE), Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 1
  • saraktro (K&B) (IVORY COAST, MANDING-DYULA), Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 1
  • gahé (K&B) (IVORY COAST, KRU-GUERE), Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 1
  • parpehi (RES) (NIGERIA, HAUSA), Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 1

Flora

Entry for Acmella caulirhiza Del. [family COMPOSITAE]
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of Tropical East Africa, Part Part 3, page 547, (2005) Author: H. Beentje, C. Jeffrey & D.J.N. Hind
Names
Acmella caulirhiza Del. [family COMPOSITAE], Voy. Meroe 4: 335, t. 64, fig. 7 (1827); R.K.Jansen in Syst. Bot. Monogr. 8: 37, map (1985); Lisowski, Asterac. Fl. Afr. Centr. 1: 228, t. 50 (1991); D.J.N. Hind in Fl. Masc. 109: 207, t. 71 (1993); U.K.W.F. ed. 2: 216, t. 88 (1994), as calirhiza. Type: Sudan, Sennar, Caillaud s.n. (MPU, holo., not found)
Spilanthes africana DC. [family COMPOSITAE], Prodr. 5: 623 (1836). Type: South Africa, between Omtata & Omsamwubo, Drège 5086 (G-DC, holo., K!, iso.)
Spilanthes caulirhiza (Del.) DC. [family COMPOSITAE], Prodr. 5: 623 (1836); F.P.S. 3: 54 (1956)
Spilanthes abyssinica A.Rich. [family COMPOSITAE], Tent. Fl. Abyss. 1: 415 (1848). Type: Ethiopia, near Adoa, Schimper (no number given; Jansen says 145 and P, lecto., BR, G, GOET, HBG, K, M, MPU, NY, OXF, P, S, W, iso.; this number not found at BM, BR, K or P, though in all these herbaria there is a Schimper 245 with this locality)
Spilanthes acmella [family COMPOSITAE], auct. mult., non L.
Acmella mauritiana [family COMPOSITAE], auct. mult., non Rich.
Spilanthes mauritiana [family COMPOSITAE], auct. mult., non (Rich.) DC. e.g. F.P.U.: 172 (1962); Blundell, Wild Fl. E. Afr.: pl. 385 (1987)
Information
Perennial or annual herb, decumbent or scrambling, often rooting at the nodes, up to 15 cm high or 60 cm long; stems sappy, often reddish or purplish, glabrous or pilose. Leaves ovate, 1–7 cm long, 0.8–5 cm wide, base attenuate, margins dentate, apex acute or obtuse, glabrous or pilose; 3-veined from base; petiole 1–15 mm long, narrowly winged. Capitula solitary and hemispherical, becoming conical, radiate, 4–14 mm long, 4–10 mm in diameter, on stalks 2–7 cm long; involucre 3.5–6 mm long, of 2 series of phyllaries. Ray florets 10–15, yellow, 2.2–3.3 mm long, the ray 1.4–2.3 mm long. Disc florets many, yellow or slightly orange, 1.1–1.9 mm long. Achenes 1.3–2.4 mm long, glabrous; pappus usually absent but sometimes some setae present on achenes of outer florets. Fig. 152 (page 731).
Range
DISTR. U 1–4; K 1–7; T 1–8 widespread in tropical and subtropical Africa and Madagascar
Altitude range
750–3100 m
Distribution
KENYA Northern Frontier District Isiolo, July 1951, Kirrika 9!KENYA Trans Nzoia District Mt Elgon 0.5 km W of Suam Saw Mills, Dec. 1967, Mwangangi 475!KENYA Machakos District 1 km E of Ithemboni, Aug. 1971, Mwangangi 1714!TANZANIA Arusha District Ngurdoto Crater, Oct. 1965, Greenway & Kanuri 11953!TANZANIA Ufipa District 4 km on Safu road from Sumbawanga–Mbala road, Nov. 1992, Gereau et al. 5009!TANZANIA Njombe District Livingstone Mts, near source of Ngolo R., Feb. 1991, Gereau & Kayombo 3917!UGANDA West Nile District Chobi, Oct. 1967, Buzigye 10!UGANDA Ankole District Bunyaruguru, Feb. 1939, Purseglove 565!UGANDA Mengo District Kituza, June 1957, Griffiths 45!
Notes
USES. Used widely for fever, mouth and throat infections, chewed for toothache.  CONSERVATION Least concern (LC).  A pioneer that may colonize bare ground, and a very common plant in moist ruderal locations. “Creeping but rising if the grass is long” (Tweedie in litt.).

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