Common Name:

General Information

Dalea foliolosa is a variable annual plant usually growing 10 - 100cm tall[]. The plant can either branch from the base, the stems then being diffuse and assurgent; or be simple and paniculately branching from near or well above the middle of the stem[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

C. America - Honduras, Guatemala, north to northern Mexico

Habitat

Dry, often weedy places, becoming colonial along highways, in fields, in disturbed and over-grazed brushland, on a variety of volcanic and sedimentary substrata; mostly at elevations from 1,550 - 2,500 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Dalea foliolosa is found wild from the temperate highlands of northern Mexico to the tropical regions at lower elevations from Mexico to Guatemala and Honduras[].

The crushed foliage has a strong smell of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant (especially the essential oil) is antiinflammatory and hypoglycaemic[]. An infusion of the plant is used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes[].
Applied topically, the plant is used to treat contusions and abrasions[].

The plant yields 2.5 - 3.2% essential oil, characterized by a dominance of monoterpenes over sesquiterpenes and
aliphatic hydrocarbons. The principal compounds were cryptone (22 - 30%); linalool (10 - 17%); caryophyllene oxide (4 - 15%); ascaridole (4 - 8%) and beta-citronellol (3 - 7%)[].
The essential oil has shown significant antioxidant, hypoglycaemic and antibacterial activities[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed