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Common Name: Han Lian Cao

General Information

Eclipta prostrata is an annual plant that can grow up to 0.60 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - China, Japan and Korea to northern and eastern Australia.

Habitat

Wet places in the lowlands of Japan, especially by paddy fields[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.60 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a damp to wet soil and a position in some shade[].
This is a tropical species and it might need more summer heat and a longer growing season than is normally available in British summers[].

Edible Uses

Tender leaves and young shoots - cooked and used as a vegetable[, , , , ].

Medicinal

This species is widely used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine, and in Ayurveda[]. It is considered to be the best remedy for the hair and is also used as a rejuvenative and liver tonic[, ].
The whole plant contains the alkaloids nicotine and ecliptine as well as coumarin[]. It is astringent, deobstruent, depurative, emetic, febrifuge, ophthalmic, purgative, styptic and tonic[, , ]. It is used internally in the treatment of dropsy and liver complaints[], anaemia, diphtheria etc[], tinnitus, tooth loss and premature greying of the hair[]. Externally, it is used as an oil to treat hair loss and is also applied to athlete's foot, eczema, dermatitis, wounds etc[, ].
The plant juice, mixed with an aromatic (essential oil?), is used in the treatment of catarrhal problems and jaundice[].
The leaves are used in the treatment of scorpion stings[]. They are used as an antidote for snake bites in Korea[].
The plant is harvested as it comes into flower and is dried for later use[].
The roots are emetic and purgative[]. They are applied externally as an antiseptic to ulcers and wounds, especially in cattle[].

Other Uses

A black dye is obtained from the plant[]. It is used as a hair dye and for tattooing[].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer, after the last expected frosts. Give the plants some extra protection, such as a cloche, until they are established and growing away well.