Sphagneticola trilobata

         

COMMON NAME : Wedelia flower

BIOLOGICAL NAME           : Sphagneticola trilobata

  

OTHER COMMON NAMES :

Bay Biscayne creeping oxeye (or) Bay Biscayne creeping-oxeye, creeping daisy, creeping ox eye (or) creeping ox-eye, creeping oxeye, creeping wedelia, rabbit's paw, Singapore daisy, trailing daisy, yellow dots. 

IN OTHER LANGUAGE NAMES :

             In Tamil, Manjalkarilamkanni (மஞ்சல்கரிலம்கன்னி).

             In Sanskrit,  Pitabhrnga (पीतभ्रंग).                  

             In Hindi,   Pilabhangara (पीला भंगरा).

             In Malayalam, Widelia (വൈഡേലി) , Manjakkanju.

USES :

1) MEDICINAL USES :

  Sphagneticola trilobata has traditionally been used to treat indigestion, infections, and to treat hepatitis. Sphagneticola trilobata shows considerable anti-hepatotoxic and It shows protective effects against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver destruction. The leaves are used in dyeing grey hair and in promoting the growth of hair. They are considered a tonic, alternative, and useful in cephalalgia, coughs, skin diseases, and alopecia. A strong decoction of the whole plant is used to treat severe chest pain and chest cold. The juice of the leaves is much used as a snuff in cephalalgia. Wedelia is used to treat hepatitis, infections, and to clear the placenta after birth. Wedelia contains acetylenes and derivatives of kynurenic acid.

  Sphagneticola trilobata is combined with Lantana Camara,  as a tea or syrup, and as a remedy for colds. Its leaves are included in a cough and cold remedy along with the boiled leaves of Commelina nudiflora or Hibiscus sabdariffa, and sometimes also Citrus aurantiifolia.

             The active ingredient present in Sphagneticola trilobata is a coumestan called wedelolactone. (Wagner et al., 1986) Due to the presence of active chemicals [Such as n-hexane and ethyl acetate in extracts of Sphagneticola trilobata].

  It shows antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Proteus Vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella group C, Salmonella paratyphi, and Shigella sonnei (Taddei and Romero, 1999).

Sphagneticola trilobata has also been traditionally used to clear the placenta after birth. (Sureshkumar et al. 2007) also, report effectiveness as an analgesic in studies on mice.

Dissanayake et al. (2002) were reported that Sphagneticola trilobata has the capability to absorb a high amount of Fe²⁺ / Fe³⁺, Mn²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Cu+² from polluted areas in Sri Lanka. Hence, Sphagneticola trilobata can be recommended as a phytoremediation that can be used profitably to treat waste effluents and environments contaminated with heavy metal ions.

2) AGROFORESTRY (OR) AGRONOMY USES :

An interesting ground cover plant for warm locations. The stems of Sphagneticola trilobata are brittle and break easily, so should be kept away from foot traffic. The plant can tolerate light pedestrian traffic.

3) OTHER MAIN USES :

Sphagneticola trilobata is used in many landscape practices and mass planting such as under trees, open areas, around rocks, and ponds as a covering in parkways and, on walls or in pots. Furthermore, this species is excellent for erosion control on slopes and banks because it roots where the stems come in contact with soil. Sphagneticola trilobata can also be used successfully as a companion crop to combat silver leaf whitefly (Bemisia tabaci).