Tridax procumbens

Tridax procumbens

The coat buttons (Tridax procumbens L., 1753) is a herbaceous species belonging to the Asteraceae family.

Systematics –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota Domain,
Kingdom Plantae,
Magnoliophyta Division,
Magnoliopsida class,
Subclass Asteridae,
Asterales Order,
Asteraceae family,
Genus Tridax,
T. procumbens procumbens species.
Basionimo is the term:
– Chrysanthemum procumbens (L.) Sessé & Moc., 1894.
Two varieties are recognized within this species:
– Tridax procumbens var. canescens (Rich. ex Pers.) DC., 1836;
– Tridax procumbens var. ovatifolia B.L.Rob. & Greenm., 1896.

Etymology –
The term Tridax comes from the Greek θριδαξ, -ακος thridax, -acos (derived from τρέις tréis tre, and from δάκνω dácno bite, lacerare) name used by Theophrastus for a species of lettuce: the ligulate flosculi of the flower often end with three lacinias.
The specific epithet procumbens comes from procumbo lying down, falling to the ground: crawling on the ground.

Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Tridax procumbens is a plant is a species of plant native to the tropical Americas, but has been introduced to tropical, subtropical and mild temperate regions around the world. This plant has become a weed in many countries as well as in some states of the USA.
Its habitat is that of sunny and dry places, in particular sandy and rocky sites such as roadsides, railways, dunes and uncultivated places, at altitudes up to 1,000 meters.

Description –
Tridax procumbens is a perennial herbaceous plant with creeping stems up to 75 cm long that become erect at the ends. The stems produce new roots at the leaf nodes.
The leaves are lanceolate, with widely serrated margins, opposite and of an intense green color, hairy-glandular.
The flowers are white or yellow in the shape of a daisy with three-toothed flowers and hairy involucral bracts; the corolla is regular, tubular, pentaphid.
The fruit is a hard achene covered in stiff hairs and with a plumed white plume-like pappus at one end. The chalice is represented by scales or reduced to pappus.
This plant blooms and bears fruit practically all year round.

Cultivation –
Tridax procumbens is a plant that grows spontaneously and has become invasive in some areas where it was introduced and which is sometimes harvested in nature for local use as food and medicine.
Contact with this plant can sometimes cause skin irritation.
It is a plant that adapts particularly well to coarse-textured soils. It tends to become a weed and spreads freely thanks to its creeping stems and the prolific production of seeds that are dispersed by the wind.
The plant produces many achenes, up to 1500 per plant, and each achene can be carried by the wind over a certain distance. This plant can in fact be found in fields, meadows, cultivated land, disturbed areas, meadows and roadsides in areas with tropical or semi-tropical climates.
Propagation occurs both by seed and by division.

Customs and Traditions –
Tridax procumbens is a plant known with different names depending on the area where it grows in nature or where it has spread.
Its common names are coatbuttons and tridax daisy in English, jayanthi (ಜಯ or ತಿ) in kannada, cadillo chisaca in Spanish, herbe caille in French, jayanti vive (जयंती वेद) and “Avanti” in Sanskrit, “Ghajadvu” in Gujarati “Kumminnippacha” , (കുമ്മിനിന്നിപാച്ച) “kurikootticheera”, (കുറികോട്ടിച്ചിചിറ) “muriyampachila” (മുരിയമ്പാചില), “odiyancheera”, (ഒഡിയൻചിറ) “railpoochedi, (റൈലാപൂച്ചെഡി)” sanipoovu “, (ഷാനിപോവ്)” thelkuthi “, (തെക്കുത്തി)” Chiravanakku “, ( ചിരവനാക്ക്) in Malayalam, Bikhalyakarani in Assamese, Ghamra in Hindi, Tridhara (ত্রিধারা) in Bengali, Bishalya Karani (ବିଶଲ୍ୟକରଣୀ) in Oriya, Kambarmodi, Jakhamjudi and Tantani (कंबरमोडी, जखमजुडी & टनटनी) in Marathi, Gayaaku (గాయపాకు) & gaddi chemdi (గడ్డి చామంతి) & balapaaku (బలపాకు) in Telugu, vettukaaya poondu or thatha poo or kinatruppasan (கிணற்றுப்பாசான்) in Tamil, Ghaburi (ઘાબુરી) in Gujarati, kotobukigiku in Japanense and tīn túkkæ (ตีนตุ๊กแก; ‘gecko feet’) in Thai. Urdu is known as zagh mai hayat.
This plant has traditionally been used in India for wound healing and as an anticoagulant, antifungal and insect repellent. It is also used in the treatment for boils, blisters and cuts by local healers in some parts of India.
This plant contains some active ingredients including: procumbenetin, which has been isolated from the aerial parts. Other chemical compounds isolated from the plant are alkyl esters, sterols, pentacyclic triterpenes, fatty acids and polysaccharides. Several major active chemical compounds were found. But toxicological knowledge is scarce and, on this plant, further investigations and research are needed.
Among the edible uses we remember that the leaves of this plant can be eaten cooked, as a vegetable.
In the medicinal field, the leaves are antiseptic, hemostatic and antiparasitic and are used as a treatment against bronchial catarrh, dysentery and diarrhea.
The powder of the leaves, combined with that of Cicer arietium in a 2: 1 ratio, is taken orally to treat diabetes.
A fine paste of the leaves is applied externally to reduce the swelling of the hemorrhoids and stop the bleeding.
Leaf sap is applied topically to sores and ulcers.
Other uses include agroforestry: the plant has been proposed as a cover crop, but its actual use and value are questionable.
Among other uses, it is reported that the leaf juice has insecticidal and parasiticidal properties.
The smoke produced by the combustion of the plant is used to repel mosquitoes.
The leaves are used as a hair tonic.

Preparation Method –
Tridax procumbens is a plant that is mainly used in the food and medicinal fields.
The leaves can be eaten cooked, as a vegetable.
In the medicinal field, the leaves and their powder are used, which combined with that of Cicer arietium in a 2: 1 ratio, is taken orally, for diabetes.
A paste obtained from the sheets for external applications is also prepared.
Leaf sap is applied topically to sores and ulcers.

Guido Bissanti

Sources
– Acta Plantarum – Flora of the Italian Regions.
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Useful Tropical Plants Database.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (ed.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora of Italy, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Treben M., 2000. Health from the Lord’s Pharmacy, Advice and experiences with medicinal herbs, Ennsthaler Editore.
Photo source:
– https://tropical.theferns.info/plantimages/0/a/0aac51a4092769c897f0e28207af9600d8469561.jpg
– http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/world-flora/monographs-details/?irn=22431

Warning: Pharmaceutical applications and alimurgical uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not represent in any way a medical prescription; therefore no responsibility is taken for their use for curative, aesthetic or food purposes.