Euphorbia hirta
Plant species in the spurge family
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Euphorbia hirta (sometimes called asthma-plant[2]) is a pantropical weed, originating from the tropical regions of the Americas.[3] It is a hairy herb that grows in open grasslands, roadsides and pathways. It is widely used in traditional herbal medicine across many cultures, particularly for asthma, skin ailments, and hypertension.[4] It is also consumed in herbal tea form as folk medicine for fevers in the Philippines (where it is known as tawa-tawa), particularly for dengue fever and malaria.[5][6]
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| Euphorbia hirta | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Euphorbiaceae |
| Genus: | Euphorbia |
| Species: | E. hirta |
| Binomial name | |
| Euphorbia hirta | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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List
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Description
This erect or prostrate annual herb can grow up to 60 cm (24 in) long with a solid stem that is furnished with many yellow to reddish coarse hairs, and produces an abundant white latex.[7] There are stipules present. The leaves have an oblique base and are simple, elliptical to slightly rhombic, hairy (on both upper and lower surfaces but particularly on the veins on the lower leaf surface), with a finely dentate margin, the veins upperside being deep-set and conspicuous on the underside, and the leaf surface somewhat leathery. Leaves occur in opposite pairs on the stem. The flowers are unisexual and found in axillary cymes at each leaf node, held as dense balls of flowers and fruit capsules usually close to the stem, the flower glands with tiny white/pinkish petal-like appendages. The fruit is a capsule with three valves (creating 3 sides), uniformly appressed hairy, containing tiny (0.7–0.9 mm), oblong, four-sided orange to pink or red seeds. It has a white or brown taproot. FNA
Taxonomy
Euphorbia hirta was given its scientific name by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. It continues to be classified in the genus Euphorbia within the family Euphorbiaceae. It has no accepted varieties, but has some among its 33 synonyms.[1]
| Name | Year | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chamaesyce gemella (Lag.) Small | 1913 | species | = het. |
| Chamaesyce hirta (L.) Millsp. | 1909 | species | ≡ hom. |
| Chamaesyce hirta var. glaberrima (Koidz.) H.Hara | 1940 | variety | = het. |
| Chamaesyce hirta f. glaberrima (Koidz.) Hurus. | 1954 | form | = het. |
| Chamaesyce hirta var. laeticincta Croizat | 1943 | variety | = het. |
| Chamaesyce hirta f. litoralis Hurus. | 1954 | form | = het. |
| Chamaesyce karwinskyi (Boiss.) Millsp. | 1916 | species | = het. |
| Chamaesyce pekinensis var. glaberrima (Koidz.) Makino & Nemoto | 1925 | variety | = het. |
| Chamaesyce pilulifera var. glaberrima (Koidz.) H.Hara | 1938 | variety | = het. |
| Chamaesyce rosei Millsp. | 1916 | species | = het. |
| Desmonema hirta (L.) Raf. | 1833 | species | ≡ hom. |
| Ditrita hirta (L.) Raf. | 1838 | species | ≡ hom. |
| Euphorbia bancana Miq. | 1861 | species | = het. |
| Euphorbia capitata Lam. | 1788 | species | = het. |
| Euphorbia chrysochaeta W.Fitzg. | 1918 | species | = het. |
| Euphorbia gemella Lag. | 1816 | species | = het. |
| Euphorbia globulifera Kunth | 1817 | species | = het. |
| Euphorbia hirta var. destituta L.C.Wheeler | 1939 | variety | = het. |
| Euphorbia hirta var. glaberrima Koidz. | 1919 | variety | = het. |
| Euphorbia hirta var. typica L.C.Wheeler | 1939 | variety | ≡ hom., not validly publ. |
| Euphorbia karwinskyi Boiss. | 1860 | species | = het. |
| Euphorbia nodiflora Steud. | 1840 | species | = het. |
| Euphorbia obliterata Jacq. | 1760 | species | = het. |
| Euphorbia pilulifera var. arechavaletae Herter | 1910 | variety | = het. |
| Euphorbia pilulifera var. discolor Engelm. | 1859 | variety | = het. |
| Euphorbia pilulifera var. glabrescens Thell. | 1917 | variety | = het. |
| Euphorbia pilulifera var. guaranitica Chodat & Hassl. | 1905 | variety | = het. |
| Euphorbia pilulifera var. hirta (L.) Thell. | 1917 | variety | ≡ hom. |
| Euphorbia pilulifera f. humifusa Domin | 1927 | form | = het. |
| Euphorbia pilulifera var. obliterata (Jacq.) Hitchc. | 1893 | variety | = het. |
| Euphorbia pilulifera f. rubromaculata Domin | 1927 | form | = het. |
| Euphorbia pilulifera f. viridis Domin | 1927 | form | = het. |
| Euphorbia verticillata Vell. | 1829 | species | = het., nom. illeg. |
| Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym; = heterotypic synonym | |||
Names
Euphorbia hirta has many common names including garden spurge, pillpod spurge, and hairy spurge. It is also called by the related names asthma weed, asthma plant and Queensland asthma weed. Additionally it is known as red milkweed and snakeweed.[8]
