ຜັກຮາດຮື່ນ, ຜັກເຜັດ, ຜັກຂາດຫົວແຫວນ ( Brazilian cress, Para cress, and toothacheplant)

Acmella calva var. oleracea (Jacq.) Mehrotra, Aswal & B.S.Bisht
Acmella occidentalis (Willd.) Rich. ex Pers.
Acmella oleraceae (L.) R.K.Jansen
Anacyclus pyrethraria (L.) Spreng.
Bidens acmelloides Bergius
Bidens fervida Lam.
Bidens fixa Hook.fil.
Bidens fusca Lam.
Bidens oleracea (L.) Cav.
Bidens oleracea (L.) Cav. ex Steud.
Ceratocephalus acmella subsp. acmella
Cotula dichotoma Pers.
Cotula pyretharia L.
Cotula pyrethraria L.
Isocarpha pyrethraria (L.) Cass.
Pyrethraria dichotoma Pers.
Pyrethraria dichotoma Pers. ex Steud.
Pyrethrum spilanthus Medik.
Spilanthes acmella subsp. oleracea (L.) C.B.Clarke
Spilanthes acmella subsp. oleracea (L.) C.B.Clarke ex Hook.f.
Spilanthes acmella var. oleracea (L.) Baker, 1884
Spilanthes acmella var. oleracea (L.) C.B.Clarke
Spilanthes acmella var. oleracea (L.) C.B.Clarke ex Hook.fil.
Spilanthes calva var. oleracea (Jacq.) Mehrotra, Aswal & B.S.Bisht
Spilanthes fusca Lam.
Spilanthes oleracea Jacq.
Spilanthes oleracea L.
Spilanthes oleracea subsp. fusca (Lam.) DC.
Spilanthes oleracea subsp. oleracea
Spilanthes oleracea var. fusca (Lam.) DC.
Spilanthes oleracea var. oleracea
Spilanthes radicans Schrad. ex DC.

Asteraceae

ຫ້ອມແກ່ວ / White Head
ກະດຸມເຄືອ / Climbing wedelia

This plant is an annual herb that can grow up to 90 cm tall, with stems that often spread along the ground. The petioles (leaf stem) are 2 to 6.5 cm long, while the leaves are broad and range from oval to triangular in shape, measuring 5 to 10.5 cm in length and 4 to 8 cm in width. The leaves have serrated (toothed) edges, an indented base, and a short to pointed apex. The peduncle (flower stalk) varies between 3.5 and 12.5 cm in length. The flower head is a single, rounded cluster, cylindrical in shape, and measures 10.5 to 23.5 mm in height and 11 to 17 mm in diameter. The bracts are organized in three layers. The outer layer has 5 to 6 leaves that are narrow and oval-shaped or sometimes just oval. These leaves measure about 5.8 to 7.3 mm in length and 2.1 to 2.8 mm in width. The numerous yellow flowers are bisexual, with five rows of petals that measure 2.7 to 3.3 mm in length. The flower tube is 0.5 to 0.7 mm long. The plant produces black achenes (fruits) that are 2 to 2.5 mm in length [4].

Native to America.
Global distribution between 2004 to 2024. [5]

North Laos Highlands
Northern Mekong Corridor
Annamite Highlands and Xieng Khuang Plateau
Vientiane Plain
Northern Annamites
Central Annamites
Lower Annamites
Southern Annamites
Southern Mekong Corridor
Boloven Plateau

Upland fields with crops
Riparian vegetation
Home gardens

Introduced

Not invasive

Not applicable

None

Food
Medicine

Food: Young shoots and leaves are versatile ingredients that can be used in various culinary applications. They can be boiled and enjoyed with chili paste, incorporated into curries, or added to mixed vegetable dishes, among other preparations. [7], [8] Medicine: The decoctions derived from the leaves and flowers of this plant have been utilized in folk medicine for over a hundred years as remedies for toothache, stomatitis, constipation, peptic ulcers, and liver abscesses [7]. The extract of Acmella oleracea is known for its diverse range of properties, including antibacterial, antifungal, analgesic, anti-wrinkle, antioxidant, female aphrodisiac, and anti-obesity effects, among others. [7].

Wild

June
July
August

Threats: that since it does not appear in the IUCN Red List, we could make the assumption that there are no evident threats for this species.

N/A

N/A

Nutrient	/100g	Remark
Proteins	N/A	N/A
Carbohydrates	N/A	N/A
Fats	N/A	N/A
Vitamins	N/A	N/A
Minerals	N/A	N/A
Fibers	N/A	N/A

Toothache plant from afar. [1] iNaturalist [Online]. Uploaded on 18 November 2023 by: mira_hlt. Available: www.inaturalist.org/photos/336272288. [Accessed: 27 September 2024].
Flower of the Toothache plant up close. [2] iNaturalist [Online]. Uploaded on 18 November 2023 by: mirahlt. Available: www.inaturalist.org/photos/336272301. [Accessed: 27 September 2024].
Toothache plant without flowers. [3] iNaturalist [Online]. Uploaded on 14 February 2024 by: hellen_priscila. Available: www.inaturalist.org/photos/351517481. [Accessed: 27 September 2024].

[4] K.-F. Chung and et al., "Notes on Acmella (Asteraceae: Heliantheae) in Taiwan," Botanical Studies, pp. 73-82, 2008.
[5] Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), “Acmella oleracea (L.) R.K.Jansen” [Online]. Available: https://www.gbif.org/species/5386764. [Accessed: 27 September 2024].
[6] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, “Acmella oleracea (L.) R.K.Jansen,” [Online]. Available: https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Acmella%20oleracea%20(L.)%20R.K.Jansen&searchType=species. [Accessed: 27 September 2024].
[7] T. Uthpala and S. Navaratne, "Acmella oleracea Plant; Identification, Applications and Use as an Emerging Food Source – Review," Food Reviews International, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 150-160, 2020.
[8] Useful Tropical Plants, "Acmella oleracea," 2024. [Online]. Available: https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Acmella+oleracea. [Accessed: Oct. 18, 2024].