SINGAPORE DAISY ( സിങ്കപ്പൂർ ഡെയ്സി )

Botanic name:    Sphagneticola trilobata 

Family:                  Asteraceae

Malayalam names:

Singapore daisy,

kaathilpoo,

Kammalpoo,

Manja kanjanny.

Other names:

creeping oxeye,

 Bay Biscayne creeping-oxeye,

 creeping daisy,

creeping ox eye,

creeping ox-eye,

creeping oxeye,

creeping wedelia,

rabbit's paw,

Trailing daisy,

wedelia,

yellow dots.

Singapore daisy is a low climbing plant native to Mexico, Central America.

It is planted by people, throughout world as a garden plant, later spread into surrounding areas as a weed.

 It spreads vegetatively and forms a dense ground cover, just like a mat.

It is listed in the IUCN's  “ List of world,s 100 worst invasive species”.

It is a nectaring plant for Honey bees and Butterflys.

The leaves:

Lush glossy green, usually 3 lobed and in pairs up the stem 4–18 cm long and 1.5–8 cm wide.

Flowers:

Yellow to orange-yellow daisy flowers about 2 cm. The flowers are held above the leaves on short leaf stalks.

Seeds :

Elongated, brown 4–5 mm long. The amount of seed per flowers varies greatly.

Medicinal properties:

Kaurenoic acid is a diterpene present in Singapore daisy. 

Kaurenoic acid presnt in the leaves shows analgesic,anti inflamatory activity (Mizokami2012),Wound healing and antibacterial activity ( Balekar 2012).

It is reported that Singapore daisy is used for hepatitis, indigestion due to sluggish liver, white stools, burning in the urine / stopping of urine, and for infections.

 A concoction of the plant is used to bathe those suffering from backache, muscle cramps, rheumatism, or swellings, by boiling the fresh stems and leaves in 2 gallons of water for 10 minutes.