Bidens pilosa
Bidens pilosa, commonly known as Spanish Needle, is a species in the plant family Asteraceae. It is an annual that grows up to 1 meter in height.
This plant is considered a weed in some tropical habitats. However, in some parts of the world it is a source of food or medicine.[1] For example, in sub-Saharan Africa, the tender shoots and young leaves are used fresh or dried as a leaf vegetable, particularly in times of scarcity.
Description
This plant sprouts individual flowers which are small and yellow and which usually contain 4 to 5 white petals. The seeds are black and contain 4-5 black burrs which cling to livestock and humans.
Common names
This plant has many names, sometimes even in the same culture:
- Afrikaans: knapsekêrel (from Kaapse kerwel, meaning "Cape Chervil"), Black Jack
- Bontoc: nguad, puriket
- English: Black Jack, broomstick, broom stuff, cobbler's pegs, devil's needles, Spanish needle
- Australian: farmers friends, pitchforks, sticky beaks
- Fijian: batimadramadra, matakaro, matua kamate, mbatikalawau
- Filipino: pisau-pisau
- French: bident hérissé, herbe d'aiguille, herbe à aiguilles, herbe villebague, piquants noirs, sornet
- Hawaiʻian: kī, kī nehe, kī pipili, nehe
- Ibatan: dadayem
- Japanese: ko-sendangusa
- KiKaonde (Zambia): sokotela
- Maori (Cook Islands): kamika tuarongo, nīroa, piripiri, piripiri kerekere, piripiri nīroa
- Niuean: kofetoga (Tongan bamboo, i.e., junk bamboo)
- Futunan: tae puaka (meaning "pig excrement")
- Pukapukan: pilipili
- Portuguese: picão preto
- Spanish: acetillo, amor seco (meaning "dry love"), arponcito, asta de cabra, bidente piloso, cacho de cabra, cadillo, hierba amarilla, masquia, mazote, papunga chipaca, pega-pega, perca, rosilla, sirvulaca
- Tahitian: piripiri (meaning "sticker")
- Taiwan: xian feng cao (Chinese: 咸豐草)
- Tongan: fisi‘uli (meaning "black flower")
- Chewa: chisoso
- Tumbuka: chidokoso
- Shona: tsine
- Vietnamese: xuyến chi
Traditional uses
In traditional Chinese medicine, this plant is considered a medicinal herb, called xian feng cao (Chinese: 咸豐草).
Research
The extracts of B. pilosa are potentially useful because of their ability to suppress the growth of adult T-cell leukemia cells.[2]
Phytochemicals
Okanin is a chalcone found in Bidens pilosa (Picao preto).[3]Almost two hundred (198) natural products have been isolated to date from B. pilosa. Polyacetylenes and flavonoids, predominate in the phytochemistry of B. pilosa. [4]
See also
References
- ^ Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (2004) Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA Foundation, Wageningen; Backhuys, Leiden; CTA, Wageningen.
- ^ Nakama, S; Ishikawa, C; Nakachi, S; Mori, N (2011). "Anti-adult T-cell leukemia effects of Bidens pilosa". International journal of oncology 38 (4): 1163–73. doi:10.3892/ijo.2011.939. PMID 21318218.
- ^ Presence of Compounds in Picao preto (Bidens pilosa)
- ^ : Silva FL, Fischer DC, Tavares JF, Silva MS, de Athayde-Filho PF, Barbosa-Filho JM.,"Compilation of secondary metabolites from Bidens pilosa L." Molecules. 2011;16(2):1070-102
External links