Asteraceae FAMILY

Elephantopus spicatus

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Elephantopus spicatus is a freely-branching, erect, herbaceous perennial plant with a strong taproot, growing 30 - 120cm tall[ 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. , 342 Title Flora of Jamaica Publication Author Fawcett. W. & Rendle. A. B. Publisher British Museum Year 1910 ISBN Description Rather dated, so many name changes. Nevertheless, a very good guide to the plants of the Caribbean. The book is out of copyright and can be legally downloaded from various websites. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and broom.

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeS. America - Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama to Mexico; Caribbean.

HabitatDamp or wet thickets or open fields, often a weed in waste or cultivated ground or on sandbars along streams, at elevations from sea level to 1,600 metres in Guatemala[ 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ ].