About Neurolaena lobata (L.) R.Br.
Neurolaena lobata (L.) R.Br. is an herb that grows 1–4 meters tall. Its leaves are long and slender when young, and typically develop three points when mature. Its small yellow flowers grow in clusters at the ends of stems. This species ranges from southern Mexico through Central America to South America, and also grows in the West Indies. In Mexico, it has been recorded in the states of Campeche, Chiapas, Tabasco, Quintana Roo, and Oaxaca. In South America, it has been reported from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, and the Guyanas. In the Caribbean, it has been found in Cuba, Trinidad, and the Bahamas. It grows in a wide variety of habitats, including fields, pastures, riverbanks, roadsides, clearings, and sometimes oak forests, at elevations from sea level up to 1,400 meters. It is an important folk medicine plant, and counts among the most commonly used plants in Maya medicine. Its traditional uses include treating wounds and infections, preventing and treating a range of parasitic ailments such as malaria, ringworm, and amoebiasis, treating inflammatory conditions, and acting as an insect repellent or fungicide. Its leaves contain flavonoids and sesquiterpene lactones.
