About Porophyllum gracile Benth.
Porophyllum gracile Benth. is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, with common names odora and slender poreleaf. It is native to northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, ranging from California to Texas, where it grows in rocky and sandy desert scrub habitat. This species is a small, short-lived perennial shrub with branching slender stems that reach a maximum length of about 70 centimeters, and it also has many branches with numerous thin, wiry, upright stems. The stems are hairless and waxy in texture. Its sparse waxy leaves are linear in shape, and measure 1 to 5 centimeters in length. The above-ground herbage of this plant is glandular and aromatic, with a strong scent. Glands located in cavities in the leaves, stems and phyllaries produce several volatile chemicals that work together to repel insect predators. The inflorescence produces narrow flower heads that can be nearly 3 centimeters long when blooming. Each flower head is enclosed in five waxy, gland-studded phyllaries, and holds 20 to 30 disc florets. Each floret is white or purplish, and has a long, curling style that protrudes from it. The fruit is a cylindrical achene topped with a pappus of bristles; the entire fruit structure measures over one centimeter long. The Seri people call this species xtisil. They use a tea made from its stems as a remedy for colds and to aid in difficult childbirth. Its macerated roots are used to treat toothache. Fresh and dried material of this plant is sold as a medicinal in some Mexican markets, where it is commonly called "hierba del venado." These uses may have scientific validity, because many members of the Tageteae tribe contain thiophenes that have confirmed bactericidal properties.
