''Ageratum conyzoides'' (billygoat-weed, chick weed, goatweed, whiteweed, mentrasto) is native to Tropical America, especially

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, and is an

invasive weed An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

in many other regions. It is an herb that is 0.5–1 m. high, with ovate leaves 2–6 cm long, and flowers are white to mauve. In

Vietnamese Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia ** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam. * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overse ...

, the plant is called ''cứt lợn'' (meaning "pig feces") due to its growth in dirty areas.

Uses

As a

medicinal plant Medicinal plants, also called medicinal herbs, have been discovered and used in traditional medicine practices since prehistoric times. Plants synthesize hundreds of chemical compounds for various functions, including Plant defense against her ...

, ''Ageratum conyzoides'' is widely used by many traditional cultures, against

dysentery Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications ...

and

diarrhea Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin wi ...

. It is also an

insecticide Insecticides are substances used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and by consumers. Insecticides are claimed to b ...

and

nematicide A nematicide is a type of chemical pesticide used to kill plant-parasitic nematodes. Nematicides have tended to be broad-spectrum toxicants possessing high volatility or other properties promoting migration through the soil. Aldicarb (Temik), a ca ...

Toxicity

Ingesting ''A. conyzoides'' can cause

liver The liver is a major Organ (anatomy), organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for ...

lesions A lesion is any damage or abnormal change in the tissue of an organism, usually caused by disease or trauma. ''Lesion'' is derived from the Latin "injury". Lesions may occur in plants as well as animals. Types There is no designated classifi ...

and

tumors A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...

. There was a mass poisoning incident in Ethiopia as a result of contamination of grain with ''A. conyzoides''. The plant contains the

pyrrolizidine alkaloids Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), sometimes referred to as necine bases, are a group of naturally occurring alkaloids based on the structure of pyrrolizidine. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are produced by plants as a defense mechanism against insect he ...

lycopsamine and echinatine.

Weed risk

''A. conyzoides'' is prone to becoming a rampant environmental

weed A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, "a plant in the wrong place", or a plant growing where it is not wanted.Harlan, J. R., & deWet, J. M. (1965). Some thoughts about weeds. ''Economic botany'', ''19''(1), 16-24. ...

when grown outside of its natural range. It is an invasive weed in Africa, Australia, Southeast Asia, Hawaii, and the USA. It is considered a moderate weed of rice cultivation in Asia.

Gallery

File:Ageratum conizoides in Narshapur forest, AP W IMG 1100.jpg, in

Narsapur, Medak district Narsapur is a census town in Medak district of the Indian state of Telangana Telangana (; , ) is a state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the eleventh-largest sta ...

. File:Ageratum conizoides in Narshapur forest, AP W IMG 0808.jpg, in

. File:Ageratum conizoides in Narshapur forest, AP W IMG 0805.jpg, in

. File:Ageratum conizoides in Narshapur forest, AP W2 IMG 1100.jpg, in

. File:Blue flower Used for Pookkalam DSC 0945.jpg, From Kerala. File:Ageratum conyzoides growing in Assam Don Bosco University Campus,Tapesia Gardens.jpg, in Assam Don Bosco University Campus,Tapesia Gardens

References

External links

*
Plants For Future: ''Ageratum conyzoides''Global Invasive Species Database: ''Ageratum conyzoides''

photos
Ageratum conyzoides L.
Medicinal Plant Images Database (School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University) * {{Taxonbar, from=Q1949712 conyzoides Flora of South America Medicinal plants of South America Plant toxin insecticides Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus