''Schkuhria pinnata'', the canchalagua or dwarf Mexican marigold, is a small, dainty, pioneer annual herb of the family
Asteraceae
The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...
and widespread in the
tropics
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
. It is regarded as a naturalised weed with low ecological impact.
Reaching 30–60 cm in height, this species is found as a pioneer on disturbed ground such as roadsides and ploughed lands. Leaves are mainly pinnatisect, with the upper leaves simple and filiform. The upper leaf surface is narrowly grooved, while both leaf surfaces are pitted with numerous small glands. Its capitula are numerous, terminal and small, with a solitary ray floret, its ligule 1.5–2 mm long and yellow, and 4-6 disc florets. Corollas are yellow to white sometimes with a purple tinge. Bracts are obovate, with a hyaline apex, while margins are minutely ciliate and glandular-punctate. Achenes are narrow-turbinate, 4-angled and some 4 mm long; there are 8 membranous pappus scales, darkly striated at apex.
The plant is native to
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
, normally found in drier mountainous regions of 2000 – 3000 meters in elevation, and growing abundantly in the inter-Andean valleys. It is currently found in
Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
,
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
, and in the southern
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
Medicinal uses
The
Ketchwa indigenous people of the
Andes
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
have traditionally used this plant to treat a large number of conditions and ailments - they have used it as a bactericide in open wounds, to treat acne, malaria and inflammation, and as a blood purifier and diuretic. The plant can also be used as an abortifacients by inserting the root or infusing the whole plant and taking it orally.
''Schkuhria pinnata'' exhibited high antibacterial activity while in an anti-inflammatory assay
dichloromethane
Dichloromethane (DCM or methylene chloride, methylene bichloride) is an organochlorine compound with the formula . This colorless, volatile liquid with a chloroform-like, sweet odour is widely used as a solvent. Although it is not miscible with ...
extracts from its shoots selectively inhibited
COX-1.
References
External links
List of synonymsPlantnet
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15558269
Bahieae