Aspilia

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}}

{{Automatic taxobox

|image = Aspilia mossambicensis00.jpg

|image_caption = Aspilia mossambicensis

|display_parents = 3

|taxon = Aspilia

|authority = Thouars

|type_species = Aspilia thouarsii

|type_species_authority = DC.

|synonyms =

  • Coronocarpus {{small|Schumach.}}
  • Dipterotheca {{small|Sch.Bip. ex Hochst.}}
  • Harpephora {{small|Endl.}}
  • Menotriche {{small|Steetz}}
  • Wirtgenia {{small|Sch.Bip.}}

|synonyms_ref = {{cite web |title=Aspilia Thouars |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:328472-2 |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=6 February 2025}}

}}

Aspilia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae.Thouars, Louis-Marie Aubert du Petit-. 1806. Genera Nova Madagascariensia 12[http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=1522 Wild, H. (1967) The Compositae of the Flora Zambesiaca area. 1. Heliantheae. Kirkia 6(1) 1-62][http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40021031 Tropicos, Aspilia Thouars ] Aspilia is native to sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, Yemen, and tropical South America.[https://archive.today/20141108140620/http://dixon.iplantcollaborative.org/CompositaeWeb/default.aspx?Page=NameDetails&TabNum=0&NameId=4D43A33E-B714-429E-8653-3B4E61E3321B Flann, C (ed) 2009+ Global Compositae Checklist Accessed] Some authors have merged this genus with Wedelia, but others maintain that more study is required.[https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13752349#page/25/mode/1up Tadessa, Mesfin. 1999. New combinations, varieties, and synonyms in African Compositae. Compositae Newsletter 33:23-32.]

Medicinal uses

Historically, Aspilia africana was used in Mbaise and most Igbo speaking parts of Nigeria to prevent conception, suggesting potential contraceptive and anti-fertility properties.Oluyemi Kayode A.; Okwuonu Uche C.; Baxter D. Grillo & Oyesola Tolulope, O.,"Toxic Effects of Methanolic Extract of Aspilia africana Leaf on the Estrous Cycle and Uterine Tissues of Wistar Rats" Int. J. Morphol., 25(3):609-614, 2007. Leaf extract and fractions of A. africana effectively arrested bleeding from fresh wounds, inhibited microbial growth of known wound contaminants and accelerated wound healing process.BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine Volume 7 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/7/24 Aspilia is hypothesized to be used as herbal medicine by some chimpanzees.{{cite web |url=http://www.uic.edu/classes/osci/osci590/8_1%20Chimpanzee%20Medicine%20Chest.htm |title=8_1 Chimpanzee Medicine Chest |access-date=2011-09-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608070200/http://www.uic.edu/classes/osci/osci590/8_1%20Chimpanzee%20Medicine%20Chest.htm |archive-date=2011-06-08 }}Raffaele Paul "Among the Great Apes"'',Harper, 2010 p98

Species

63 species are currently accepted.

{{Columns-list|colwidth=18em|

}}

References