Lantana camara Health Dictionary

Linn. var. aculeata Moldenke.

Synonym: L. aculeata L.

Family: Verbenaceae.

Habitat: Native to tropical America; naturalized and occurs throughout India. Also grown as hedge plant.

English: Lantana, Wild Sage, Surinam Tea Plant.

Ayurvedic: Chaturaangi, Vanachch- hedi.

Siddha/Tamil: Unnichedi.

Folk: Ghaaneri (Maharashtra).

Action: Plant—antirheumatic, antimalarial; used in tetanus and ataxy of abdominal viscera. Pounded leaves are applied to cuts, ulcers and swellings; a decoction of leaves and fruits is used as a lotion for wounds.

The plant is considered poisonous. The leaves contain toxic principles, lantadenes A and B, which cause acute photosensitization, jaundice, kidney and liver lesions. A steroid, lanca- marone, is cardioactive and fish poison.

The bark of stems and roots contain a quinine-like alkaloid, lantanine. The extract of the shoot showed antibacterial activity against E. coli and Micrococcus pyogenes var. aureus. Flowers contain anthocyanin.