Euphorbia hirta

Euphorbia hirta
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Genus: Euphorbia
Species:
E. hirta
Binomial name
Euphorbia hirta
Synonyms
  • Chamaesyce gemella (Lag.) Small
  • Chamaesyce hirta (L.) Millsp.
  • Chamaesyce karwinskyi (Boiss.) Millsp.
  • Chamaesyce rosei Millsp.
  • Desmonema hirta (L.) Raf.
  • Euphorbia bancana Miq.
  • Euphorbia capitata Lam.
  • Euphorbia chrysochaeta W.Fitzg.
  • Euphorbia gemella Lag.
  • Euphorbia globulifera Kunth
  • Euphorbia karwinskyi Boiss.
  • Euphorbia nodiflora Steud.
  • Euphorbia obliterata Jacq.
  • Euphorbia pilulifera (L.) Thell.
  • Euphorbia verticillata Vell.

Euphorbia hirta (sometimes called asthma-plant) is a pantropical weed, originating from the tropical regions of the Americas. It is a hairy herb that grows in open grasslands, roadsides and pathways. It is widely used in traditional herbal medicine across many cultures, particularly for asthma, skin ailments, and hypertension. It is also consumed in herbal tea form as folk medicine for fevers in the Philippines (where it is known as tawa-tawa), particularly for dengue fever and malaria.