Leucas cephalotes

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Lamiids
Ordo: Lamiales

Familia: Lamiaceae
Subfamilia: Lamioideae
Tribus: Leucadeae
Genus: Leucas
Species: Leucas cephalotes
Name

Leucas cephalotes (Roth) Spreng., 1825
Synonyms

Basionym
Phlomis cephalotes Roth, Nov. Pl. Sp.: 262 (1821).
Heterotypic
Phlomis cephalotes var. angustifolia Roth, Nov. Pl. Sp.: 262 (1821).
Leucas capitata Desf., Mém. Mus. Hist. Nat. 11: 8 (1824).

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Asia-Temperate
Regional: Indian subcontinent
Afghanistan, Assam, Bangladesh, East Himalaya, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tibet, West Himalaya
Introduced into:
Fiji, Queensland

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Sprengel, C. 1825. Caroli Linnaei, ... Systema vegetabilium. Ed. 16. Vol. II: Classis 6–15. 939 pp. Sumtibus Librariae Dieterichianae, Gottingae [Göttingen]. BHL Reference page: : 2:743.

Additional references

Govaerts, R.H.A. 2003. World Checklist of Selected Plant Families Database in ACCESS: 1-216203. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. [unavailable for the public] Reference page.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2022. Leucas cephalotes in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2022 Mar 27. Reference page.
Hassler, M. 2022. Leucas cephalotes. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2022. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2022 Mar 27. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2022. Leucas cephalotes. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 27 Mar 2022.
International Plant Names Index. 2022. Leucas cephalotes. Published online. Accessed: Mar 27 2022.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Leucas cephalotes in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 07-Oct-06.

Vernacular names

Leucas cephalotes is a flowering annual herb which is a common weed that also has uses as an edible vegetable and herbal remedy. It has many common names, including Dharampusp, guma, dronpushpi or drona puspi, and tou xu bai rong cao. It is a common plant across Asia from China to the Indian subcontinent.

Leucas cephalotes springs up in cultivated fields as a weed, especially after a period of rain. It is collected for use as a leafy vegetable in rural areas. It is cultivated itself for its medicinal uses and is readily available in markets. One of the plant's most common historical uses has been as a treatment for snakebite. It is also steeped in water which is then used for bathing and for washing livestock.

Two chemical compounds found in the plant are labellenic acid and beta-Sitosterol. As well, the plant contains oleanolic acid, 7-oxositosterol, 7-oxostigmasterol, 7alpha-hydroxy stigmasterol, stigmasterol, 5-hydroxy-7,4'-dimethoxy flavone, pillion, gonzalitosin I, tricin, cosmosin, apigenin-7-O-beta-D-(6-O-p-coumaryl)glucopyranoside, anisofolin A and luteolin.
External links

Crop Fact Sheet
GRIN Taxonomy[permanent dead link]
L. cephalotes in the Pacific Islands

Miyaichi et al. Studies on Nepalese Crude Drugs XXIV. Chemical constituents of Dronapushpi,
the Whole Herb of Leucas cephalotes SPRENG. Chem. Pharm. Bull. 2006, 54 (10) 1370–1379.