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Ayapana is planted occasionally for medicinal purposes, but is
nowhere
spontaneous.
This useful plant is a smooth, perennial herb half-woody at the
base, and creeping and rooting at the lower part. The
young shoots have a somewhat mealy appearance owing to the presence
of small particle of a white, balsamic exudation. The leaves are
smooth, opposite,narrowly elliptic or lanceolate, 5 to 8 centimeters
long, triplinerved, pointed at both ends, and distantly toothed or
nearly entire at the margins. The many flowering heads are each 6 to
13 millimeters long and bear about twenty pink flowers, which are 6
to 7 millimeters long.
Medical use: In the Philippines, the leaves, infused, are taken as a
sudorific and tonic, particularly in fevers.
The bruised, fresh leaves are one of the best applications known for
cleaning the
face of a foul ulcer. The whole plant is aromatic, with a slightly
bitter subastringent taste, and is believed to be a good stimulant,
tonic, and diaphoretic. Its used in the form of infusion, given in
dyspepsia and other affections of the bowels and lungs. Ayapana may
be compared with chamomile in its effects; it is stimulant and tonic
in small doses and laxative when taken in quantities; the hot
infusion is emetic and diaphoretic,and may be given with advantages
in the cold stage of ague and in the state of
depression which preceded acute inflammatory affections. The bitter
leaves are used to cure fevers, colds, and diarrhoea; and are placed
on the forehead in case of headache. Caius states that an infusion
of the leaves is given in Indo-China and Guiana as an alexipharmic
and a sudorific. |
