aka Pot Marigolds or Sphagneticola calendulacea I found this on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean.
I have to confess that the first flower I saw in Israel was actually this little yellow flower that looked so ordinary that I didn’t think anything of it. It looked like scores of others I’d seen on the edges of the Greenway in my home town in my own country. So I decided not to write about it and researched the Cairo Morning Glory instead. The Cairo Morning Glory is showier and has a beautiful, exotic purple bloom. But on further inspection, this little yellow flower growing wildly on the side of a street in Jaffa may be an amazing plant. It is edible and most probably medicinally useful, but has been mysteriously misidentified by so many botanists that it’s really difficult to figure out what to call it and what it actually is.
My plant identification app identifies the plant as Wedelia chinensis. The dictionary says that Wedelia is a genus of flowering plants in the Asteraceae family named after the famous German botanist Georg Wolfgang Wedel who lived from 1645 to 1721. Apparently, he was the first to officially identify the plant as a species and gave it the species name of “chinensis” after the Latin adjective meaning China. Wedel believed that the plant only grew in China but we now know that the plant is also native to India, Southeast Asia, Japan and Indonesia. During Wedel’s life it was introduced to Italy and spread to the Mediterranean now growing there, too.
The herb is easy to grow and can reach up to 35 inches in length. The blooms are light yellow in color and are composed of 8 to 12 ray flowers measuring 10-12 mm in length and about 20 disk flowers which are short, narrow and pointed. The leaves of these plants are oblong, 2 to 4.5 cm in length and less broadly winged at the base. Both surfaces of the leaves are covered with straight, stiff hairs and when crushed, the leaves will yield a black colored dye which is used to dye gray hair black. The leaves also promote new hair growth while repelling infestations of lice, and the juice of the leaves can be used as a snuff.
The leaves of this plant are also important when identifying the plant. If the edges of the leaves are smooth, the plant is definitely Wedelia chinensis or the Asian species that Wedel identified which is also known as Wedelia calendulacea. If the leaves have three distinct lobes, as the ones in my photo have, the plant is Wedelia trilobata – a similar plant, also edible, and with similar medicinal benefits, but native to Central and South America, including the Caribbean. Botanists no longer believe that either of these Wedelia plants match the criteria of the Wedelia genus, and in 1996, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew classified the plant under new names – Sphagneticola calendulacea or Sphagneticola chinensis, for the Asian ones, and Sphagneticola trilobata for the ones found in South America. Unfortunately, the plants have been called Wedelai for so long in plant identification books and now on the internet, that after more than 25 years it still proves to be too difficult for most references to adopt the new names. Sphagneticola is derived from the Latin words “sphagnum” meaning “moss” and “cola”, which refers to a wet habitat. Once again chinensis stands for China and calendulacea is a word used to denote that the plant is similar to ones of the Calendula genus. This genus classification is for common plants that grow in the Mediterranean which have been used for centuries in wedding bouquets and decorations to symbolize sunshine and fire. The word also comes from the Latin, “calendae” referring to a long growing season because in some places plants of the Calendula genus will bloom all year long. Although Calendulacea are also edible, their leaves are completely different and are definitely very different from Sphagneticola and probably do not have the medicinal properties of the plant I photographed. Still, a lot of times Sphagneticola chinensis, Sphagneticola calendulacea, Sphagneticola trilobata, and Wedelia trilobata are lumped together and just called S. calendulacea or Calendulacea alone. I guess that everyone is as confused about the plants’ names as I am now.
To make things even more confusing, the author of one of my references, Adam F. Arseniuk, who I believe lives in Poland, often sees Wedelia/Sphagneticola chinensis and Wedelia/Sphagneticola trilobata plants growing in the same location and has decided that S. triobata and S. chinensis are the same species because the leaves of one plant growing in strong sun exposure will develop three lobes, while the same plant grown in the shade will develop smooth leaves. He prefers to combine the names of the species and calls the plants either Wedelia chinensis-trilobata, or Wedelia trilobata-chinensis, or Sphageticola trilobata-chinensis, or Sphageticola chinensis-trilobata. Arseniuk explains that the reason for the original confusion in naming comes from the fact that early European botanists had a difficult time sharing information. Some botanists in Wedel’s time concentrated on naming plants from Asia while others named plants coming from the newly discovered Caribbean. Which meant that sometimes a plant that was common to both hemispheres was given two different names. The author believes that for centuries, and even today, botanists choose to call the plant one or the other name ignoring that there was ever a problem.
In China, however, there is a firm conviction that the plants are not the same. Botanists there consider S. trilobata an exotic species that is threatening the native Sphagneticola calendulacea/chinensis plant in subtropical regions. Chinese people are convinced that the three lobed leafed plant originated in South America but is now widespread around the world. They claim that S. trilobata was introduced to South China as a ground cover because it is faster growing and hardier than Sphagneticola calendulacea/chinensis even though the plant native to China has a significantly higher tolerance to low temperatures and weak light. Unfortunately, Sphagneticola trilobata escaped cultivation and became invasive, forming a monoculture that crowds out other native species of plants. It also seems to be able to change the soil to make it more suitable for its own propagation. This has made it so invasive that it is included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) 199 most invasive species list. To make matters worse, in 2013 a new hybrid was discovered in China with characteristics of both Sphagneticola calendulacea/chinensis and Sphagneticola trilobata. It is possible that this plant is the one Arseniuk saw, leading him to his belief that there is only one plant and not two. The Chinese suggest that this hybrid competes successfully with its parent plants and all three of them, Sphagneticola calendulacea/chinensis and Sphagneticola trilobata and their hybrid yet to be named, form a mosaic along riverbanks, coastlands and other moist habitats in subtropical China which has a subtropical monsoon humid climate that is wet from April to September and dry from October to March.
Whatever the plant is, there are many popular names for it. A common English name is Pot Marigolds, which is also confusing but because it is not a Marigold at all. Marigolds are from the Tagetes genus, and although both plants are members of the sunflower family, (Asteraceae), Pot Marigold and Marigolds are not interchangeable. For one, while the flowers may look similar, the plants have very different leaves as is the case with plants from the Calendula genus. And even though some marigolds are edible, some are toxic! Those that are edible will have peppery taste that some people find unpleasant, while the flowers of the S. calendula/chinensis/trilobata are mild and more pleasant. The leaves of these plants also smell sweet, while the leaves of marigolds smell pungent and disagreeable. S. calendula/chinensis and even S. trilobata petals are long and straight, the blooms are flat and bowl shaped. Marigold petals are rectangular with rounded corners and they’re wavy, too. Other common English names for the plant I saw are: Scotch Marigold, Creeping Oxeyes, Yellow Dots, Creeping Daisy, Singpore Daisy, Rabbit’s Paw, Bay Biscayne and Trailing Wedelia. In other countries, the plant has other names. In Hebrew the plant might be called פרח קלנדולה,. In Sweden it is called Ampelkrage; in Hindi the plant is called Bhringra or Peela Bhringra; in Sanskrit it is called Pitabhriningi; in Hong Kong it is called Parng-kay-guk; in China it is called Nan mei peng qui ju; and the Japanese call it American Hamaguruma.
The Ayruvedic name for the plant is Pita Bhringraja and the plant has an ancient tradition of wide medicinal uses in Ayurveda medicine. Ayurveda, is one of the world’s oldest medical systems originating in India based on 3,000 year-old ancient writings which encourage healers to rely on a natural and holistic approach to physical and mental health.
Aside from its important use in Ayurvedic medicine, Sphagneticola calendulacea is also used in Unani (a system of medicine practiced in Muslim cultures in South Asia and Central Asia); in Siddha (a system of medicine originating in Southern India) and in Traditional Chinese medicine. S. trilobata is also widely used in healing traditions in the Caribbean and Central and South America although I could not find resources that say that this plant has the same healing properties as Sphagneticola calendulace /chinensis and I could not buy seeds for the plant on line and do not know if Sphagneticola calendulacea/chinensis even grows in the Americas. In tropical countries in both hemispheres Sphagneticola calendulacea and Sphagneticola trilobata are sold as a fresh herb in local markets, or in herb shops and pharmacies as a dried herb, in capsules or tablets form and in tinctures.
All parts of Sphagneticola calendulacea can be used fresh or dried and taken as an infusion or decoction, a tincture or a pill. These forms of the plant help with problems of the digestive tract, inflammation and pain, wound healing stimulation, stress relief and as a tonic, its good for your brain. The plants fight bacterial and fungal infections, helps kidney problems, fevers, menstrual pain, and mastitis. It is used for diabetes management and a resource said that in Brazil Sphagneticola trilobata is even used as insulin. The plant is good for cardiac problems and strengthens vision in people with nyctalopia (night blindness.) If take internally, it will also stimulate hair growth. If used externally, it can relieve headaches. Boiled leaves used in a bath will help alleviate backaches, muscle cramps or swelling. It is a good anti-inflammatory antiseptic for skin disease, and can cure a toothache if rubbed on one’s gums. In Sri Lanka a parasitic weed grows on the Wedelia plant, Cuscuta campestris, that also has medicinal uses.
Studies done on Sphagneticola calendulacea/chinensis in the U.S. have found the plant to have three active compounds, wedelolactone, luteolin and apigenin which inhibit prostate cancer cell growth in test tubes. The leaves have properties that make the plant capable of promoting accelerated wound healing activity but as to its other healing properties, only a small number of trials have been conducted to discover how effective the treatments are. It appears that all genera of the plant have been tested and are considered to be safe herbs when used in traditional medicines. They will not hurt one’s kidneys and tests done on rats showed no chronic toxicity however, some people might have allergies to the plants when used topically, and eating too much of them can induce vomiting, causing them to act as a purgative.
In Asia one of the genera or all of the genera are used as a tea or drink similar to the use of Chamomile in the West. Tea made from Sphagneticola calendulacea/chinensisis or Sphagneticola trilobata tastes different than Chamomile but is similar in character and the taste can be improved if lemon and honey is added to it. Supposedly half a teacup taken twice a day can be used as a deobstruent – a medicine that opens the natural ducts of the body’s secretions. In the Caribbean women make a drink out of Sphagneticola trilobata and use it to stimulate childbirth and help pass the placenta, so if you are pregnant, you should avoid ingesting the plant. But the flowers, seeds and leaves of Sphagneticola calendulacea/chinensis can be made into a decoction and used to stop uterine hemorrhage and menorrhagia (very heavy menstrual bleeding).
If you are able to find seed for Sphagneticola calendulacea/chinensisis or Sphagneticola trilobata they can be and easy to grow decorative garden plants in the United States. Just be sure to dead head the plants for better growth and pick the flowers every two to three days to prolong the flowering season. These plants attract many pollinating insects so they can be useful in farming as well. However, if left alone, the plants will grow to be a thick mat that will block the sun to other plants. They also produce allelopathic substances that stop the sprouting of seeds from other plants growing near it. Sphagneticola calendulacea/chinensi, and Sphagneticola trilobatat plants are supposed to be hearty. They will bounce back after being stepped on, and if a stem gets broken, they will grow new roots from any stem node. Once the plants have rotted, they are said to make excellent compost.
Sphagneticola calendulacea/chinensis is resistant to diseases and pests and can be grown next to cabbage to protect it from Plutella xylostella, the Diamondback moth, a European immigrant pest that attacks cruciferous plants. The plants might even have chemical in them that guard against snails and slugs and offer mosquito control, but like some other members of the Asteraceae family all parts of the plant contain eudsmanolide-ivalin and other sesquiterpene lactones which are toxic to farm animals, may cause them to miscarry, and cause neurological problems in horses.
All parts of the these Sphagneticola plants are edible, even if they don’t taste very good. The blooms are tasty, and you can eat them raw or cooked. You can use them in salads, salsas, scrambled eggs and frittatas as well as freeze them in ice cubes. Whole flowers can also be added to soups and stews in the winter to boost your immune system. You may also try adding them to breads, syrups and conserves. The flowers are loaded with antioxidant compounds. The colorful petals are high in carotenoids such as auroxanthin and flavoxanthin. And while the leaves can dye one’s hair black, the flavoxanthin in the petals produce a good natural orange dye which is called the poor man’s saffron.
Ayurvedic Traditional Medicine:
Sphagneticola calendulacea/chinensis is used extensively in Ayurvedic Traditional Medicine. In the United States around 240,000 adults use Ayurveda today. The word, “Ayurveda” comes from the Sanskrit word, “ayur” meaning life, and “veda” meaning science or knowledge. This medical tradition is based on the idea that disease is caused by an imbalance or stress in a person and encourages lifestyle changes and natural therapies to regain balance between the body, mind, spirit and the environment. Ayurvedic treatment combines plants, some animal products and minerals with diet, exercise and lifestyle changes to treat a variety of conditions. The goal is to eliminate impurities, which then reduces symptoms, increases resistance to disease, reduces worry, and increase harmony in life. In India, Ayurveda is a medical care equal to western medicine, and practitioners go through state-recognized training programs before they can open up shop. But in the U.S. there are no regulations of Ayrurvedic practice and no states requires practitioners to be trained or to be licensed. Funded research by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health found that in 2015 30% of people using Ayurvedic preparations had elevated blood levels of lead and some even had elevated levels of mercury, so beware. But although Ayurvedic products can be harmful, and especially to pregnant women, researchers also found that integrated Ayurvedic medicine combined with diet, lifestyle changes, yoga and pressure point treatments improved the quality of life for breast cancer survivors.
I never thought that the little yellow flower was so complex. Sphagneticola calendulacea/chinensis and Sphagneticola trilobatat may have incredible curative powers, but then again they may not. And there is so much confusion about these plants and their hybrid spawn that I have decided to stay clear of ingesting any medicine made from these plants until more study is done.
Want to find out more about these incredible plants and their hybrid? Check out this article below.
Zhougyu Sun, et al, “Responses of the Hybrid between Sphagneticola trilobata and Sphagneticola calendulacea to Low Temperature and Weak Light Characteristic in South China”, Nature, Scientific Reports 5, Article number 16906, (2015) https://www.nature.com/articles/srep16906
Want a recipe for hair oil to remove scurf from the head, turn gray hair black and cure alopecia, see this reference below:
Adam F. Arseniuk, Herbs from Distant Lands, “Wedelia – Wedelia chinensis – trilobata/ Sphagneticola chinenesis – trilbata” 2018 https://herbsfromdistantlands.blogspot.com/2018/04/wedelia-wedelia-chinensis-trilobata.html
See other references for more information on this interesting plant:
Juliet Blankespoor, Chestnut School of herbal Medicine, “Calendula’s Herbal & Edible Uses: How to Grow, Gather, and Prepare Calendula as Food and Medicine” https://chestnutherbs.com/calendula-sunshine-incarnate-an-edible-and-medicinal-flower/
Swallowtail Garden Seeds, “Erfurter Orangefarbige” https://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/herbs/calendula-herbal.html
Master Class “Are Marigolds Edible? How to Identify and Comsume Marigolds” 2022, https://www.masterclass.com/articles/are-marigolds-edible#1wZTjzAMg1kcaAALuTcIRI
Mary H. Dyer, Gardening Know How, “Marigold vs. Calendula – Difference Between Marigold and Calendula”, 12/21, https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/marigold/marigold-vs-calendula.htm
WebMD, “Calendula – Uses, Side Effects, and More”, https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-235/calendula
Neil, Facty Staff, Facty Health, “The Powerful Health Benefits of Calendula”, https://facty.com/lifestyle/wellness/the-powerful-health-benefits-of-calendula/?style=quick&utm_source=adwords&adid=290917506222&ad_group_id=65364972464&utm_medium=c-search&utm_term=calendula&utm_campaign=FH-USA-Search-Health-Benefits-of-Calendula-desktop&gclid=CjwKCAiAs8acBhA1EiwAgRFdw5GhDgx79XMctNZC3nasFrg40EdTlQ6Y-Vo2rl_72pDcPDnxa41SyBoCKjYQAvD_BwE
Database of Plants of Indian Subcontinent – “Sphagneticola calendulacea”, https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/species/a—l/ar/asteraceae/asteroideae/heliantheae/sphagneticola-calendulacea/sphagneticola-calendulacea
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online, “Sphagneticola calendulacea”, first published in Novon, 6:411 (1996), https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:993278-1
Flowers of India, “Chinese Wedelia”, https://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Chinese%20Wedelia.html
Interstellare Blend TM, “Wedelia Chinensis”, https://theinterstellarplan.com/2018/11/the-benefits-of-wedelia-chinensis/
N.I.H. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Ayurvedic Medicine: In Depth” https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/ayurvedic-medicine-in-depth#:~:text=What%20Is%20Ayurvedic%20Medicine%3F,India’s%20traditional%20health%20care%20systems.
John Hopkins Medicine, Health, “Ayurveda”, https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/ayurveda