Sea daisy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sea daisy
Conservation status
Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Subfamily:	Asteroideae
Tribe:	Heliantheae
Genus:	Melanthera
Species:	M. biflora
Binomial name
Melanthera biflora (L.) Wild.
Synonyms
Acmella biflora (L.) Spreng. Adenostemma biflorum (L.) Less. Buphthalmum australe Spreng. Eclipta scabriuscula Wall. Niebuhria biflora (L.) Britten Seruneum biflorum (L.) Kuntze Spilanthes peregrina Blanco Stemmodontia biflora (L.) Stemmodontia canescens (Gaudich.) Verbesina aquatilis Burm. Verbesina argentea Gaudich. Verbesina biflora L. Verbesina canescens Gaudich. Verbesina strigulosa Gaudich. Wedelia argentea (Gaudich.) Merr. Wedelia biflora (L.) DC. Wedelia canescens (Gaudich.) Merr. Wedelia chamissonis Less. Wedelia glabrata (DC.) Boerl. Wedelia rechingeriana Muschl. Wedelia strigulosa (Gaudich.) K.Schum. Wedelia tiliifolia Rechinger & Muschl. Wollastonia biflora (L.) DC. Wollastonia canescens DC. Wollastonia glabrata DC. Wollastonia insularis DC. Wollastonia scabriuscula DC. ex Decne. Wollastonia strigulosa (Gaudich.) Wollastonia zanzibarensis DC.

Melanthera biflora, also known as sea daisy, beach daisy and sea ox-eye, (Hindi: Bhringaraaja; Malay: Serunai laut, Pokok serunai; Fijian: Kovekove, Sekava; Maldivian: Mirihi; Samoan: Ateate; Thai: เบญจมาศน้ำเค็ม or ผักคราดทะเล; Tongan: Ate), is a species of flowering plant in the aster family. It is a scandent, rough-looking and fast-growing plant with a wide distribution.

Distribution

Melanthera biflora is a moderately salt-tolerant plant found in the tropical belt of the Indo-Pacific region, including China, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Queensland, and islands of the Pacific such as Fiji, Niue, Tonga, Samoa and the Cook Islands.

It is found commonly in islands and in coastal areas, although it sometimes occurs inland in neglected and unmanaged plantations as well as in ruderal environments.

Together with Portulaca oleracea, Ipomoea pes-caprae and Digitaria ciliaris, Melanthera biflora is usually one of the first species colonizing degraded or altered environments in tropical zones of the planet.

Description

Melanthera biflora is a hardy and somewhat woody, sprawling perennial herb or subshrub. Stems are elongate and branched; they can reach up to 2 m but will bend after reaching a certain height.

Bhringraaja in Jamthi Kh. on Deccan Plateau

It can scramble and straggle over the ground or climb leaning on other plants for support. The leaves are ovate, shortly tapering at the base. It produces small yellow flower heads with a diameter of about 8–10 mm. The fruits form a dense head.

General appearance of the shrub.

Flowering shrub from Tonga growing along the seashore.

Uses

Despite the rough appearance of the plant, the leaves are edible. In Malaysian cuisine the shoots are eaten cooked as a leaf vegetable and in Langkawi they are eaten raw with chilli and sambal shrimp paste. Leaves also have traditional medicinal uses as poultice or as decoction.

Melanthera biflora has traditionally been used as a medicinal plant in many cultures, including in Marovo in the Solomon Islands. Leaves are especially valued against stomachache. In Fiji the leaves are used to treat acne. Root extracts have anthelmintic properties and flowers can be used as a purgative.

This plant is also used as fodder for rabbits.