Elephantopus scaber

Elephantopus scaber
Elephantopus scaber in India
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Genus:	Elephantopus
Species:	E. scaber
Binomial name
Elephantopus scaber L.
Synonyms
Elephantopus carolinensis G.Mey. Elephantopus sordidus Salisb. Scabiosa cochinchinensis Lour. Elephantopus plurisetus (O.Hoffm.) Clonts, syn of subsp. plurisetus Elephantopus sinuatus Zoll. & Moritzi, syn of var. sinuatus Asterocephalus cochinchinensis Sprengel

Elephantopus scaber is a tropical species of flowering plant in the sunflower family. It is native to tropical Africa, Eastern Asia, Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and northern Australia. It has become naturalized in tropical Africa and Latin America. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

E. scaber is used as a traditional medicine. Different parts of the plant are used in traditional medicine of India as an astringent agent, cardiac tonic, and diuretic, and is used for eczema, rheumatism, fever, and bladder stones.

E. scaber contains elephantopin which is a germacranolide sesquiterpene lactone containing two lactone rings and an epoxide functional group. 17,19-Dihydrodeoxyelephantopin, iso-17,19- dihydro-deoxy elephantopin and 8-hydroxyl naringenin are the most important bioactive compounds responsible for anti-bacterial activity.

Varieties of E. scaber include:

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