Saltmarsh fleabane
Pluchea odorata
Synonyms: Conyza odorata, Pluchea purpurascens, Gymnostyles marilandica, Pluchea marilandica, Pluchea purpurascens var. succulenta, Pluchea purpurascens f. obovata, Pluchea amorifera, Pluchea camphorata var. angustifolia, Pluchea odorata var. normalis, Placus purpurascens var. glabratum, Pluchea odorata var. succulenta, Placus purpurascens, Pluchea purpurascens var. glabrata, Conyza purpurascens, Conyza marilandica, Pluchea glabrata, Conyza angustifolia, Placus odoratus, Pluchea petiolata, Pluchea senegalensis
Western Herbalism Properties
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Botanical Description
Pluchea odorata, commonly known as sweetscent, saltmarsh fleabane or in Latin America as Santa Maria, is an aromatic perennial herb or short-lived subshrub of the family Asteraceae, native to coastal and inland wetlands of the southern United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and northern South America. The plant typically grows 0.5β1.5 m tall, with erect, much-branched, finely glandular-pubescent stems that exude a pleasant camphor-like fragrance when bruised. The leaves are alternate, elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, 4β12 cm long and 1.5β5 cm wide, with finely toothed margins, sessile or short-petioled, soft and somewhat sticky-pubescent. The inflorescence is a dense, flat-topped to rounded compound corymb of many small heads; each head is 5β8 mm high and contains numerous small pink, mauve or rose-purple disc florets (the outer ones filiform and pistillate, the inner ones tubular and bisexual), with no ray florets. The involucre is campanulate with imbricate, often pinkish bracts. Fruits are small ribbed achenes topped by a single row of capillary pappus bristles. It grows in salt marshes, brackish ditches, river margins and damp disturbed ground.
Cultural & Historical Context
Traditional American Uses
Pluchea odorata (Santa Maria) is widely used across the Caribbean and Latin America: in Cuba the leaves are prepared as decoctions for colds, asthma, digestive complaints and as a uterine remedy (Roig y Mesa, 1974); Yucatec Maya healers use the aromatic foliage for inflammation, gastrointestinal complaints and ritual bathing (Arvigo and Balick, 1998); in Brazilian and Mexican folk practice the plant is taken for menstrual and respiratory complaints (Heinrich et al., 1998). The species has no documented use among indigenous peoples of the continental United States or Canada.
Chemistry & External Identifiers
Important Disclaimer
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.