Tivra Gandha / Siam Weed
Chromolaena odorata
Also known as Chritsmas Bush, Bitter Bush
- Habit
- Undershrub
- Found in India
- Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka & more
- Flowering
- October-May
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Chromolaena odorata
- Genus
- Chromolaena
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Habit
- Undershrub
- Native to
- America
- Distribution
- Tropical Asia (Naturalized)
- Found in India
- Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Goa, Assam, West Bengal, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Puducherry, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Lakshadweep, Bihar, Delhi, Nagaland, Uttar Pradesh
- Flowering & fruiting
- October-May
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- OppositerecordedTwo leaves arise from the stem at the same point, facing each other.“The leaves are opposite, triangular to elliptical with serrated edges.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf shape
- EllipticrecordedWidest at the middle, tapering evenly at both ends.“The leaves are opposite, triangular to elliptical with serrated edges.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf margin
- ToothedrecordedA saw-like or jagged edge (serrate or dentate).“The leaves are opposite, triangular to elliptical with serrated edges.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- PubescentrecordedCovered in short, soft hairs.“The plant is hairy and glandular and the leaves give off a pungent, aromatic odour when crushed.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Tivra Gandha itself; the rest are typical of the Asteraceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Whiterecorded
- Flower arrangement
- PaniclerecordedA branching cluster of clusters.“The white to pale pink tubular flowers are in panicles of 10 to 35 flowers that form at the ends of branches.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fruit type
- AchenerecordedA small, dry, single-seeded fruit that does not split open.“The seeds are achenes and are somewhat hairy.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Head
- Fruit
- Achene
Characters marked “recorded” are for Tivra Gandha itself; the rest are typical of the Asteraceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- तीव्र गंधा Tivra gandha, Bagh dhoka
- Nepali
- औले बनमारा Aule Banamaaraa, बनमासुवा Banamaasuwaa, औले वनमारा
- Bengali
- বন মটমটিয়া, আসামলতা, গন্ধতুলসী
- Malayalam
- കമ്മ്യുണിസ്റ്റ് പച്ച Communist Pacha, Venapacha, കമ്യൂണിസ്റ്റ് പച്ച
- Marathi
- eupatorium odorata
About Tivra Gandha
Siam weed (Chromolaena odorata) is a low shrub in the Asteraceae family. In India it has been recorded in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and 24 other states. Flowering and fruiting run from October to May.
Uses
Locally it is tapped for gum or resin. Parts of this plant are reported as poisonous — treat it as unsafe to eat and wash your hands after handling.
Asteraceae
Daisy/Sunflower family
Tivra Gandha belongs to the Asteraceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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