Toothache Plant
Spilanthes acmella
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal
How to identify Toothache Plant
Identify Toothache Plant by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a herb habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Chewing the flower head causes a tingling numbing sensation (toothache plant).
- Confirm leaf surface: Glabrous (smooth, hairless).
- Confirm flower colour: Yellow.
- In India, compare location records such as Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal.
- Confirm it sits within the Asteraceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Toothache Plant.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Spilanthes acmella
- Genus
- Spilanthes
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf surface
- Glabrous (smooth, hairless)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Toothache Plant itself; the rest are typical of the Asteraceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Yellowrecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Head
- Fruit
- Achene
Characters marked “recorded” are for Toothache Plant itself; the rest are typical of the Asteraceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Bengali
- মারহাটি টিগা
About Toothache Plant
A member of the Asteraceae family, Toothache Plant (Spilanthes acmella) is a herb. In India it has been recorded in Karnataka, Kerala and West Bengal.
Uses
It is grown for parts that are eaten.
Asteraceae
Daisy/Sunflower family
Toothache Plant belongs to the Asteraceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Asteraceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
All plant problem & care guides