Eclipta prostrata (L.) L.

Urang aring (Eclipta prostrata) is an annual upright herb, sometimes perennial, up to 80 cm tall of the Asteraceae family, widely distributed across nearly all Indonesian islands and tropical regions worldwide. This plant is the main ingredient in traditional urang aring oil believed to nourish hair, prevent gray hair, and address dandruff. Urang aring has also long been used to maintain liver function.

Grows ideally in moist environmental conditions such as near waterways and open, sandy places like open fields, and can grow from coastal areas up to elevations of 1,500 m above sea level.

• Stem solid round, purplish, white hairy.
• Leaves opposite, sessile, elongated lance-shaped to egg-shaped, tapering base and tip, serrated leaf edges, both surfaces hairy.
• Flowers compound, long stalked, about 2-3 heads gathered at the tip or leaf axils. Disc tube-shaped, ribbon-shaped corolla, two-toothed, white in color. Involucral bracts in 2 whorls, 5 mm long, bowl-shaped.
• Fruit hard (achene) elongated to short wedge-shaped, bumpy.

• Generative plant propagation (seed).
• Natural plant distribution by insects and wind.

Wedelolactone eclalbasaponin, demethylwedelolactone, deciscyphin C, eclalbatin, ecliptalbine, polyacetylenes, triterpenoid, stigmasterol, β-amyrin, luteolin-7-glucoside, coumestan, essential oil.

Reduces gum swelling, nourishes and darkens hair, treats scalp sores, addresses hair loss and maintains liver function.

• Collect fresh, non-rotten leaves.
• Wash thoroughly with running water, drain then slice the leaves.
• Dry for several days or use an oven at 40 °C until the moisture content is below 10%.
• Store in an airtight container.

Rang-aring (Java), Telenteyan (Madura), Daun tinta (Banda), Daun sipat, Keremak jantan (Malay).