Pluchea indica (L.) Less.

Beluntas (Pluchea indica) is a shrub up to 3 meters tall of the Asteraceae family, native to India and spreading to Southern China, Indo-China, Indonesia, and Australia. In many yards, this plant is grown densely as a living hedge and family remedy. Its leaves are commonly eaten as a fresh side dish or brewed to boost appetite, aid digestion, and eliminate body odor.

Generally grows in dry areas with hard, rocky soil, in highlands at elevations of 1,000 m above sea level. Requires adequate sunlight and does not tolerate heavy shade.

• Roots taproot, branching, dirty white.
• Stem cylindrical branching, woody, dark brown with green tips, glabrous (hairless).
• Leaves simple and alternate, obovate, rounded-pointed tip, toothed margins, glandular, bright green, releasing a distinctive scent when boiled or crushed.
• Flowers compound, flat-topped panicle, emerging from branch tips to leaf axils.
• Fruit top-shaped, brown with white ridges, hairless and smooth.

• Propagated by stem cuttings and shoot cuttings. Stem cutting length ranges from 7-15 cm.
• Can be planted directly in a polybag or soaked first in coconut water to speed up rooting.
• Leaves are harvested when the plant is 1-1.5 m tall.

Alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, chlorogenic acid, monoterpenes, sterols, multiflorenol, quinones, epipinoresinol, caffeic acid, benzaldehyde, uridine 5-monophosphate, essential oil (camphor, α-pinene, benzyl alcohol, benzyl acetate, eugenol, linalool, and δ-cadinol).

Boosts appetite, aids digestion, promotes sweating, eliminates body odor and bad breath, treats vaginal discharge; relieves fever and bone pain; treats asthma; boosts stamina in postpartum mothers.

• Wash the leaves thoroughly, sort, then dry under the sun or in an oven at 50 °C.
• Once dry, store in a closed, airtight bag.

Baluntas, Baruntas (Sunda), Luntas (Java), Lamutas (Makasar), Lenabou (Timor).