Ageratum conyzoides L.

Bandotan, or billygoat weed (Ageratum conyzoides), is an erect annual herb 30-90 cm tall of the Asteraceae family, native to tropical America and now growing wild as a field weed in Indonesia. Its essential oil is commonly used to wash hair to eliminate dandruff. Traditionally, bandotan is also believed to speed the healing of bleeding wounds and address malaria.

This plant is commonly found in fields, shrubland, garden yards, roadsides, and waterway edges. Grows well in regions at elevations of 1-2,100 m above sea level.

• Roots fibrous.
• Stem grows erect or lying down, branched, finely hairy, white.
• Leaves alternately arranged, ovate, rounded base, pointed tip, toothed margins, finely hairy surface.
• Flowers compound, located at the tip, tube-shaped, white or purple.
• Fruit oblong pentagonal, black.
• Seeds slender, small, black.

Propagated generatively using seed.

Leaves and flowers: saponins, flavonoids, and polyphenols. Leaves: amino acids, essential oil, coumarins, ageratochromene, friedelin, ß-sitosterol, stigmasterol, tannins. Roots: essential oil, alkaloids, and coumarins.

Treats boils, ulcers, eczema, uterine tumors, bleeding wounds, ear inflammation and mucous membrane inflammation of the throat, malaria, influenza; eliminates dandruff.

Information not yet available 

Babadotan (Java), Dawet (Sulawesi).