Medicinal Plants

Asystasia nemorum Nees

Mareto

Acanthaceae

Location in the garden Main
Photo 1 of medicinal plant Asystasia nemorum (Mareto) Photo 2 of medicinal plant Asystasia nemorum (Mareto) Photo 3 of medicinal plant Asystasia nemorum (Mareto)

Summary

Mareto (Asystasia nemorum) is a herb up to 150 cm tall from the Acanthaceae family native to Central Malesia, introduced as a medicinal plant to Peninsular Malaysia more than a century ago. The Maluku community traditionally uses the whole plant to treat cough and shortness of breath, while the Sumbawa community eats its young leaves as a vegetable.

Agroecology

Mareto is generally commonly found growing in secondary forest, shrubland, rice paddies, riverbanks, roadsides, plant hedges, and plantations. Usually found in shaded or slightly shaded lowland places. This species also succeeds growing in open areas with full sun. Prefers well-drained soil, and this species is drought-resistant. Water requirement is in the moderate range.

Morphology

  • Stem upright, highly branched.
  • Leaves ovate to lanceolate shaped, apex tapering, base narrowing, margins wavy-crenulate, hairy on the leaf underside along the veins, hairless or hairy on the leaf upperside along the veins.
  • Flowers calyx 5-6 mm, lobes lanceolate. Corolla red to purplish red, lobes ovate shaped, corolla tube long. Inflorescence arranged in a raceme, clustered, located at the tip of the stem and leaf axils. Bracts triangular, hairy.
  • Fruit a capsule, about 2-3 cm long.
  • Seeds irregularly ovate, surface tuberculate to wrinkled.

Cultivation

Propagation is done generatively (seed) and vegetatively (stem cuttings).

Chemical Content

Amino acids.

Benefits

Treats cough with chest tightness, eye infection (conjunctivitis), boosts women's stamina. Has antiviral, antibacterial, antitumor, blood-pressure-lowering, anticarcinogenic, and antimutagenic activity.

Local Names

Patonju (Sulawesi), Cili utan, Luja koi (Maluku), Katepu (Sumbawa), Kembang geni.

Traditional Recipes

The following recipes reflect traditional knowledge passed down through generations, not a substitute for professional medical diagnosis or advice. Consult a healthcare provider before use.

Traditional recipe Cough from Mareto

1. Cough

  • Prepare an adequate amount of mareto root, stem, and leaves.
  • Wash until clean.
  • Boil all ingredients until it boils.
  • Strain then drink while warm.
Traditional recipe Treats infected eyes from Mareto

2. Treats infected eyes

  • Prepare an adequate amount of fresh mareto leaves and wash until clean.
  • Grind until it becomes a paste.
  • Squeeze the leaf paste and take the extract.
  • Apply the leaf extract to the infected eye.

Reference Sources

  1. Royal Botanic Gardens. 2021. Plants of the World Online: Asystasia nemorum Nees. http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:45769-1. 18-09-2021.
  2. Flora Fauna Web. 2019. Asystasia nemorum. https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/1/7/1707. 18-09-2021.
  3. PROSEA. 2016. Asystasia nemorum. https://uses.plantnet-project.org/en/Asystasia_nemorum_(PROSEA). 18-09-2021.
  4. Flowers of India. Wood Asystasia. https://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Wood%20Asystasia.html. 16-01-2022.
  5. Lemmens R.H.M.J., Bunyapraphatsara N. 2003. Medicinal and poisonous plants 3. Plant Resources of South-East Asia, No12(3). Backhuys Publishers, Leiden.