Bhringraj

Bhringraj is a weedy herb of the daisy family, widespread in moist places in warm temperate and tropical areas of the world. It grows from 0.3 to 1.5 metres tall, with purplish stems covered in fine white hairs, opposite lanceolate serrated leaves and solitary flower heads with white florets. It has traditional uses in Ayurveda, and in Hindi-speaking regions it is called bhangra or bhringaraj; the same names are used for Wedelia calendulacea, so the white-flowered form is called white bhangra and the yellow-flowered one yellow bhangra. In Southeast Asia the dried whole plant is used in traditional medicine, although no high-quality clinical research shows it works. The Balinese cook it as a vegetable, and its leaves give a black hair dye and a tattooing ink.