Blumea subracemosa

Blumea subracemosa is an annual or perennial herb in the family Asteraceae, belonging to the genus Blumea, a large group of composites distributed across tropical and subtropical Asia, Africa, and Australia, with the greatest diversity in South and Southeast Asia. The genus Blumea was named in honor of Carl Ludwig Blume, a Dutch-German botanist who made extensive contributions to the study of Asian flora in the nineteenth century. The epithet 'subracemosa' means 'somewhat racemose,' describing an inflorescence arrangement that is nearly but not completely racemose, indicating that the capitula are borne along an elongated axis in a somewhat raceme-like pattern. Blumea species are typically erect, often aromatic herbs with alternate, toothed to lobed leaves, and the stems and leaves frequently bear glandular or non-glandular hairs. Capitula are small and numerous, disciform (with both tubular and filiform florets) or discoid, with yellow or yellowish florets. The involucre is cylindrical with several rows of phyllaries. The pappus consists of fine white capillary bristles. Many Blumea species are cosmopolitan weeds of disturbed habitats, cultivated lands, roadsides, and waste places in tropical and subtropical regions. Blumea balsamifera, the most economically important species, is used in traditional medicine across Southeast Asia. Blumea subracemosa likely inhabits similar disturbed or semi-natural habitats in its native range. The genus contributes significantly to the ruderal plant communities of tropical Asia and Africa.