Marsh fleabane, known in Indonesia by the name beluntas. Generally these plants in the wild in dry areas on the hard, rocky soil, or planted as a hedge plant. This plant requires sufficient sunlight or a little shade, often found in coastal areas near the sea to a height of 1.000 m above sea level.
This plant comes from the tribe of Asteraceae (Compositae), which is a small shrub, growing upright, reaches 2 m high, sometimes more. Branches many, finely ribbed, soft-haired. Short-stemmed leaves, where the turns, strands of egg leaves breech, tapering rounded tip, serrated edge, has a gland, from 2.5 to 9 cm long, 1 to 5.5 cm wide, bright green color, fragrant when crushed. Panicle shape average compound interest, out of the armpit and the tip of the leaf stalk, inflorescence branches numerous, flower bulbs form a handle or sitting, the color is yellowish white to purple. Fruit small, hard, brown with white corners. Seeds small, whitish brown. Propagation by stem cuttings is quite old.
Marsh fleabane leaves contain alkaloids, flavonoida, tannins, volatile oil, chlorogenik acid, sodium, aluminum, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. While the root contains flavonoids and tannins. Marsh fleabane leaves distinctive aromatic smell and taste bitter. Efficacious to increase appetite (stomakik), helps digestion, sweating bullets (diaforetik), reliever fever (antipyretic), and toners. Roots efficacious as bullets of sweat and conditioning (demulcent).
Parts used from this plant is the leaves and roots. Use fresh or dried. Usually marsh fleabane can be used to eliminate body odor, bad breath, increase appetite, treat gastrointestinal disorders in children, treat tuberculosis gland (skyrofuloderma), overcome the pain in arthritis, bone pain (asteodinia), back pain (lumbago), fever, come irregular menstruation, and vaginal discharge.
