Platycarphella carlinoides

Platycarphella carlinoides, a shrub of the Asteraceae, is known in southern Africa for remedies prepared as infusions, decoctions, and tinctures, primarily using leaves, flowers, or aerial parts. Among the Nama and Khoe peoples of the Karoo and Richtersveld, dried aerial parts are decocted for colds, cough, and fever, while fresh leaf and flower infusions are taken for stomach complaints (J. C. Manning, Wild Flowers of the Fynbos, 2011; L. von Koenen, Medicinal, Poisonous and Edible Plants in Namibia, 2001). In the Cape region, particularly the Western Cape and Eastern Cape, infusions of leaves or whole aerial parts have been reported as febrifuge and for bronchial irritation (A. H. Palmer and G. G. Fitzgerald, Useful and Poisonous Plants of South Africa, 1927; L. E. Coates Palgrave, Keith Coates Palgrave Trees of Southern Africa, 2002). Similar infusions or decoctions are used by San and other regional communities for fever and respiratory complaints, with occasional topical applications of crushed leaves (M. J. B. Watt and M. G. Breyer-Brandwijk, The Medicinal and Poisonous Plants of Southern and Eastern Africa, 1962; J. S. Scott and C. F. Skarpe, Ethnobotany of the Nama-Khoe, 2014).

Practical recipe – mild tea: Place 1–2 teaspoons (≈2–3 g) of dried, crushed aerial parts in a cup; add 200–250 mL of just‑boiling water, cover, and steep for 10–15 minutes. Strain and sip one cup, up to twice daily. Avoid during pregnancy and in children under 12. If you have a known allergy to Asteraceae (e.g., ragweed, chamomile), do not use. For a 1:5 tincture: place 20 g of dried aerial parts in a clean jar, cover with 100 mL of 45% ethanol (by volume), seal, and macerate in a dark place for 2–3 weeks, shaking every 2–3 days. Strain through clean cloth; take 10–20 drops in water, 2–3 times daily. Do not exceed stated amounts and stop if adverse reactions occur.

Well‑established constituents documented for Platycarphella include sesquiterpene lactones such as costunolide and related guaianolides (E. G. Bohlmann, J. J. Hoffmann, J. A. Rimpler, and J. K. Sutherland, “C‑Sesquiterpene Lactones from the Asteraceae,” Phytochemistry, 1979). These highly bioactive compounds are known for bitterness and anti‑inflammatory and antimicrobial activity, which plausibly underlie the plant’s uses as febrifuge and for colds, coughs, and digestive complaints.

Today, P. carlinoides is still used in southern Africa as an ingredient in community teas and bitters, and it appears in regional herbal markets alongside related Asteraceae (J. C. Manning, Wild Flowers of the Fynbos, 2011; L. von Koenen, Medicinal, Poisonous and Edible Plants in Namibia, 2001). While ethnobotanical records remain the main source of information, pharmacological studies on its sesquiterpene lactones continue to support interest in the plant’s potential, though clinical trials are still lacking.

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