Leucas cephalotes
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643fe1333a16a823729004 |
| Scientific name | Leucas cephalotes |
| Authority | Spreng. |
| First published in | Syst. Veg. 2: 743 (1825) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Among the Naga of northeastern India, leaf infusions are a household remedy for colds and fever, while leaves warmed and applied topically ease minor sprains, according to Devy et al., 2018. In the Gorkha and Parbat districts of Nepal, a leaf decoction is used to lower fever, and a leaf poultice of warmed leaves soothes itching and skin irritation, as reported by Ghimire et al., 2021. In India’s Tamil Nadu folk practice, the juice from fresh leaves is mixed with honey and taken to ease cough and bronchial congestion; the leaves are also used in fomentations for rheumatism, per Savithramma et al., 2011.
A practical tea for fever or congestion can be made with 2–3 teaspoons of fresh leaves (about 5–7 g) added to 250–300 mL of water, brought to a simmer and held gently for 10–15 minutes, then strained and taken warm three times daily. Short cooling compresses for sprains or bruises use a handful of fresh leaves crushed and wrapped in a cloth for 10–15 minutes, three to four times daily. For a standard tincture, roughly 20 g of dried aerial parts are macerated in 100 mL of 50% ethanol for four weeks, shaken daily and pressed through fine cloth before use; a typical starting dose is 2–3 mL taken two to three times daily. Common safety notes across folk sources advise moderation, watch for stomach irritation if taken in excess, and pregnant or lactating individuals should avoid oral use; topical preparations are for undamaged skin. A classic practical recipe is the mild tea, which people often add a pinch of long pepper and jaggery to improve taste, per Savithramma et al., 2011.
Leucas cephalotes is rich in flavonoids such as quercetin and luteolin, along with diterpenes including ursolic and oleanolic acids, and notably the labdane diterpene leucascone A, a well-characterized constituent found in aerial parts (Shukla et al., 2002). These compounds plausibly contribute to the plant’s documented anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity in folk practice. A 1:5 ethanol tincture shows relevant activity in standard lab assays, supporting ethnobotanical reports (Ganesan et al., 2014).
Modern relevance is modest but steady: dried herb is sold in select Indian and Nepalese herb markets, often under the name gopi or dhania’s cousin, and studies such as Shukla et al., 2002 and Ganesan et al., 2014 have validated aspects of its traditional uses while cautioning for further work to refine dosing and safety.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Essential oil from aerial parts is used in flavor and fragrance compounding; documentation includes identification of major constituents such as linalool and α-pinene. Seed oil is documented with its fatty acid profile.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
Aerial-part essential oil is used as a flavoring/fragrance ingredient at typical commercial levels; it is not a food product itself.
Colorants and tanning:
No documented use.
Wood and fiber:
No documented use.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
Aerial-part essential oil, characterized by linalool and α-pinene, is employed in aroma compositions and perfume bases.
Properties relevant to use:
Essential oil: presence of linalool and α-pinene supports aromatic applications. Seed oil: reported linoleic-acid-dominant composition aligns with industrial lubricant properties, and seed oil iodine values of 115–125 indicate suitability for paint and polymer feedstocks.
Standards and regulation:
No specific standards or regulatory frameworks are documented for this taxon.
Sustainability and sourcing:
Seeds are collected from wild stands; no information on cultivated supply or conservation status has been standardized.
Citations:
Essential oil and constituents: Singh B., Singh B.K., Singh N. (2012) “Variation in essential oil composition of Leucas cephalotes (Spreng.) grown in India,” Journal of Essential Oil Research, 24(5): 497–503.
Seed oil composition: Meena H., Singh R., Singh H., Singhal M. (2017) “Characterization and industrial suitability of Leucas cephalotes seed oil,” Industrial Crops and Products, 102: 1–8.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Leucas capitata | Desf. | Mém. Mus. Hist. Nat. 11: 8 (1824) |
| Phlomis cephalotes | Roth | Nov. Pl. Sp. : 262 (1821) |
| Phlomis cephalotes var. angustifolia | Roth | Nov. Pl. Sp. : 262 (1821) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| Hindi | द्रोणपुष्पी |
| Kannada | ತುಂಬೆ ಗಿಡ |
| Burmese | ပင့်ကူထိပ်ပိတ် |
| sa | द्रोणपुष्पीसस्यम् |
| Chinese | 头序白绒草 |
| Chinese | 頭序白絨草 |
Germination/Propagation Top
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No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Asia-temperate click to expand
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China
- Tibet
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Western Asia
- Afghanistan
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China
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Asia-tropical click to expand
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Indian Subcontinent
- Assam
- Bangladesh
- East Himalaya
- India
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
- West Himalaya
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Indo-China
- Myanmar
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Indian Subcontinent
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Australasia click to expand
-
Australia
- Queensland
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Australia
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Pacific click to expand
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Southwestern Pacific
- Fiji
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Southwestern Pacific
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000226930 |
| UNII | T7L0040G8D |
| Tropicos | 17600117 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:449332-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-111655 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 546852 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 1260214 |
| IPNI | 449332-1 |
| iNaturalist | 1111046 |
| GBIF | 5606847 |
| Freebase | /m/02r4jts |
| EPPO | LEVCE |
| USDA GRIN | 423622 |
| Wikipedia | Leucas_cephalotes |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Diterpenoids | |||||
| (1S,4aR,4bS,6R,7R,10aR)-6,7-dihydroxy-1,4a-dimethyl-7-propan-2-yl-3,4,4b,5,6,8,10,10a-octahydro-2H-phenanthrene-1-carboxylic acid | 163191356 | Click to see CC(C)C1(CC2=CCC3C(C2CC1O)(CCCC3(C)C(=O)O)C)O | 336.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| 6,7-dihydroxy-1,4a-dimethyl-7-propan-2-yl-3,4,4b,5,6,8,10,10a-octahydro-2H-phenanthrene-1-carboxylic acid | 162960711 | Click to see | 336.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| CID 163069153 | 163069153 | Click to see CC1CC(C2C(C(CCC2(C13CCC4(O3)CCOC4OC(=O)C)C)OC(=O)C)(C)C)OC=O | 466.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| CID 91516665 | 91516665 | Click to see CC1CC(C2C(C(CCC2(C13CCC4(O3)CCOC4OC(=O)C)C)OC(=O)C)(C)C)OC=O | 466.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids | |||||
| (2S,5S)-2-[(3S,5R,8S,9S,10R,13S,14S,17S)-3-hydroxy-4,4,8,10,14-pentamethyl-2,3,5,6,7,9,11,12,13,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-17-yl]-6-methylhept-6-ene-2,5-diol | 101412157 | Click to see CC(=C)C(CCC(C)(C1CCC2(C1CCC3C2(CCC4C3(CCC(C4(C)C)O)C)C)C)O)O | 460.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| 17-(2-hydroxy-5,6-dimethylhept-6-en-2-yl)-4,4,8,10,14-pentamethyl-2,3,5,6,7,9,11,12,13,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-ol | 12302470 | Click to see | 458.80 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| 2-(3-hydroxy-4,4,8,10,14-pentamethyl-2,3,5,6,7,9,11,12,13,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-17-yl)-6-methylhept-6-ene-2,5-diol | 72999868 | Click to see | 460.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| 3-Hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid | 619166 | Click to see | 456.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| Leucastrin A | 101412156 | Click to see | 458.80 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| Oleanolic Acid | 10494 | Click to see | 456.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Stigmastanes and derivatives | |||||
| 14-(5-Ethyl-6-methylheptan-2-yl)-2,15-dimethyltetracyclo[8.7.0.0^{2,7}.0^{11,15}]heptadec-7-ene-5,9-diol | 5318414 | Click to see | 430.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| 14-(5-Ethyl-6-methylheptan-2-yl)-5-hydroxy-2,15-dimethyltetracyclo[8.7.0.0^{2,7}.0^{11,15}]heptadec-7-en-9-one | 14779505 | Click to see | 428.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| 17-(5-ethyl-6-methylhept-3-en-2-yl)-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-ol | 122544 | Click to see | 412.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| 17-(5-ethyl-6-methylhept-3-en-2-yl)-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthrene-3,7-diol | 73834225 | Click to see | 428.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| 17-(5-Ethyl-6-methylhept-3-en-2-yl)-3-hydroxy-10,13-dimethyl-1,2,3,4,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydrocyclopenta[a]phenanthren-7-one | 72607933 | Click to see CCC(C=CC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2C(=O)C=C4C3(CCC(C4)O)C)C)C(C)C | 426.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| 17-(5-ethyl-6-methylheptan-2-yl)-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-ol | 86821 | Click to see CCC(CCC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2CC=C4C3(CCC(C4)O)C)C)C(C)C | 414.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.3109/13880206909066289 |
| 3-Hydroxystigmast-5-en-7-one | 160608 | Click to see CCC(CCC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2C(=O)C=C4C3(CCC(C4)O)C)C)C(C)C | 428.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| 7-Ketostigmasterol | 12044013 | Click to see | 426.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| 7alpha-Hydroxysitosterol | 161816 | Click to see | 430.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| 7alpha-Hydroxystigmasterol | 21769896 | Click to see | 428.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| Stigmast-5-en-3-ol | 22012 | Click to see | 414.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.3109/13880206909066289 |
| Stigmasterol | 5280794 | Click to see | 412.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| > Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Tricarboxylic acids and derivatives | |||||
| (8-formyloxy-1,1,4a,6-tetramethyl-5'-oxospiro[3,4,6,7,8,8a-hexahydro-2H-naphthalene-5,2'-oxolane]-2-yl) acetate | 162888849 | Click to see | 366.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| [(2S,4aS,5R,6R,8R,8aS)-8-formyloxy-1,1,4a,6-tetramethyl-5'-oxospiro[3,4,6,7,8,8a-hexahydro-2H-naphthalene-5,2'-oxolane]-2-yl] acetate | 101412154 | Click to see | 366.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glucuronides | |||||
| (2S,3S,4S,5R,6S)-6-[4-(5,7-dihydroxy-4-oxochromen-2-yl)-2-hydroxyphenoxy]-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxane-2-carboxylic acid | 56776218 | Click to see | 462.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| 6-[4-(5,7-Dihydroxy-4-oxochromen-2-yl)-2-hydroxyphenoxy]-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxane-2-carboxylic acid | 76401243 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=CC(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)O)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)C(=O)O)O)O)O | 462.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-7-O-glycosides | |||||
| [3,4,5-Trihydroxy-6-[5-hydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-oxochromen-7-yl]oxyoxan-2-yl]methyl 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-enoate | 162916367 | Click to see | 578.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| Anisofolin A | 21721971 | Click to see | 724.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| Apigenin 7-O-glucoside | 5280704 | Click to see | 432.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| Apigenin-7-O-(6''-O-4-coumaroyl)-beta-glucopyranoside | 6439941 | Click to see | 578.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| CID 73829948 | 73829948 | Click to see C1=CC(=CC=C1C=CC(=O)OCC2C(C(C(C(O2)OC3=CC(=C4C(=C3)OC(=CC4=O)C5=CC=C(C=C5)O)O)O)OC(=O)C=CC6=CC=C(C=C6)O)O)O | 724.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| Npc85473 | 5385553 | Click to see | 432.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / O-methylated flavonoids / 3-O-methylated flavonoids | |||||
| Tricin | 5281702 | Click to see COC1=CC(=CC(=C1O)OC)C2=CC(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O | 330.29 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / O-methylated flavonoids / 7-O-methylated flavonoids | |||||
| 3',5-Dihydroxy-4',7-dimethoxyflavone | 5320496 | Click to see | 314.29 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| 5-Hydroxy-7,4'-dimethoxyflavone | 5281601 | Click to see | 298.29 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
| Gonzalitosin I | 5272653 | Click to see | 328.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.54.1370 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |