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Nga Champora Plant

Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC.

Asteraceae

Location in our garden

Principal

Synonym

Baccharis balsamifera (L.) Stokes

Baccharis gratissima Blume ex DC.

Baccharis salvia Lour.

Habitus

Shrubs. A half woody, evergreen, strongly aromatic perennial shrub, 1 to 4 m high

Part Used

  • Leaves
  • Bark
  • Roots

Growing Requirements

  • Full Sunshine

Habitat

  • Riverbanks
  • Forest
  • Mountains
  • Shrublands
  • Grassland
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Overview

Nga champora plant has a long history of medicinal use and is also the source of an essential oil. It is one of the most common and widely used medicinal plants for a number of ailments in South-East Asia and has been used in Chinese medicine since ancient times. The camphor-scented leaves are sometimes used as an aromatic condiment with various foods.

Vernacular Names

Da feng ai (Chinese), Buarthau (India), Chapor (Malaysia), Camphrier (French), Naat Yai (Thai), Sembung (Indonesia).

Agroecology

This plant grows on forest edges, under forests, river beds, valleys and grasses, also on disturbed land. It can be found at elevations from sea level to 2,200 m. The plant is very tolerant of fire and is frequently found in regularly burned grassland.

Morphology

  • Stem - branching 2 - 8 cm in diameter that become woody, at least at the base.
  • Leaves - alternate, petiolate, petioles up to 1.5 cm long, auricled or winged, lamina 11-15 cm long, elliptic oblanceolate or lanceolate, densely silky or woolly beneath, serrate, rarely irregularly shortly pinnatifid, acute-acuminate at the tip, narrowed at the base.
  • Flowers - yellow, a capitulum, 4-5 x 3-4 mm,subsessile or peduncled, peduncles up to 3 mm long.
  • Fruits - a cypsela, up to 0.7 mm long, 5-7 ribbed.

Cultivation

Propagated through seeds, root cuttings (layering) and stem cuttings.

Chemical Constituents

Flavonoid, phenols, tannins.

Traditional Medicinal Uses

  • A potent antioxidant, analgesic, and anti-diarrhea agent.
  • Treat headaches, colds, fever, diabetes, and reduce menstrual pain.

Part Used

Reference Sources

  1. Kusumawati, I.G.A.W. and Yogeswara, I.B.A. (2016). Antioxidant and antibacterial capacity of loloh sembung (Blumea balsamifera) based on extraction method. Trad. Med. J. 21(3): 143-148.
  2. Larasati, E.K., Ahmad, I., and Ibrahim, A. (2015). Efek antidiare ekstrak daun sembung (Blumea Balsamifera L.) terhadap mencit putih. Jurnal Sains dan Kesehatan 1(2): 56-60.
  3. Lestari, L. (2004). Efek analgetik ekstrak n-heksan dan etanol daun sembung (Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC) pada mencit jantan BALB/C dengan metode geliat. Undergraduate Thesis. Jurusan Farmasi, Fakultas Matematika dan Ilmu Pengetahuan Alam, Universitas Islam Indonesia, Yogyakarta.
  4. Mantra, I.B.K., Putra, I.N.K., and Wrasiati, L.P. (2019). Karakterisasi senyawa bioaktif ekstrak daun sembung (Blumea balsamifera (L)DC) dari beberapa jenis pelarut. Media Ilmiah Teknologi Pangan (Scientific Journal of Food Technology) 6(1): 54-65.
  5. Nursamsu and Firmansyah. (2017). Pemanfaatan daun sembung (Blumea balsamifera) sebagai obat tradisional di Kampung Jawa Kecamatan Kejuruan Muda Kabupaten Aceh Tamiang tahun 2015. Jurnal Jeumpa 4(2): 8-13.