Description
Eclipta alba (syn. Eclipta prostrata), false daisy or Bhringraj, is a branching, annual herb of the family Asteraceae, native to the moist tropics of the Indian subcontinent, widely distributed globally in disturbed, waterlogged habitats — paddy field margins, canal banks, roadsides, and stream borders. Known in Ayurveda as Bhringraj — meaning ‘king of hair’ or ‘indigo plant’ — the whole plant is documented extensively in the Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita for formulations associated with hair health, scalp conditions, liver support, and blood purification. Bhringraj oil — prepared by processing the plant in sesame oil base — is one of the most widely sold Ayurvedic hair care preparations. The plant contains ecliptine, wedelolactone, and stigmasterol, with wedelolactone attracting hepatoprotective research interest. Listed in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India. Cultivated across wet areas of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal.
