Description

Centipeda minima, the spreading sneezeweed, is a tiny, creeping annual herb of the family Asteraceae, native to the waterlogged rice paddies, wet grasslands, and moist open habitats of tropical and subtropical South and East Asia — from India through China and Japan to Australia. The plant bears minute compound flower heads and produces a pungent, sneezing-inducing volatile when crushed. Known in Ayurveda as Shvetakutaja-adjacent or associated with the classical herb Nakhchikni in some regional texts, the aerial parts are documented for nasal preparations including Nasya therapy formulations. The plant has attracted research interest for its sesquiterpene lactone constituents including arnicolide. It is also incorporated in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for similar respiratory applications under the designation Ebuzhicao.