File:Kesharaja (Sanskrit- केशराज) (486463991).jpg

Botanical name: Eclipta prostrata - [ (Ek-lip-tuh) from Greek ekleipo meaning "deficient," and referring to the absence of a pappus; (prost-RAY-tuh) prostrate ] Synonyms: Eclipta alba • Eclipta erecta • Eclipta punctata • Verbesina alba • Verbesina prostrata Family: Asteraceae (aster, daisy, or sunflower family) - [ (ass-ter-AY-see-ay) the aster (daisy) family; formerly Compositae ]

Common names of Eclipta prostrata: Chamorro: titima • Chinese: han lian cao • Chuukese: soopal • English: eclipta, false daisy, swamp daisy, trailing eclipta, white eclipta, white heads • Fijian: colulu, tamandu, tamudi, tholulu • Filipino: higis manok • French: éclipte blanche, éclipte droite • Gujarati: bhangra • Hindi: babri, bhamgra, bhangra, bhangraiya, mochkand • Japanese: takasaburo • Kannada: ajagara, garagadasappu, garugalu, kadiggagaraga • Malayalam: kaikeshi, kannuni, kayyunni • Maori (Cook Islands): miri mapua, pitorea • Oriya: kesarda • Palauan: deberebelela tengadidik • Sanskrit: भ्रिंगराज bhringraj, केशराज kesharaja, kesharanjana, krajah • Spanish: anisillo, florcita, hierba de tajo, yerba de tago, yerba de tajo • Tamil: kaikeshi, karisalankanni, kaiyanthagarai, கரிசிலாங்கண்ணி karisilanganni, kavanthakara • Telugu: galagara, galagara chettu, gunta galijeru, gunta kalagara, kaikeshi • Urdu: babri, bhangra • Zulu: ungcolozi • and, unknown: daun dakelin, keremek hutan, li ch'ang, maka, mo-han-lian, rumput migus, ubat rambut panjang, urang-aring

Eclipta grows abundantly in the tropics and is used with success in ayurvedic medicine. Bhringaraj was used by Hindus in their Shradh, the ceremony for paying respect to a recently deceased person. This plant is one of the Hindu’s "Ten Auspicious Flowers" and one of its ayurvedic name is केशराज meaning "the king of hair".

Medicinal use: It is mainly used in hair oils, but it has been considered a good drug in hepatotoxicity. In hair oils, it may be used alongwith Centela asiatica (Brahmi) and Phyllanthus emblica (Amla). The juice of the plant with honey is given to infants with castor oil for expulsion of worms. The paste prepared by mincing fresh plants has got an anti-inflammatory effect and may be applied to insect bites, stings, swellings and other skin diseases. There are many other ayurvedic uses of this herb.

Courtesy: - Dave's Garden - Zipcode Zoo - www.hear.org/pier/species/eclipta_prostrata.htm