Agonoy
Acmella oleracea · Toothache plant
- Names in the book
- Hagonog, Tag.; Agonoy, Sp.-Fil., Vis.(?); Palunay, Pam.
- Colours
- floweryellowcentrered
- Native range
- Probably Brazil or Peru; known only from cultivation
- In the Philippines, per the book
- Grows along the shores of the sea and of rivers. It is very well known.
- Family
- Asteraceae, filed in the book under Compositæ
- Printed as
- Spilanthes Acmella, L.
- Sources
- Page 152 on Project Gutenberg · Wikipedia
Spilanthes acmella is an old name that was applied to several toothache plants. Most recent papers that use it are about Acmella oleracea.
The plant today
Acmella oleracea is a species of flowering herb in the family Asteraceae. Common names include toothache plant, Szechuan buttons, paracress, jambu, buzz buttons, tingflowers and electric daisy. Its native distribution is unclear, but it is likely derived from a Brazilian Acmella species. A small, erect plant, it grows quickly and bears gold and red inflorescences. It is frost-sensitive but perennial in warmer climates. Its specific epithet oleracea means "vegetable/herbal" in Latin and is a form of holeraceus (oleraceus).
Excerpt from “Acmella oleracea” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Recorded in the Philippines
GBIF holds 1 record of this plant from the Philippines. The ones with map coordinates fall in 1 province: Lanao del Norte (1).
Counts from GBIF occurrence records, October 2026. They include planted trees and garden plants, and a province with no records may only lack collectors.
What the 1901 book says
A historical record, quoted as printed. Doses and remedies here are not medical advice.
Uses
Some native herb-doctors use the root as a purgative, giving a decoction of 4–8 grams to a cup of water. The infusion is used locally for itch and psoriasis. Internally it has a diuretic effect and is reputed to be a solvent of vesical calculi. The leaf juice and the bruised leaves are applied to wounds and atonic ulcers. These leaves with those of “sambon” and “sampaloc” (tamarind) are used to prepare aromatic baths for convalescents, rheumatics and pregnant women.
Botanical description
A plant with stem drooping, square, grooved, covered with drops of gum resin. Leaves opposite, cordate, oval, lanceolate, serrate, 3 prominent nerves covered with short down. Petioles short, grooved. Flowers yellow, in a sort of umbel, with 3 or more flowerets on long peduncles. Common calyx, 9–11 narrow sepals, concave, fleshy, in 2 rows. Hermaphrodite disk-flowers 40 or more. Corolla tubular, 5-toothed. Anthers longer than corolla. Pistil longer than stamens. Style bifid. Pistillate flowers, 15 or more, forming the rays. Corolla monopetalous, 3-toothed. Style and stigma as in hermaphrodite flowers. Seeds of hermaphrodite flowers quadrangular, crowned by one long awn, and the rudiment of another. Seeds of ray flowers small and sometimes flattened, 2 awns, of which one alone lengthens and becomes conspicuous. Receptacle covered with concave scales.
Recent research
The most cited papers since 2022 that name this plant in the title, pulled from Europe PMC in October 2026. Titles are the authors' own and the findings have not been reviewed here.
- A Review of the Chemistry and Biological Activities of Acmella oleracea ("jambù", Asteraceae), with a View to the Development of Bioinsecticides and Acaricides
- Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Spilanthes acmella Leaf Extract and its Antioxidant-Mediated Ameliorative Activity against Doxorubicin-Induced Toxicity in Dalton's Lymphoma Ascites (DLA)-Bearing Mice
- Acmella oleracea (L.) R.K. Jansen: Alkylamides and phenolic compounds in aerial parts and roots of in vitro seedlings