Asian foxtail (Uraria crinita)

Asian foxtail or cat's tail bean (Uraria crinita) is a species of plant in Fabaceae, a perennial, upright shrub with woody stems at least at the base, up to 2 meters high in forests, agricultural land, waterways, used as a medicinal herb, green manure and sometimes planted in the garden as an ornamental plant.

U. crinita has elongated leaves, rounded base, pointed tip, a bone in the middle with several pinnate veins, rough surface, dark green with white spots. Petiole short or less than 0.5 cm and brownish red.

Compound flower in spike shape, purple and white triangular crown. Long flower stalk, erect, 15-20 cm long and only at the end of the flower. The crown slowly falls off and leaves behind a stalk that is shaped like coir or light yellow pads.

Asian foxtail grows in dry grasslands, open forests, trash cans, roadsides, sandy areas and sometimes in deciduous forests, elevations of 0-1500 meters and does not grow in waterlogged places.

The different parts are often used in traditional medicine to cure various conditions including dysentery and diarrhea, enlarged spleen and liver and tumors. The whole plant is used to stop bleeding, reduce fever and relieve coughs.

Effective against intestinal worms and other parasites, and is sometimes used as a carminative for children. The leaves are crushed to be applied externally to remove lice on the hair. This plant is used as a green manure and cover crop.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Desmodieae
Subtribe: Desmodiinae
Genus: Uraria
Species: Uraria crinita

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