Skip to main content

Kenikir (Cosmos sulphureus)

Kenikir (Cosmos sulphureus) is a shrub plant that has a taproot and is up to 250 cm high, has stems that are sturdy, strong, erect, widely branched, quadrangular with longitudinal and hairy grooves. Leaves give aromatics when kneaded and colorful flowers depend on the culture.

C. sulphureus has compound leaves, pointed edges, grows crossed to face, flat edges, 15-25 cm long and green. Kenikir is a yearly plant with simple leaves arranged alternately along the stem of the plant with ovate shape and pinnatisect.

Dlium Kenikir (Cosmos caudatus)


Young leaves do not separate significantly from the main leaf bone. The position of the leaf is faced with a long shaped stem like a gutter. The top leaves in a row stick to the stems shorter, smaller and less shared.

The flowers have many petals and in the subtropical regions flower in June to October, while in the tropics throughout the year. This plant is weather-resistant and grows a lot in rice fields, the edge of the forest, the edge of the road and the yard that is sunny.

Kenikir has a compound flower that grows on the end of the stem and blooms for several days. Flower crowns consist of 8 leaves for pink, dark red, dark yellow, light yellow and bronze depending on variety.

The flowers have many petals and in the subtropical region come from June to October, while in the tropics throughout the year. Kenikir has a compound flower that grows at the end of the stem. The flower crown consists of eight leaves for colored pink, yellow and bronze.



Kenikir flowers have many discs, have two genitals and have five taju. The stamens are tubular and blackish brown. Hairy pistil with two pistil branches and yellowish green. This plant fruit is in the form of an achene.

Kenikir leaves contain several compounds including chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, quercetin 3-O-glycosides, pentose quercetin, quercetin deoxyl-hexose, caffeic acid, and ferulic acid. Dried leaves contain quercetin compounds for levels of 413.57mg/100g and kaemferol for levels of 7.28mg/100g.

Total phenolic content in leaf water extract showed higher activity than ethanol extract. The total phenolic water extract of kenikir leaves was 844.8mgGAE/100g (wet weight), while the total flavonoids were 183.69 to 483.91mgQE/g dry extract.

51% quercetin is the main flavonoid in leaves. The main phenolic acids were 4.5% chlorogenic acid, 3.6% caffeic acid, and 3.1% ferulic acid. The kenikir leaves also contain essential oils which are mostly in the form of γ-cadinene as much as 33% and karyophilene as much as 10%.

In Indonesia, kenikir leaves are usually eaten as fresh vegetables. Traditional Javanese medicine uses kenikir leaves for anti-bone loss, accelerates blood circulation, and lowers blood pressure. Some studies correlate kenikir leaf extract as an antihypertensive and diuretic, antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, antiosteoporosis and antidiabetic.
Kingdom Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Asteroideae
Tribe: Coreopsideae
Genus: Cosmos
Species: Cosmos sulphureus

Popular Posts

Lolot (Piper sarmentosum)

Lolot pepper ( Piper sarmentosum ) is a species of plant in Piperaceae, perennial herb, erect or lodging, creeping rhizome, up to 120 cm long, branched, enlarged branches, cylindrical stems, brown or green, often grooved, growing on the forest floor and shade. P. sarmentosum has leaf stalks up to 15 cm long, up to 13 cm wide, green, alternately arranged, heart-shaped, pointed tips and flat margins. The leaves have 5 main veins from the base of the blade, linear and slightly curved to the tip, glands on the upper surface and many fine pinnate veins. The upper side is shiny green, the lower side is pale green. The flowers are white. The fruit grows in the upper armpit of the leaf, is slightly oval and green. The leaves are used as a medicine for asthma, malaria, stomach ache, tinea versicolor, toothache, difficulty urinating, aches and pains, maintaining stamina, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and so on. TAXON Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiosperma...

Screw tree (Helicteres isora)

Screw tree ( Helicteres isora ) is a species of plant in the Malvaceae family. It is a shrub or small tree, up to 8 meters tall. It has gray bark and alternate leaves, up to 22 cm long and 17 cm wide, oval in shape, with serrated edges and hairs. The flowers are red or white and reach a total length of 5.5 cm. The fruit is green when unripe, brown or gray when dry, twisted, spiral-shaped, and pointed at the tip. The seeds are black or brown, shiny, and diagonal, triangular, or rectangular. TAXON Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Malvales Family: Malvaceae Subfamily: Helicteroideae Tribe: Helictereae Genus: Helicteres Pluk. ex L. in Sp. Pl.: 963 (1753) Species: Helicteres isora L. in Sp. Pl.: 963 (1753) HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS Helicteres baruensis var. ovata DC. in Prodr. 1: 476 (1824) Helicteres chrysocalyx Miq. ex Mast. in J.D.Hooker, Fl. Brit. India 1: 365 (1874) Helicteres corylifolia Buch.-Ham. ex Dillwyn in Rev. Hortus Malab....

Red lip (Syzygium myrtifolium)

Pucuk merah or daun pucuk merah or red lip ( Syzygium myrtifolium ) is a plant species in the Myrtaceae, a medium tree with a cylindrical trunk and produces cambium, up to 5 meters high, bark rough and light brown, many branches and strong roots. S. myrtifolium has oval-shaped leaves, pointed tip and base, up to 7 cm long, up to 2 cm wide, a vein in the middle, flat margins, shiny surface, bright red leaf buds and will turn green over time. The flowers are compound and arranged in panicles. The flowers bloom with a stigma in the center and are white. The fruit is round and up to 1 cm in diameter, the middle of the upper surface has a depression and is shiny black when ripe. This species grows in forests, agricultural land, roadsides and abandoned lands. This tree has a root structure that goes deep into the ground and is sturdy so it is often used to rehabilitate land, prevent landslides and store water reserves. This tree has a greater ability to absorb CO2 than other types of pla...