Bitterroot Restoration

Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Common name: Kesuti, keshraj, Bhimraj, Kalokeshi(Beng.).
Life cycle: Annual
Native Range: Eclipta alba is widely distributed throughout India, China, Thailand, and Brazil.

Eclipta alba has a short, flat or round, brown stem and small white flowers on a long stalk. The fruits are many seeded and the seeds are black, resemble cumin seeds. It grows 3" tall; the leaves are opposite and lance-shaped. The plant flowers in September and fruits in November.

In ayurvedic medicine, the leaf extract is considered a powerful liver tonic, rejuvenative, and especially good for the hair. A black dye obtained from Eclipta alba is used for dyeing hair and tattooing. It also has traditional external uses, like athlete foot, eczema and dermatitis, on the scalp to address hair loss and the leaves have been used in the treatment of scorpion stings.