Urena lobata


	Scientific Classification: Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Angiosperms Order: Malvales Family: Malvaceae Genus: Urena Species: U. lobata Synonyms: Urena grandiflora Urena trilobata Urena Americana Common Names: Congo jute,Nicardi,boriyal,Caesar-weed. Local Names: Ilasa-omode,ilasa-agborin,akerielu, okeriri,efore-loka,akeeri,Odo-ezeze,Rama-rama. Species ID: NMP-189;wfo-0001321314;NCBI_Taxonomy ID: 263848 Description: Urena lobata, commonly known as Caesarweed, Congo jute, or Bur Mallow, is a variable, erect, subshrub or shrub that can grow up to 3 meters tall. The stems are covered with star-like hairs and are often tinged purple. The leaves are greyish-green, egg-shaped or lobed, and have toothed margins with soft, short hairs on both sides. The plant produces small, pink-violet, hibiscus-like flowers, and its fruits are dry, dehiscent capsules that split into smaller fruitlets known as mericarps. Distribution and Habitat: Urena lobata is pantropical, found in tropical and subtropical regions across the world. It grows in a variety of habitats including forests, grasslands, and areas of ecological disturbance such as eroded places, crop plantations, and pastures. It is also tolerant of salt spray and moderately saline soils. Medicinal Properties: Urena lobata is widely used in traditional medicine. The leaves and roots are employed to treat a variety of ailments: Gastrointestinal Issues: Juice from the leaves or roots is used to treat colic, stomach-ache, diarrhea, and dysentery. Fever and Malaria: The plant is used to alleviate persistent fever associated with malaria. Reproductive Health: A decoction of an old plant boiled with eggs is used to induce abortion. Additionally, an infusion of the roots aids in difficult childbirth. Skin Conditions: A lotion made from the plant is applied to treat yaws and headaches, and the whole plant is used externally for treating fractures, wounds, mastitis, and snake bites. Other Uses: The leaves act as a diuretic, emollient, refrigerant, styptic, and vulnerary, and are used to treat inflammation of the intestines and bladder. They are also applied externally as a poultice on wounds and skin diseases. Toxicity: There are no significant reports of toxicity associated with Urena lobata. However, due to its use as an abortifacient, it should be used with caution and under the guidance of a healthcare professional. Additional Uses: Edible Uses: Young leaves can be cooked and used as a vegetable. The seeds contain about 7% fatty oil, which can be extracted and used. Environmental Uses: Urena lobata can be used for soil stabilization and erosion control due to its ability to grow in disturbed areas. References https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urena_lobata https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Urena+lobata https://www.fnai.org/species-communities/invasives/invasive-species?ID=169 https://portal.wiktrop.org/species/show/336 https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=URLO More Pictures
Compounds of Urena lobata	Undecanoic acid, 10-methyl-, methyl ester Trifluoroacetic acid, pentadecyl ester Tridecanoic acid, 12-methyl-, methyl ester Tetradecanoic acid Silane, trichlorodocosyl- Pentadecanoic acid, 14-methyl-, methyl ester Pentadecanoic acid Pentadecafluorooctanoic acid, octadecyl ester n-Tetradecane n-Dodecane n-decane Palmitic Acid Heptadecanoic acid Heptadecane Erucic acid Cyclotetradecane Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate Asclepic acid Nonadecyltrifluoroacetate n-Octadecane Methyl Stearate Methoxyacetic acid, 2-tetradecyl ester Lauric acid (Dodecanoic acid) Hexadecanoic acid, 1,1-, dimethylethyl ester Heptadecylheptafluorobutyrate Heptadecane,2-methyl- Heptacosane,1-chloro- Dodecyl acrylate Cyclopentane,1-hexyl-3-methyl- Cyclohexane,1,1'-(1,4-butanediyl) bis Cyclohexane, butyl- Cyclohexadecane Cyclodecene cis-13-Octadecenoic acid, methyl ester 9-Eicosene, (E)- 6-Octadecenoic acid, methyl ester, Z 6,11-Dimethyl-2,6,10-dodecatrien-1-ol 5-Tetradecene, (E)- 3-Eicosene, (E)- 3,5-Di-tert-butylphenol 2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol 1-Octadecene 9-Octadecenoic acid
References	Keke, C. O., Nsofor, W. N., Kumabia, F. K. R., Iloabuchi, G. C., Ejiofor, J. C., & Osuagwu, O. L. (2023). GCMS and FTIR analysis of ethanol and methanol leave extract of Urena lobata (Caesar weed) for bioactive phytochemical constituents. Journal of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics, 13(1), 99-115.