Higher classification Sigesbeckia | Scientific name Sigesbeckia orientalis Rank Species | |
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Similar Sigesbeckia, Daisy family, Sigesbeckia pubescens, Vascular plant, Ageratum conyzoides | ||
Sigesbeckia orientalis, known as eastern St Paul's-wort and common St. Paul's wort, is a species of plant from Asteraceae used in traditional medicine to treat syphilis, leprosy and other skin-related illnesses.
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Distribution
Sigesbeckia orientalis has a broad distribution in Africa, Asia, but has been widely naturalised outside this range. It is unclear whether it is native to Australia or has been introduced there.
Nomenclature
Academician Johann Siegesbeck who disagreed with Linnaeus' binomial nomenclature based on plants' reproductive organs, described his work as "loathsome harlotry". Linnaeus named the small, ugly weed Sigesbeckia orientalis after Johann Siegesbeck for revenge.
References
Sigesbeckia orientalis Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA