Taxon:  Elephantopus scaber L.



Summary
Genus:
Elephantopus
Family:
Asteraceae (alt. Compositae)
Subfamily:
Cichorioideae
Tribe:
Vernonieae
Subtribe:
Elephantopinae
Nomen number:
401632
Place of publication:
Sp. pl. 2:814.  1753
Verified:
03/08/2012 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
0 (0  active, 0  available) in National Plant Germplasm System. 
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Images (2 total. Click on image for more.)
Embryo drawing

Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
  2. Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
  3. Figueiredo, E. & G. F. Smith. 2008. Plants of Angola. Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
  4. Grierson, A. J. C. & D. J. Long. 1984-. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim.
  5. Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
  6. Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
  7. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  8. Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
  9. Jeffrey, C. 1988. The Vernonieae in East Tropical Africa. Notes on Compositae: V. Kew Bull. 43:272.
  10. Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
  11. Merrill, E. D. 1922-1926. An enumeration of Philippine flowering plants.
  12. Padua, L. S. de et al., eds. 1999. Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 12(1):253.
  13. Sharma, B. D. et al., eds. 1993-. Flora of India.
  14. Turner, I. M. 1995. A catalogue of the vascular plants of Malaya. Gardens' Bull. Singapore vol. 47.
  15. Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
  16. Walker, E. 1976. Flora of Okinawa and the southern Ryukyu Islands.
  17. Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Chinesedi dan cao地胆草 2Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Portuguese (Brazil)erva-colégio  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)erva-grossa  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)suçuaiá  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaKenya  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaTanzania  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaUganda  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaAngola  Figueiredo, E. & G. F. Smith. 2008. Plants of Angola. Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMalawi  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMozambique  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaZambia  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaZimbabwe  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaBurundi  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaDemocratic Republic of the Congo  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaRwanda  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaFujian Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaGuangdong Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaGuangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaGuizhou Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaHainan Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaJiangxi Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaYunnan Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaZhejiang Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateEastern AsiaJapan  Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
1NativeAsia-TemperateEastern AsiaJapanRyukyu Islands Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
1NativeAsia-TemperateEastern AsiaTaiwan  Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentBhutan  Grierson, A. J. C. & D. J. Long. 1984-. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndia  Sharma, B. D. et al., eds. 1993-. Flora of India.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentNepal  Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentSri Lanka  Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaMalaysia  Turner, I. M. 1995. A catalogue of the vascular plants of Malaya. Gardens' Bull. Singapore vol. 47.
1NativeAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaNorthern Territory Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
1NativeAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaQueensland Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
4NaturalizedAsia-TropicalMalesiaPhilippines  Merrill, E. D. 1922-1926. An enumeration of Philippine flowering plants.
Native
Africa
  • EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
  • WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda
  • SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Asia-Temperate
  • CHINA: China [Fujian Sheng, Guangdong Sheng, Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu, Guizhou Sheng, Hainan Sheng, Jiangxi Sheng, Yunnan Sheng, Zhejiang Sheng]
  • EASTERN ASIA: Japan [Ryukyu Islands], Taiwan
Asia-Tropical
  • INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Bhutan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal
  • MALESIA: Malaysia
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia [Queensland, Northern Territory]
Naturalized
Asia-Tropical
  • MALESIA: Philippines

Reference(s)
  1. Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
  2. Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
  3. Figueiredo, E. & G. F. Smith. 2008. Plants of Angola. Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
  4. Grierson, A. J. C. & D. J. Long. 1984-. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim.
  5. Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
  6. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  7. Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
  8. Merrill, E. D. 1922-1926. An enumeration of Philippine flowering plants.
  9. Sharma, B. D. et al., eds. 1993-. Flora of India.
  10. Turner, I. M. 1995. A catalogue of the vascular plants of Malaya. Gardens' Bull. Singapore vol. 47.
  11. Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
  12. Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Medicinesfolklore Padua, L. S. de et al., eds. 1999. Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 12(1):253.
Weedseed contaminantpotentialMabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=401632. Accessed 12 May 2026.