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botanical illustration of Cancer Herb, Acalypha indica

botanical record · discovered

Cancer Herb

Acalypha indica

Cancer Herb · Indian Acalypha · Copperleaf · Indian Nettle · Three-Seeded-Mercury · Acalyphe d'Inde · Acalyphe d'Inde, Herbe chat, Ortie de l'Inde, Z'oreille la chatte · Brennkraut · Haiti ambandriha · Indian Copperleaf · Indian acalypha · Indian copperleaf · Indian-nettle · Vahara pefu · alcalifa · copperleaf · hierba de cancer · indisches Kupferblatt

At a glance

Origin / distribution: Malaya, ", India

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Constipation, Croup, Cyanogenetic, Emetic

Science studied: ACALYPHAMIDE, ACALYPHINE, HCN, 1-INOSITOLMONOMETHYLETHER

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Euphorbiaceae

Scientific name: Acalypha indica

Common names: Cancer Herb, Indian Acalypha, Copperleaf, Indian Nettle, Three-Seeded-Mercury, Acalyphe d'Inde, Acalyphe d'Inde, Herbe chat, Ortie de l'Inde, Z'oreille la chatte, Brennkraut, Haiti ambandriha, Indian Copperleaf, Indian acalypha, Indian copperleaf, Indian-nettle, Vahara pefu, alcalifa, copperleaf, hierba de cancer, indisches Kupferblatt

POWO: 337497-1 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in Elsewhere, Malaya, ", India.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

  • Constipation
  • Croup
  • Cyanogenetic
  • Emetic
  • Purgative
  • Ringworm
  • Irritant
  • Tumor

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

  • Elsewhere
  • Malaya
  • "
  • India

Documented cultural uses

  • Constipation
  • Croup
  • Cyanogenetic
  • Emetic
  • Purgative
  • Ringworm
  • Irritant
  • Tumor

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

  • Constipation · Elsewhere · "
  • Croup · Elsewhere · "
  • Cyanogenetic · Elsewhere · "
  • Emetic · Elsewhere · "
  • Purgative · Malaya · "
  • Ringworm · Elsewhere · "
  • Emetic · " · "
  • Irritant · " · "
  • Tumor · India · "

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

  • Investigation of the Potential Neuroprotective Mechanisms of <i>Acalypha indica</i> Against Alzheimer's Disease by Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis. · 2026 source ↗
  • Anti-inflammatory evaluation of HPLC-GC quantified phytochemicals from Acalypha indica L. using LPS-induced inflammation model. · 2026 source ↗
  • "Therapeutic potential of Acalypha indica L. leaf fractions against foodborne pathogens: an in vitro and in silico study". · 2025 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

  • ACALYPHAMIDE
  • ACALYPHINE
  • HCN
  • 1-INOSITOLMONOMETHYLETHER
  • 2-METHYLANTHRAQUINONE
  • GAMMA-SITOSTEROL-ACETATE
  • BETA-SITOSTEROL-BETA-D-GLUCOSIDE
  • TANNIN
  • TRIACETONAMINE
  • TRI-O-METHYL-ELLAGIC-ACID
  • CALCIUM-OXALATE
  • RESIN
  • AURANTIAMIDE
  • QUEBRACHITOL
  • SUCCINIMIDE
  • ASCORBIC-ACID
show 14 more documented entries
  • ASH
  • CALCIUM
  • CARBOHYDRATES
  • FAT
  • FIBER
  • HYDROCYANIC-ACID
  • IRON
  • KAEMPFEROL
  • N-METHYL-3-CYANOPYRIDONES
  • N-OCTACOSANOL
  • PHOSPHORUS
  • PROTEIN
  • TECTOQUINONE
  • WATER

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Acalypha indica
Acalypha indica · Aris riyanto

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

show claim source mapping
  • identity · DH-SRC-0030
  • documented_uses · DH-SRC-0030
  • compounds · DH-SRC-0030
  • taxonomy · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗
  • common_names · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗
  • countries · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗
  • wfo_taxonomy · DH-SRC-0003 · source ↗
  • cultural_records · DH-SRC-0030 · source ↗
  • powo_taxonomy · DH-SRC-0001 · source ↗
  • wcvp_taxonomy · DH-SRC-0002 · source ↗

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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