Vernonia anthelmintica is an erect plant with leaves, the plant is about 1.5 m in length. The stems are branched and pubescent. The leaves are 5-9 cm long, 2.5-3.2 cm wide, lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, acute, coarsely serrate, pubescent on both surfaces, petiolated with altered base. Ends (Heads) are 1.3-2 cm in diameter, subcorymbose, have approximately 40 flowers and linear bract near the top of the stem. Exterior involucral bracts are linear, hairy, shorter than the inner rows; intermediate bracts have herbaceous hairs, linear, acute, equal or shorter than the innermost bracts. The innermost bracts are usually longest linear, subacute, often with purple top. Pappus is reddish in color, outer row is very short subpaleaceous, persistent; the interior hair are somewhat tortuous, deciduous, much shorter than the glabrous corolla. Achenes are 4.5-6 mm long, oblong-cylindrical, 10-ribbed, pubescent.
Chemical composition – Vernonia anthelmintica containis oil, brassicasterol, stigmasterol, resin, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, vernolic (epoxyoleic) acid and methyl vernolate. The seeds contain delta-7-avenasterol, also other sterols 4-alpha-methylvernosterol, vernosterol and avenasterol. Stigmastadienol, other parts include 5-stigmastene-3β-ol, 4α-methylsterol, alkaloid vernonine, vernovan two glucosides flavan p-hydroxibenzoyl vernovan and demanolide, lactone bitter principle, other components such as vernodalin, vernodalol, butein, 5-pentahydroxy-6-methoxy-2-methylcaltone, β-amyrin, β-sitosterol, β-D-glucoside.
Properties – Anthelmintic, laxative, detoxifier.
Recommendation – Intestinal worms, cough, urinary retention, swelling, itching, abdominal cramps, fever and leucoderma.
This plant is incorporated in natural remedy WORM END Syrup.