Eryngium foetidum is a tropical perennialherb in the family Apiaceae. Common names include culantro (Panama) (/kuːˈlɑːntroʊ/ or /kuːˈlæntroʊ/), cimarrón,recao (Puerto Rico), chardon béni (France), Mexican coriander, bandhaniya, long coriander, Burmese coriander, sawtooth coriander, and ngò gai (Vietnam).[2][3] It is native to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America, but is cultivated worldwide, mostly in the tropics as a perennial, but sometimes in temperate climates as an annual.
In the United States, the common name culantro sometimes causes confusion with cilantro, a common name for the leaves of Coriandrum sativum (also in Apiaceae but in a different genus), of which culantro is said to taste like a stronger version.[4]
Uses
Eryngium foetidum plant with leaves and young inflorescence
Eryngium foetidum has been used in traditional medicine in tropical regions for burns, earache, fevers, hypertension, constipation, fits, asthma, stomachache, worms, infertility complications, snake bites, diarrhea, and malaria.[7]
Eryngium foetidum is also known as E. antihystericum.[8] The specific name antihystericum reflects the fact that this plant has traditionally been used for epilepsy.[9] The plant is said to calm a person's 'spirit' and thus prevents epileptic 'fits', so is known by the common names spiritweed and fitweed. The anticonvulsant properties of this plant have been scientifically investigated.[10] A decoction of the leaves has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in rats.[11]
^ abSingh BK, Ramakrishna Y and Ngachan SV. 2014. Spiny coriander (Eryngium foetidum L.): A commonly used, neglected spicing-culinary herb of Mizoram, India. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 61 (6): 1085-1090.
^Culantro. "Herbalpedia"(PDF). The Herb Growing & Marketing Network. Archived from the original(PDF) on August 5, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2010.
^Simon, OR; Singh, N (1986). "Demonstration of anticonvulsant properties of an aqueous extract of Spirit Weed (Eryngium foetidum L.)". The West Indian Medical Journal. 35 (2): 121–5. PMID3739342.