Tridhara or Coatbuttons, Tridax procumbens

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Tridhara or Coatbuttons (Tridax procumbens, family: Compositae) is a perennial herb with soft, hairy and weak stem. It can get a height about 1 m. The plant grows on fallow land and roadside areas as weed in Bangladesh. It can be planted in garden as an ornamental flowering herb.


Leaves are light green, opposite, short petioled, ovate-lanceolate with divided or dented and hairy edge.


Flowers are beautiful, showy, yellow in color, head, set on very long pedicel. In the head there are five ray florets and the centre there are closely-knit small round disk florets. Flowering occurs round the year.


Flower and fruit can be seen in same plant at a time. Fruit is cotton-like. The propagation of the plant is caused by seeds; those can be spread far and wide through the air. It is a medicinal plant. It is used in different kinds of diseases.


Other common names: Tunaki, Tridaxa, Tridokkho.

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