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    Home»Herbs and Spices»Facts about Bluemink
    Herbs and Spices

    Facts about Bluemink

    By SylviaOctober 22, 2021Updated:October 22, 2021No Comments9 Mins Read
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    Ageratum houstonianum, commonly known as bluemink, flossflower, blueweed, pussy foot or Mexican paintbrush, is a cool-season annual plant belonging to Asteraceae / Compositae (Aster family) often grown as bedding in gardens. The plant is native to Southeastern Mexico and Central America. It was brought to Europe shortly after its discovery. The species is reported as invasive in China, Taiwan, Mozambique, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, USA (Hawaii), Cuba, Peru, Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia and New Zealand. Few of the well-known common names of the plant includes ageratum, billy goat crofton, billy goat weed, blue billy goat weed, blue top, bluemink, blue top, dark bluetop, floss flower, floss flower, garden ageratum, goat weed, invading ageratum, Mexican ageratum, Todd’s curse, tropic ageratum, blueweed, pussy foot and Mexican paintbrush.

    Genus name apparently comes from the Greek a meaning not and geras meaning old age because the flowers hold their color for a long time. The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local medicinal use. It has been reported that A. houstonianum has broad biological activities, including antifungal, antibacterial, and antimicrobial activities. It has been used for treating pain and infections, especially for healing of external wounds and skin diseases. However, the active component of A. houstonianum and its mode of action for curing skin wounds have not been investigated.

    Bluemink Facts

    Bluemink Quick Facts
    Name: Bluemink
    Scientific Name: Ageratum houstonianum
    Origin Mexico and Central America
    Colors Brown to black
    Shapes Achene that are about 2 mm long, brown to black in color, and topped with five awn-tipped scales (i.e. a pappus).
    Health benefits arthrosis, headache, dyspnea, muscle spasms, flatulence, diarrhea or abdominal cramps, menstrual cramps
    Name Bluemink
    Scientific Name Ageratum houstonianum
    Native Mexico and Central America. It was brought to Europe shortly after its discovery. The species is reported as invasive in China, Taiwan (PIER, 2016), Mozambique, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, USA (Hawaii), Cuba, Peru, Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, New Zealand
    Common Names Ageratum, billy goat crofton, billy goat weed, billygoat weed, blue billy goat weed, blue billygoat weed, blue top, bluemink, bluetop, dark bluetop, floss flower, flossflower, garden ageratum, goat weed, goatweed, invading ageratum, Mexican ageratum, Todd’s curse, tropic ageratum, blueweed, pussy foot, Mexican paintbrush
    Name in Other Languages Afrikaans: Mexikaanse ageratum
    Armenian: Antseri mek’sikakan (Անծերի մեքսիկական)
    Assamese: Gendali-bon, Gondh-bon
    Belarusian: Ahieratum mieksikanski (агератум мексіканскі)
    Bulgarian: Ageratum (агератум)
    Chinese: Zi hua huo xiang ji,  xiong er cao (熊耳草), Shèng hóng jì (勝紅薊), Mòxīgē lán jì (墨西哥藍薊), Duàn xuè cǎo (斷血草),  Zǐhuā máo shèxiāng (紫花毛麝香), Zǐhuā huò xiāng jì (紫花藿香薊), Chòu cǎo zǐ (臭草仔)
    Croatian: Meksička plavuša
    Cuba: Celestina azul
    Czech: Nestařec americký
    Danish: Almindelig blåkvast
    Dutch: Leverbalsem, mexicaantje
    English: Bluemink, Flossflower, Mexican ageratum, Ageratum, Blue billygoat-weed, Garden ageratum, Blue maudlin, blue-top goatweed, large-flower ageratum
    Fijian: Botebotekoro, mbotembotekoro, sogovanua, songovanua
    Finnish: Sinitähtönen, meksikonsinitähtönen
    French: Ageratum du Mexique, Agerate bleu, eupatoire bleue,
    German: (Mexikanischer) Leberbalsam, Gewöhnlicher Leberbalsam, Mexikanischer Leberbalsam, Mexiko-Leberbalsam
    Hawaiian: Maile hohono, maile honohono, maile kula
    Hindi: Raktarodhi
    Hungarian: Kék bojtocska, bojtocska
    Italian: Agerato celestino
    Japanese: Murasakikakkoazami (ムラサキカッコウアザミ), Ookakkoazami (オオカッコウアザミ), ageratsumu (アゲラツム), katsukô-azami (カツコウアザミ), Kakkouazami (カッコウアザミ)  
    Korean: Bul ro hwa (불로화)
    Lithuanian: Meksikinis žydrūnis
    Macedonian: Sina dzvezdička (Сина ѕвездичка)
    Nepali: Nilo Gandhe (निलो गन्धे), Gandhe Jhaar (गन्धे झार)
    Norwegian: Blåkorg, Blåkurv
    Polish: Żeniszek meksykański, ageratum meksykańskie,
    Portuguese: Agerato, celestina
    Russian: Ageratum Gaustona (Агератум Гаустона), ageratum meksikanskiy (агератум мексиканский), ageratum Houstona (агератум Хоустона)
    Sanskrit: Nilima
    Serbian: Ageratum (Агератум)
    Slovak: Agerát mexický
    Spanish: Agerato, agerato celestino, damasquino
    Swedish: Ageratum, Leverbalsam
    Ukrainian: Ageratum gaustona (агератум гаустона)
    Welsh: Ageratwm
    Plant Growth Habit Short-lived, cool-season, erect, herbaceous annual or dwarf shrub
    Growing Climates Gardens, roadsides, disturbed sites, waste areas, pastures, crops, wetlands, waterways, farmlands, forest trails, riverbanks, cleared upland slopes, crests, pine woods, cultivated ground, savannas, humid areas, riparian zones, pine woods, coastal area
    Soil Well drained soils are preferred with some added organic matter and a layer of mulch
    Plant Size 10 to 70 centimeters tall. The plants usually grow to a width of 10 to 30 centimeters
    Stem Stems are simple or branched, especially above, erect or decumbent, reddish to green, glandular-villous to lanate above. The stem is covered in white, soft matted hairs (tomentose) or woolly hairs (lanate)
    Leaf Oppositely arranged, but can be alternately arranged on the upper parts of the stems. They are borne on stalks (i.e. petioles) 0.5-3 cm long and vary from being almost triangular in shape to egg-shaped in outline (i.e. ovate). These leaves are 2-7 cm long and 1.5-6 cm wide and have bluntly toothed (i.e. crenate) margins and either blunt or pointed tips (i.e. obtuse to acute apices)
    Flowering season June to October
    Flower Each flower-head is 5-8 mm across and has numerous tiny tubular flowers (i.e. tubular florets) that are surrounded by two or three rows of greenish-coloured bracts (i.e. an involucre). The florets are 2-3 mm long and range from pale lavender to blue, pink or purplish in color and each has two elongated projections (i.e. style branches). The bracts at the base of the flower-head is 3-5 mm long and are elongated in shape (i.e. linear-lanceolate) and covered in sticky hairs (i.e. glandular pubescent).
    Fruit Shape & Size Achene that are about 2 mm long, brown to black in color, and topped with five awn-tipped scales (i.e. a pappus). These scales are 2-3 mm long and are whitish in color and resemble short bristles or hairs
    Fruit Color Brown to black
    Propagation By seed
    Plant Parts Used Leaves, fruits, flowers, stem, seeds, roots
    Varieties
    • A. houstonianum var. angustatum B.L. Rob.
    • A. houstonianum f. isochroum
    • A. houstonianum f. luteum
    • A. houstonianum var. muticescens
    • A. houstonianum f. niveum
    • A. houstonianum f. normale
    • A. houstonianum var. typicum
    • A. houstonianum f. versicolor
    Season August to October
    Other Facts
    • It is used as a garden ornament.
    • The plant yields an insecticide

    Plant Description

    Bluemink is a short-lived, cool-season, erect, herbaceous annual or dwarf shrub that normally grows about 10 to 70 centimeters tall. The plants usually grow to a width of 10 to 30 centimeters. The plant is found growing in gardens, roadsides, disturbed sites, waste areas, pastures, crops, wetlands, waterways, farmlands, forest trails, riverbanks, cleared upland slopes, crests, pine woods, cultivated ground, savannas, humid areas, riparian zones, pine woods and coastal area. Well drained soils are preferred with some added organic matter and a layer of mulch. It is sometimes cultivated and is often a weed in nursery stock. It can be found occasionally as an escape or weed in plant nurseries, in landscaped areas, and around disturbed urban areas such as parking lots or drainage ditches. It is a fibrous rooted annual plant. Stems are simple or branched, erect or decumbent, reddish to green, glandular-villous to lanate above. Stem is covered in white, soft matted hairs (tomentose) or woolly hairs (lanate).

    Leaves

    The leaves are mostly oppositely arranged, but can be alternately arranged on the upper parts of the stems. They are borne on stalks (i.e. petioles) 0.5-3 cm long and vary from being almost triangular in shape to egg-shaped in outline (i.e. ovate). These leaves are 2-7 cm long and 1.5-6 cm wide and have bluntly toothed (i.e. crenate) margins and either blunt or pointed tips (i.e. obtuse to acute apices).  Both surfaces of the leaves and the leaf stalks have a scattered covering of hairs (i.e. they are pubescent).

    Leaf arrangement Alternate
    Leaf type Simple
    Leaf margin Dentate
    Leaf shape Ovate
    Leaf venation Reticulate
    Leaf type and persistence Not applicable
    Leaf blade length 2 to 4 inches
    Leaf color Green
    Fall color Not applicable
    Fall characteristic Not applicable

     

    Bluemink-Plant Bluemink-Plant
    Flowering-buds-of-Bluemink Flowering-buds-of-Bluemink
    Flowers-of-Bluemink Flowers-of-Bluemink
    Bluemink-plant-grown-on-pot Bluemink-plant-grown-on-pot
    Leaf-hairs-of-Bluemink Leaf-hairs-of-Bluemink
    Closer-view-of-flower-of-Bluemink Closer-view-of-flower-of-Bluemink
    Mature-flower-heads-and-seeds-of-Bluemink Mature-flower-heads-and-seeds-of-Bluemink
    Bluemink-plant-growing-wild Bluemink-plant-growing-wild
    Plant-illustration-of-Bluemink Plant-illustration-of-Bluemink
    Sketch-of-Bluemink Sketch-of-Bluemink
    Seed-of-Bluemink Seed-of-Bluemink
    Leaves-of-Bluemink Leaves-of-Bluemink
    Bluemink Image Gallery

    Flowers

    The flower-heads (i.e. capitula) are arranged in dense clusters at the tips of the branches (i.e. in terminal corymbs) and do not have any obvious petals (i.e. ray florets). Each flower-head is 5-8 mm across and has numerous tiny tubular flowers (i.e. tubular florets) that are surrounded by two or three rows of greenish-coloured bracts (i.e. an involucre). The florets are 2-3 mm long and range from pale lavender to blue, pink or purplish in color and each has two elongated projections (i.e. style branches). The bracts at the base of the flower-head is 3-5 mm long and are elongated in shape (i.e. linear-lanceolate) and covered in sticky hairs (i.e. glandular pubescent). Flowering occurs throughout most of the year but more during June to October.

    Flower color Blue; pink; lavender
    Flower characteristic Showy

     

    Fruit

    Fertile flowers are followed by achene that are about 2 mm long, brown to black in color, and topped with five awn-tipped scales (i.e. a pappus). These scales are 2-3 mm long and are whitish in color and resemble short bristles or hairs. Plants are somewhat similar to our native Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum, which is also occasionally called Wild Ageratum.

    Fruit shape No fruit
    Fruit length No fruit
    Fruit cover No fruit
    Fruit color Not applicable
    Fruit characteristic Inconspicuous and not showy

     

    History

    The plant is native to Central America in Guatemala and Belize, and adjacent parts of Mexico, but has become an invasive weed in other areas. It was also naturalized in large parts of the tropics and in the southern United States. Their habitat is pastures, moist forest clearings and bushes up to altitudes of 1,000 meters (3,300 ft.).

    Today, it is extensively used as an ornamental plant for summer borders and balcony boxes, high varieties also as cut flowers. The species is cultivated once a year, having numerous varieties whose crowns may be dark blue, purple, pink and white.

    Traditional uses and benefits of Bluemink

    • The juice of the plant is used externally to treat cuts and wounds.
    • The juice is used in folk medicine as an external wound healing aid for skin injuries.
    • Weed has been used past time for its medicinal effect in numerous diseases such as common wound and the burned one, anti-microbe, arthrosis, headache, and dyspnea.
    • The infusion of its leaves help to recover from muscle spasms and arthritis problems.
    • It is also ideal to improve some digestive problems such as flatulence, diarrhea or abdominal cramps.
    • It is an effective reliever of menstrual cramps.
    • Rheumatic pains are also relieved when the infusion is applied together with alcohol.
    • Juice of the plant helps prevent infection in wounds promoting rapid healing.
    • In Ecuador, the plant is used to treat throat pain or inflammation in folk medicine.

    Precautions

    • Ageratum houstonianum is toxic to grazing animals, causing liver lesions.
    • Parts of plant are poisonous if ingested.
    • All parts of plant are poisonous if ingested.
    • Handling plant may cause skin irritation or allergic reaction.
    • Plant has spines or sharp edges; use extreme caution when handling.
    • Pollen may cause allergic reaction.

    References:

    http://www.hear.org/pier/species/ageratum_houstonianum.htm

    https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Ageratum+houstonianum

    https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/3573

    https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/AGEHO

    http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/gcc-11706

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ageratum_houstonianum

    https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/120944-Ageratum-houstonianum

    https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/media/Html/ageratum_houstonianum.htm

    https://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/265318

    https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=36483#null

    https://npgstest2.agron.iastate.edu/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=1761

    https://en.hortipedia.com/Ageratum_houstonianum

    http://hort.ufl.edu/shrubs/AGEHOUA.PDF

    https://apg.pir.sa.gov.au/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=1761

    https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/256/#b

    http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Floss%20Flower.html

    https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=AGHO3

    https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=277131

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    Bluemink Scientific Classification

    Scientific Name: Ageratum houstonianum

    Rank Scientific Name & (Common Name)
    Kingdom Plantae (Plants)
    Subkingdom Tracheobionta (Vascular plants)
    Infrakingdom Streptophyta  (land plants)
    Superdivision Spermatophyta (Seed plants)
    Division Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants)
    Sub Division Spermatophytina  (spermatophytes, seed plants, phanérogames)
    Class Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons)
    Subclass Asteridae
    Super Order Asteranae
    Order Asterales
    Family Asteraceae / Compositae (Aster family)
    Genus Ageratum L. (whiteweed)
    Species Ageratum houstonianum Mill. (bluemink)
    Synonyms
    • Ageratum conyzoides subsp. houstonianum (Mill.) M.Sharma
    • Ageratum conyzoides subsp. houstonianum (Mill.) Sahu, 1982
    • Ageratum conyzoides subsp. mexicanum (Sims) DC.
    • Ageratum conyzoides var. houstonianum (Mill.) Sahu
    • Ageratum conyzoides var. houstonianum (Mill.) T.R.Shahu
    • Ageratum conyzoides var. mexicanum (Sims) DC.
    • Ageratum houstonianum f. houstonianum
    • Ageratum houstonianum f. isochroum (B.L.Rob.) M.F.Johnson
    • Ageratum houstonianum f. isochroum B.L.Rob.
    • Ageratum houstonianum f. luteum B.L.Rob.
    • Ageratum houstonianum f. niveum B.L.Rob.
    • Ageratum houstonianum f. normale B.L.Rob.
    • Ageratum houstonianum f. versicolor B.L.Rob.
    • Ageratum houstonianum subsp. angustatum B.L.Rob.
    • Ageratum houstonianum subsp. houstonianum
    • Ageratum houstonianum subsp. luteum B.L.Rob.
    • Ageratum houstonianum subsp. niveum B.L.Rob.
    • Ageratum houstonianum subsp. normale B.L.Rob.
    • Ageratum houstonianum subsp. typicum B.L.Rob.
    • Ageratum houstonianum var. angustatum B.L.Rob.
    • Ageratum houstonianum var. isochroum (B.L.Rob.) M.F.Johnson, 1971
    • Ageratum houstonianum var. muticescens B.L.Rob.
    • Ageratum houstonianum var. typicum B.L.Rob.
    • Ageratum mexicanum Sims
    • Ageratum mexicanum Sw.
    • Ageratum mexicanum Sweet
    • Ageratum mexicanum f. caeruleum Voss, 1896
    • Ageratum mexicanum f. mexicanum
    • Ageratum mexicanum f. wendlandii Voss, 1896
    • Ageratum mexicanum subsp. caeruleum Voss
    • Ageratum mexicanum subsp. majus Voss
    • Ageratum mexicanum subsp. mexicanum
    • Ageratum mexicanum subsp. nanum Voss
    • Ageratum mexicanum subsp. wendlandii Voss
    • Ageratum mexicanum var. majus Voss
    • Ageratum mexicanum var. mexicanum
    • Ageratum mexicanum var. nanum Voss, 1896
    • Ageratum mexicanum var. wendlandii Voss
    • Ageratum pinetorum (L.O.Williams) R.King & H.Rob.
    • Ageratum wendlandii Bailly, 1884
    • Ageratum wendlandii Vilm.
    • Ageratum wendlandii subsp. compactum
    • Alomia pinetorum L.O.Williams
    • Cacalia mentrasto Vell.
    • Carelia houstoniana (Mill.) Kuntze
    • Carelia houstoniana Kuntze
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