SafePlants

Amor Seco: A Botanical Overview

The name "Amor Seco" (Spanish for "dry love") is a common name applied to several different plants. This overview consolidates information on various species referred to as Amor Seco, focusing on their traditional uses, distribution, and other interesting facts.

Common Names and Scientific Names

• Common Names: Amor Seco, Amor-do-Campo, Manayupa, Love Grass, Hardstick, Picao Preto, Aceitilla, Cadillo, Chilca, Pacunga, Pirco, Sulpot
• Amor Seco is a common name for several plants and may refer to the following species:
  • Alchornea glandulosa - a tree species of the Acalyphoideae
  • Bidens pilosa
  • Desmodium adscendens
  • Desmodium affine
  • Andropogon aciculatus
• Synonyms/Related Species: Desmodium axillare is a closely related plant.

Note: It is important to determine the exact species being referenced when encountering the name "Amor Seco" due to its application to multiple plants.

Considerations for Pets

• Bidens pilosa, one species referred to as Amor Seco, is a weedy plant with seeds that can cling to fur.

Considerations for Children

• Bidens pilosa, one species referred to as Amor Seco, is a weedy plant with seeds that can cling to clothing.

Traditional Uses and Distribution

• Geographic Distribution: Amor Seco grows wild in the Amazonian rain forests and along Africa's West Coast. It is also found in South America (Brazil, Peru, Ecuador), Nicaragua, Chile, the Philippines, India, and China.
• Traditional Medicine:
  • In South America, natural health practitioners and herbalists use Amor Seco for asthma, allergies, muscle spasms, and back pain.
  • The indigenous Garifuna tribe in Nicaragua uses a leaf decoction internally for diarrhea.
  • In the Philippines, it is used as a medicinal plant.

Ecological Information

• Desmodium axillare, a closely related plant, is used interchangeably in herbal medicine systems in the South American tropics.

Quirky Facts

• Amor Seco essence is a "healing water" in the Dragon Quest video game series.
• "Amor Seco" is the name of a Merlot wine produced by Bodega Chacra in Rio Negro, Argentina.
• "Amor Seco" is the name of an electronica band formed in 2007.
• "Amor Seco" is the name of a rock album by Las Pelotas.

Chemical Constituents

• Amor do Campo contains astragalin, which is also found in astragalus.

Further Information

• The Raintree Tropical Plant Database contains information on Desmodium adscendens (Amor Seco).
• Philippine Herbal Therapy - An illustrated compilation of Philippine medicinal plants by Dr. stuartxchange.com.