HerbsSearch — Discover the Power of Plants
Botanical illustration of Helichrysum Cymosum
MedicinalSourced entry

Helichrysum Cymosum

Helichrysum cymosum

Gold carpet, a silvery South African everlasting with yellow flower heads, used for coughs, colds, fever, menstrual pain and wounds. Its oil was active against the malaria parasite in the lab.

Safety at a glance

  • PregnancyNothing recorded
  • BreastfeedingNothing recorded
  • MedicinesNothing recorded
  • Who should avoid itNothing recorded
  • AllergiesNothing recorded
  • Toxicity1 note →

Tap a box to read the safety notes below. “Nothing recorded” means our sources don't cover it, not that it's safe.

What is Helichrysum Cymosum?

Plant family
Asteraceae, the daisy family
Parts used
The above-ground parts, leaves and roots
Where it grows
South Africa (Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape)
Genus
Helichrysum
Species
cymosum

Also called

Gold Carpet, Yellow-Tipped Strawflower

Regional names

Goue Tapyt, Imphepho

Traditionally used for

  • Coughs
  • Colds
  • Fever
  • Menstrual pain
  • Wounds (traditional)

Traditionally described as

  • Aromatic essential oil

Traditions that use it

Natural compounds

Helihumulone

Safety

Toxicity testing

  • In lab tests, the essential oil was the most toxic of the plant's extracts to kidney cells.[1]Study

What does the research say?

Traditional use

These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.

  • In South Africa, gold carpet is used for coughs, catarrh, colds, chest problems, whooping cough, headache, fever, menstrual pain, wind, wounds and skin infections, and to boost immunity and appetite.[1]Study

  • A tea of the plant is also drunk in South Africa for diabetes.[2]Study

Laboratory & animal research

Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.

  • In lab tests, its essential oil was strongly active against the malaria parasite, though much weaker than the drugs quinine and chloroquine. A compound from the plant, helihumulone, was active against Candida and Cryptococcus fungi, and the oil was a strong antioxidant. The oil didn't work against the bacteria tested.[1]Study

In short

Its essential oil was toxic to kidney cells in the lab.

Sources

  1. [1] Medicinal Properties and In Vitro Biological Activities of Selected Helichrysum Species from South Africa: A Review · DOI: 10.3390/plants10081566Peer-reviewed study
  2. [2] Helichrysum Genus and Compound Activities in the Management of Diabetes Mellitus · DOI: 10.3390/plants11101386Peer-reviewed study

This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Unfamiliar word? See what these words mean.