Coatbuttons
Tridax procumbens L.
Coatbuttons (Tridax procumbens) is an aster-family herb with creeping-then-ascending stems 10–50 cm tall; its small flower heads have white ray florets and yellow disc florets, and it is a pantropical weed used in folk medicine.
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Coatbuttons — seeds (close-up)Coatbuttons — whole plant
Coatbuttons — flower heads
Coatbuttons — flower (close-up)
Coatbuttons — seed heads
Coatbuttons — seedsCoatbuttons — seeds (close-up)Coatbuttons — whole plantOverview
Coatbuttons (Tridax procumbens), also called tridax daisy, is an herb of the aster family (Asteraceae), genus Tridax, with **creeping-then-ascending stems** 10–50 cm tall, covered in coarse hairs. The **leaves are opposite, ovate-lanceolate and coarsely toothed**, hairy, 2–6 cm long, on short stalks. The **flower heads (capitula) are borne singly on long stalks at the tips**; each head has a few **white ray florets (usually 3–4)** around many **yellow disc florets**. The fruit is an achene (cypsela) bearing a **pappus of hairs** that aids wind dispersal.
Updated by lebachungtdh@gmail.com · 10/12/2026
Coatbuttons is native to tropical America and is now a **weed throughout the tropics and subtropics**, growing on open ground, roadsides, lawns and fields. It likes full sun and tolerates dry soil, and flowers almost year-round. Besides its weedy habit, the **plant (especially its leaves)** is used in folk medicine as a poultice for wounds and to stop bleeding; it is also fodder and a nectar source for butterflies. It has not been assessed by the IUCN and is therefore listed as Not Evaluated (NE).
Updated by lebachungtdh@gmail.com · 10/12/2026
Life cycle
From seed to productGermination & seedling
Seeds germinate on moist soil; the seedling creeps along the ground and quickly roots at the nodes.
Stem & leaf growth
The **creeping-then-ascending** stem is coarsely hairy; the **leaves are opposite and coarsely toothed**.
Flowering
**Solitary terminal heads** with a few **white ray florets** and many **yellow disc florets**; attractive to butterflies.
Fruit & seed dispersal
Mature heads produce **achenes with a pappus**; the seeds disperse by wind to new places.
Distribution & origin
Share of recorded occurrences by region- Tropical America (native)35%
- Southeast Asia (introduced)20%
- South Asia (introduced)20%
- Africa (introduced)15%
- Elsewhere (introduced)10%
Chemical composition
Relative content in agarwood resin- FlavonoidsContribute to antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects25%
- TanninsSupport haemostasis and astringency20%
- AlkaloidsBioactive constituents15%
- TerpenoidsPresent in stems and leaves15%
- SaponinsContribute to folk activity10%
- Vitamins & mineralsMicronutrients of the plant15%
Uses
- Folk medicine: the **leaves** are pounded into poultices for wounds and used to **stop bleeding** in many tropical countries.
- Antibacterial/anti-inflammatory: leaf extracts are used traditionally (and studied) for infected wounds.
- Fodder: the stems and leaves serve as **livestock feed** in rural areas.
- Ecological: the flowers are a **nectar source** for butterflies and pollinators.
- Caution: being a wild plant, avoid gathering it where herbicides have been sprayed or near pollution.
Properties
- Morphology
- Creeping-ascending hairy stems; **opposite, coarsely toothed leaves**
- Flowers
- Solitary white-and-yellow heads, flowering almost year-round
- Ecology
- A sun-loving, drought-tolerant, fast-spreading weed
- Medicinal
- Used in folk medicine to stop bleeding and treat wounds
Habitat & conservation
Coatbuttons is light-demanding and drought-tolerant, and grows very commonly as a weed on disturbed ground: lawns, roadsides, open land, fields, field margins and settlements throughout the tropics and subtropics. Native to tropical America, it has become a familiar weed.
Conservation
Coatbuttons is not threatened; it is a common weed, sometimes regarded as a weed to be controlled. It has not been assessed by the IUCN and is therefore listed as Not Evaluated (NE). Family Asteraceae, genus Tridax. Value: folk medicine, fodder and nectar source.
References
- 1POWO — Tridax procumbens L. — Plants of the World Online (Kew), 2026
- 2GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Tridax procumbens L. — GBIF, 2026
- 3Wikipedia EN — Tridax procumbens (coatbuttons) — Wikipedia EN, 2026
- 4Wikipedia VI — Cúc mai — Wikipedia VI, 2026
- 5Wikipedia ZH — 长柄菊 (羽芒菊) — Wikipedia ZH, 2026
- 6Ảnh: Forest & Kim Starr (CC BY 3.0) — habit, seedheads, seeds — Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons, 2026
- 7Ảnh: flowers at Madhurawada & Gletang (CC BY-SA) — Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons, 2026