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Eryngium foetidum is a tropical Perennial plant Herbaceous plant in the family Apiaceae. Common names include culantro (Costa Rica and Panama) ( or ), cimarrón, recao (Puerto Rico), chardon béni (France), Mexican coriander, samat, bandhaniya, long coriander, Burmese coriander, sawtooth coriander, Shadow Beni (Trinidad and Tobago), and ngò gai (Vietnam). It is native to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America, but is cultivated worldwide, mostly in the tropics as a perennial, but sometimes in temperate climates as an Annual plant.
In the United States, the common name culantro sometimes causes confusion with cilantro, a common name for the leaves of Coriander (also in Apiaceae but in a different genus), of which culantro is said to taste like a stronger version.Ramcharan, C. (1999). "Culantro: A much utilized, little understood herb". In: J. Janick (ed.), Perspectives on new crops and new uses. ASHS Press, Alexandria, Virginia; p. 506–509.
In the United States, E. foetidum grows naturally in Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Distribution of Eryngium foetidum in the United States United States Department of Agriculture
The flower heads are not edible. (2025). 9780794600785, Periplus Editions. ISBN 9780794600785
Eryngium foetidum is also known as E. antihystericum. The specific name antihystericum reflects the fact that this plant has traditionally been used for epilepsy. The plant is said to calm a person's 'spirit' and thus prevents epileptic 'fits', so is known by the common names spiritweed and fitweed. The anticonvulsant properties of this plant have been scientifically investigated. A decoction of the leaves has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in rats.
Eryngial (trans-2-dodecenal) is the main constituent of essential oil of E. foetidum.Yarnell, A. "Home Field Advantage" Chemical & Engineering News, June 7, 2004. Volume 82, Number 23, p. 33. The University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica, has investigated the use of eryngial as a treatment for human Strongyloides stercoralis infection (strongyloidiasis).
It is used as an Ethnomedicine plant for the treatment of a number of ailments such as chills, vomiting, burns, fevers, hypertension, headache, earache, stomachache, asthma, arthritis, snake bites, scorpion stings, diarrhea, malaria and epilepsy. A pharmacological investigation claims to have demonstrated anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anticonvulsant, Clastogen, anticarcinogenic, antidiabetic, and antibacterial activity.
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