Botany
Sambong-gala is a wooly, erect, branched herb, 0.5 to 1 meter in height, with stems bearing very conspicuous longitudinal wngs. Leaves are alternate, stalkless, lanceolate, 3 to 7 centimeters long, and toothed at the margins. Heads are small and borne in large numbers on the upper parts of the branches. Flowers are pink to purplish.

Distribution
- In open waste places at low and medium altitudes in Lepanto and the Benguet Subprovincers, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Pangasinan, Bataan, and Batangas Provinces in Luzon, and in Mindoro.
- Occurs in Burma to New Caledonia and Australia.

Constituents
- Study of aerial parts yielded seven coumarins (5-methoxy-6,7-methylenedioxycoumarin, ayapin, puberulin, 5-methoxyscopoletin, 2',3'-dihydroxypuberulin, isofraxidin, and 5-(2',3'-dihydroxy-3'-methylbutyloxy)-6,7-methylenedioxycoumarin) and three flavonoids (luteolin, tomentin, and chrysosplenol C).

Parts used
Leaves

Uses
Folkloric
Decoction of leaves used for stimulant baths.

Studies
• Phytochemicals / Anti-Mycobacterial / Cytotoxicity: Studies on the chemical constituents of the aerial parts of Pterocaulon redolens isolated ten components: seven coumarins and three flavonoids. (See above: Constituents) Six coumarins and one flavonoid displayed mild activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. One flavonoid possessed moderate cytotoxicity against breast cancer and human small cell lung cancerr cell lines.

Availability
Wild-crafted.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF PTEROCAULON REDOLENS / KANLAYAVATTANAKUL M, RUANGRUNGSI N et al / Heterocycles, VOL.61;NO.;PAGE.183-187(2003)
(2)
Pterocaulon redolens (Willd.) Fern. - Vill. / Catalogue of Life, China