lantana

in the clayton suburb of melbourne, there is a street called lantana. ida stayed in a townhouse on this street for half a year. at the start of this year, she moved in to stay with her sister at atlantic street.

during one of our nature walks, i found out that lantana is the name of a shrub which bears small pretty flowers. but i have never liked this plant because of the rather unpleasant smell. the malay name for this plant is 'bunga tahi ayam' (chicken dung flower). this should tell you something about the smell.

seems like the lantana camara shares some charateristics with the blue porterweed: it is also considered a weed and it attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.

"in chinese medicine, a decoction of the plant is used as a bath for scabies and leprosy. the leaves are used in indochina as a stimulant, to expel intestinal worms and to increase menstrual flow. they are applied to ulcers, cuts and swellings in indonesia, malaysia and the philippines."
(a guide to medicinal plants by s'pore science centre)