About Turnera subulata J.E.Sm.
Turnera subulata J.E.Sm. is a species of flowering subshrub in the passionflower family. It has the common names white buttercup, sulphur alder, politician's flower, dark-eyed turnera, and white alder. Despite these common names, it is not related to true buttercups or alders. It is native to Central and South America, growing from Panama south to Brazil. It is widely recognized as an introduced species in many other regions, including Malaysia, Indonesia, several other Pacific Islands, the Caribbean, and Florida in the United States. It is commonly cultivated as a garden flower, but due to its high adaptability, it is also known to become a garden weed. Like other species in the Turnera genus, this plant has been widely used for centuries in traditional medicine, primarily across tropical and subtropical regions. In South America, leaf extract from this plant is used to treat a range of conditions including diabetes, hypertension, tumors, influenza, chronic pain, and inflammation. It is used most commonly in northeastern Brazil, where it is also employed to treat amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea, and is consumed as tea or infusions. Little is currently understood about its medicinal properties, but laboratory tests have found the species has antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory effects, and can modulate the effects of some drugs.
