This plant is distributed across Africa, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, and is found in the forests of India and Sri Lanka. In India, Senggugu is found in the Himalayas, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and the Western Ghats. The plant has been used in Ayurvedic and Unani medicine to treat respiratory problems. The young leaves and flower clusters can be consumed as an fresh edible side dish (lalapan).

It can generally be found in secondary forests, grasslands, village outskirts, roadsides, or near water in slightly moist soil, from the lowlands up to an altitude of 1,700 m above sea level (m.a.s.l.).

• Root (Akar) Taproot, blackish-gray color.

• Stem (Batang) Hollow, with a large tuberous base, sparingly branched. The stem is bluntly quadrangular (four-sided), and the young parts are usually glabrous (hairless).

• Leaves (Daun) Simple (single), green, alternate arrangement, oblong or elliptic shape, serrated margin, base and tip are pointed (acute), short petiole (stalk), surface is finely hairy, pinnate venation.

• Flower (Bunga) Compound inflorescence, possessing bracts (protective leaves). The long panicle twists to form a large corona at the base, color is purplish-white.

• Fruit (Buah) Berry shaped, ovate. Young fruit is green, turning black when mature.

• Propagation is done generatively (seeds).

• Germination usually takes 20–60 days at a temperature of 20ºC. Once large enough, separate the sprouts and plant them individually in pots until they are large enough to be transplanted to the field.

• Treats asthma, wounds, cholera, cough, rheumatism, fever, bronchitis, tuberculosis, malaria, abdominal swelling (perut busung), worm infections, and clears the eyes.

• D-mannitol, terpenoids (betulin, oleanolic acid, clerodermic acid, betulinic acid, friedelin, monomelittoside), steroids, polyphenolates, tannins, alkaloids, and flavonoids (apigenin, 7-hydroxy flavanone, scutellarein, pectolinarigenin).