Spilanthes acmella
Acmella oleracea (L.) R. K. Jansen
Eyeball plant, toothache plant, paracress, Szechuan buttons, jambu, buzz buttons, tingflowers, electric daisy, spilanthes
The eyeball plant was probably cultivated in Brazil from Acmella alba, which is native to Peru and Brazil. The cultivar escaped, and is now naturalized in parts of Brazil and East Africa, and cultivated in Africa and Indian Ocean islands. It is not found in the wild in North America.
Plants: Stems may be erect or lying down. They are hairless and often reddish.
Leaves: Opposite, each 1¾–4 ⨉ 1½–3″ (5–11 ⨉ 4–8 cm), roughly oval or triangular in shape.
Flowers: Up to ⅞ ⨉ ½″ (2.5 ⨉ 1.5 cm), composed of very large numbers of tiny yellow florets. The “eyeball” appears when dark red-purple buds on top have not yet opened.
Fruits: The ciliate achenes are ~1/16 ⨉ ~1/32″ (2–2.5 ⨉ 0.9–1.1 mm). They have a tiny parachute called the pappus, with 2 bristles, about ~1/32″ (0.5–1.5 mm).
Photo by H. Zell, 6/27/2009. 
Habitats: Moist, well-drained, organically rich soils and full or partial sun.
Edibility: In small amounts (large amounts are toxic), leaves of the eyeball plant are steamed and eaten in India. Raw leaves are used as a flavoring agent in soups and salads. The taste is strong, spicy, and warm, becoming prickly. This causes salivation, and the sensation changes to numbness, which fades after a few minutes. The flower buds have the same effect, and Wikipedia lists several popular names for them: buzz buttons, Szechuan buttons, sansho buttons, and electric buttons.
Medical: The numbing effect of these plants has been used to treat toothache and other throat complaints, and even for stammering, but these treatments are probably not effective. More recently, it has been found useful for treatment of dry mouth. When applied topically, some believe that it reduces age-related wrinkling. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are under investigation.
Online References:
Spilanthes oleracea L.
Spilanthes acmella
Spilanthes acmella
9/7/2010 · New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, Boylston, Massachusetts · ≈ 14 × 9″ (35 × 23 cm) 
9/7/2010 · New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, Boylston, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 9.2 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Asteridae | A large class that encompasses asters |
| Order | Asterales | Flowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies |
| Family | Asteraceae | The aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers |
| Genus | Acmella | From Greek akme, “point, peak,” and Latin acer “acute, sharp,” for the plant’s sharp pungent odor |
| Species | oleracea | Means “resembling garden herbs or vegetables used in cooking” |
Acmella oleracea description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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