Heliopsis longipes
Heliopsis longipes is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It has been found only in the states of Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo, and Querétaro in north-central Mexico.
Locally called chilcuague, Azteca gold root, and many other names, it was considered powerful medicine for the prehispanic populations of México.
Use and healing properties
The root is chewed to numb the tongue and relieve pain in the teeth and throat. It has antibiotic properties, it is also recognized as a powerful antifungal.It is also used as a condiment in foods and alcoholic beverages. It has depurative properties. Upon ingestion, it produces abundant secretions of bodily fluids such as saliva, sweat and urine due to its influence on the maxillary gland, which is why it was used by Chichimecas both as a condiment and as a natural medicine.
The word chilcuague has its origin in the Nahuatl because this plant was recognized as Chilcoatl, in the markets it is also known with the following names: herb grindstone, chil cuas, chilcuan, chilcmecatl, Aztec root, gold root, chili de palo, palo de duende, among others. When chewing it has a sialogogous effect, which in turn has several effects on the organism, among them those produced by the digestive enzymes present in saliva, buffering and neutralizing the pH of the stomach and the oral cavity, instantaneously controlling reflux, acidity and gastritis, and promoting the secretion of endorphins.