Lantana
• Genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants.
• The genus includes both herbaceous plants and shrubs growing to 0.5–2 m (1.6–6.6 ft) tall.
• It can be used to make resilient furniture and as a fuel source.
Generally with hard stem & leaves are poisonous to most animals and thus avoided by herbivores, while their fruit is a delicacy for many birds. Lantana's aromatic flower clusters (called umbels) are a mix of red, orange, yellow, or blue and white florets.
Widely cultivated for their flowers and as an annual plant.
Extracts of lantana can be used for protection of cabbage against aphids.
Its leaves are used for treating malaria, chickenpox, asthma, ulcer, swelling, eczema, tumour, high blood pressure, bilious fever, sores, measles, fevers, colds and high blood pressure.
Lantana can also be converted into briquettes to use as an alternative fuel source along with weed management in eco-friendly manner.
Lantana bio-mass has to be dried to bring it to a suitable moisture content (10-15%) and then ground to suitable size. The dust is filtered out and then a pressing machine is used to apply pressure on the powdered bio-mass to compact it into briquettes. The pressure when applied releases lignin from within the bio-mass which binds the material together. In certain bio-mass materials an artificial binder has to be used to compact it together.
Lantana can be used as an eco-friendly and durable wood polymer composite. Furniture made from lantana is resistant to sun, rain, and termite damage. It could be used to produce tea-picker’s basket, sofas, chairs, waste-bins, teapoys, book and shoe cases, computer tables and all that can be produced out of cane.