Flea grass (Adenosma buchneroides) is revered as a “sacred herb” by the Aini branch of the Hani people. It was discovered in the 1980s by the renowned Chinese ethnobotanist Prof. Pei Shengji during fieldwork on Aini swidden fallows in Xishuangbanna (see the habitat of flea grass in the figure).

Local people crush flea grass and apply it to itchy blisters or insect bites, which effectively reduces swelling and relieves itching and pain. Flea grass has become an essential herb in Aini households living in a humid environment with many mosquitoes.