Mollugo pentaphylla - Five Leaved Carpetweed

❏ Binomial Name : Mollugo pentaphylla L.

❏ Synonym : Mollugo stricta,Pharnaceum strictum

❏ Family : Molluginaceae

❏ Common Name : Five Leaved Carpetweed

❏ Tamil Name : Kuttuttiray

❏ Hindi Name : Lajvanthi

❏ IUCN status: Not Evaluated

Mollugo pentaphylla Botanical Description

Ascending herbs. Leaves in whorls of 2-6, unequal, 1.5-3.5 x 0.6-1.2 cm, obovate to oblong-lanceolate, base attenuate, apex subacute or obtuse, glabrous. Cymes axillary and terminal. Pedicels filiform, 5-8 mm long. Tepals 5, 2-3 mm long, elliptic-oblong, obtuse, green with white scarious margins, some what accrescent in fruit. Stamens 3-5. Ovary ovoid, c. 2 mm long, 3-5-celled; ovules many; styles 3-5. Capsules 2-2.5 mm across, ovoid, membranous. Seeds many, reniform, areolate, reddish brown. Fl. &Fr.: July-September.

Mollugo pentaphylla Medicinal uses

❀ The leaves are used to make a soup that is said to promote the appetite.

❀ They are also used to treat sprue and mouth infections

❀ A decoction of the roots is used to treat eye diseases

❀ The whole plant is burnt to make a mosquito repellent

❀ Young leaves are eaten cooked as vegetable and  The leaf paste is applied to heal wounds of cattle which have been caused by tiger or leopard attacks.

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