Centella asiatica (L.) Urban - APIACEAE - Dicotyledon

Basionym : Hydrocotyle asiatica L.

Common name : Asian- or Indian- pennywort.

Habit - © Pierre GRARD - CIRAD 2005 - 2006 Propagation system - © Pierre GRARD - CIRAD 2005 - 2006 Rooting at nodes - © Pierre GRARD - CIRAD 2005 - 2006 Fruits - © Pierre GRARD - CIRAD 2005 - 2006

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Botany Biology Phenology Ecology Distribution Agricultural importance Chemical control

Botany :

Description : Terrestrial, perennial prostrate herb, up to 50 long, rooting at nodes. Roots fibrous, white or brown. Stem rounded, solid, glabrous. Stipules absent. Leaves simple, not lobed or divided, alternate spiral, stalked, round, orbicular, more than 2 cm long/wide, glabrous on both sides, margin entire, undulate or coarsely dentate, apex rounded, base cordate, palmately veined. Flowers bisexual, grouped together in an axillary umbel, stalked, petals 5, white. Fruit a schizocarp splitting into mericarps.

Biology :

Reproduce by seed and runners fragments, layering. Hydrochorous.

Phenology :

Flowering June to October; fruiting July to November.

Ecology :

Locally common in rather wet road-sides, earth banks, along ditches. Locally gregarious. At about 0-2500 m alt. Rainfed rice fields.

Distribution :

Pantropical, originating from S.E.Asia.

Agricultural importance :

Rarely noxious.

Chemical control :

MSMA at 0.4 kg ha-1 applied 25-30 d after emergence provides effective control.

Uses :
Sometimes the species planted to prevent erosion.
Eaten raw or steamed as a vegetable; used as a styptic and as a medicine against skin diseases and duiretic.

References :
-Marita I.G., Keith Moody, Colin M. Piggin. 1999. Upland Rice Weeds of Southeast Asia, IRRI.
-Soerjani M., Kostermans A. J. G. H., Tjitrosoepomo G. 1987. Weeds of rice in Indonesia. Balai Pustaka. Jakarta.
-Moody K., Munroe C.E., Lubigan R.T., Paller E.C.Jr. 1984. Major Weeds of the Philippines.

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