Description

Frog Fruit is a flowering, broadleaf plant native to South America. It is grows in a groundcover or turflike manner, and is often present in yards. The inflorescence consists of a purple-coloured centre encircled by small white-to-pink flowers. The flower takes on a match-like look, which is why the plant is called matchweed. The leaf arrangement is opposite. Each leaf has one to seven teeth on each edge starting at the widest point and continuing to the tip. Frog Fruit is native to the whole of Africa, temperate and tropical Asia, Australasia, Europe and tropical America. In India, it occurs in almost all states at lower altitudes. It is also found in the Himalayas, from Kumaun to Nepal and NE India, at altitudes of 600-1400 m.

Characteristics:

Prostrate herbs, rooting at nodes. Leaves 1-3 x 0.8-1.5 cm, obovate-spathulate or oblanceolate, sometimes elliptic or cuneiform, base cuneate, margin sharply serrate above the middle, apex rounded or obtuse, fleshy, glabrescent to appressed pubescent; petiole to 8 mm long, decurrent. Flowers 5-merous, sessile, aggregated in axillary, globose-capitate or elongate, cylindric, stalked spikes, 1-2.5 cm long when mature and 6-9 mm across; peduncle solitary in eachaxil, 1.5-6 cm long. Bracts small, closely imbricate, obovate. Calyx cupular, aboutequalling the corolla tube, deeply 2-cleft; lobes lanceolate. Corolla pink to white, 2-2.5 mm long, salver-form, 2-lipped, upper lip 2-lobed, emarginate, lower 3-lobed. Stamens 4, included. Drupe c. 2 mm long, enclosing two, 1-celled pyrenes.

Medicinal uses:

Plant decoction is given in uraema. Fresh juice is applied to bleeding gums. Infusion of leaves and tender stalk is given to children in indigestion and to women after delivary.