Description

Indian Marshweed also called Creeping marshweed, is a herbaceous plant belonging to the family Plantaginaceae. It grows up to 45 cm tall both in terrestrial and fresh water habitats. The plant has a strong aromatic smell. Stems are covered with fine hair. Leaves are subsessile opposite and oblong. Violet-pink(rarely yellow) flowers are axilary and solitary or in short racemes. Seeds are angular and brown. Flowering season: November to May.

Features:

Indian Marshweed is a perennial herb which can live in water and on land. Submerged stems much branched, hairless. Aerial stems are up to 15 cm, simple or branched, hairless, with stalked or stalkless glands. Submerged leaves are whorled, 1.5-2.5 cm, pinnately cut into segments which are flattened to capillary. Aerial leaves are usually whorled, pinnately lobed, 0.4-2 cm, sometimes few opposite and toothed. Flowers arise singly in the axils of aerial leaves. Flower stalk is slender, 2-10 mm, usually longer than bract. Bracteoles 2, 1.5-3.5 mm, margin entire or sparsely serrate, apex acute. Sepal cup is 3.5-5 mm, with stalkless glands, sepals 2-3 mm, ovate to lanceshaped, tip short pointed. Flowers are white or pale purple, 1-1.4 cm. Petals are botched with dark purple or reddish spots. Capsule is dark brown, compressed, ellipsoid to round, 3 mm. Indian Marshweed is found in India, including the Himalayas, at altitudes of 200-2300 m. Flowering: March-November.

Medicinal Uses:

The leaves are antispasmodic, appetizer, disinfectant, diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge and galactagogue. A decoction is given in the treatment of fevers, gravel in the kidneys, haematuria, to promote the appetite, and to clear mucus from the bronchial tubes. Eating the plant is thought to calm the stomach after eating a durian. The sap of the leaves is used to clean wounds and sores on the legs. It is considered to be a rather strong treatment.