Description

Little Tree Plant also known as Mukkootti is a species of plant in the genus Biophytum of the family Oxalidaceae. It is commonly found in wet lands of Nepal, tropical India and in other Southeast Asian countries and is used for medicinal purposes in Nepal and India. The plant is also a common weed in tropical greenhouses. Investigations have been undertaken into the plant's chemistry, biological activities, and medicinal uses. The leaflets of Biophytum sensitivum are able to move rapidly in response to mechanical stimulation such as touch.

Characteristics:

Little Tree Plant is known for its interesting characteristic similar to the of Touch-Me-Not. It is an annual herb which looks like a miniature palm, with unbranched stems up to 30 cm in height but usually shorter. The leaves are pinnately compound, numerous, crowded at the apex of the stem, and 5-12 cm long, with 8-14 pairs of leaflets. The leaflets gradually increases in size upward, being 1.5 centimeters long or less, oblong to oblong-ovate, and often somewhat curved. The leaflets close when touched. The flowers are many, and crowded at the apices of the numerous peduncles. The sepals are lanceolate, striate, and about 7 mm long. The 5 rounded petals are yellow with red markings. The fruit is a capsule which is shorter than the persistent calyx. During the festival of Onam in Kerala, intricate and colourful arrangements of flowers laid on the floor, called Pookalam are made. The flowers of mukkutti form an essential part of a Pookalam. Flowering: August-January.

Medicinal Uses:

Chemical analyses have shown that the plant parts are rich in compounds such as amentoflavone, cupressuflavone and isoorientin. Its extracts are traditionally believed to be antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, radioprotective, chemoprotective, antiangiogenetic, wound-healing, immunomodulatory, anti-diabetic, and cardioprotective in nature.