Bacopa crenata

Last updated

Bacopa crenata
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Plantaginaceae
Genus: Bacopa
Species:
B. crenata
Binomial name
Bacopa crenata
(P.Beauv.) Hepper
Synonyms [1]
  • Bacopa calycina(Benth.) Engl. ex De Wild.
  • Erinus africanusPers.
  • Herpestis calycinaPennell
  • Herpestis crenataP. Beauv
  • Herpestis thonnginiiBenth.
  • Moniera calycina(Benth.) Hiern

Bacopa crenata, the waterhyssop, brahmi, or moneywort, is a perennial or annual medicinal herb indigenous to tropical Africa and Madagascar. [1]

Contents

Description

Bacopa crenata is a non-aromatic herb, growing up to 40 cm (16 in) in height. Its leaves are opposite, oblong, slightly serrated on their margin, and 1.4–1.5 cm (0.55–0.59 in) thick. Its leaves are also lanceolate to ovate and are arranged oppositely (opposite deccusate) on the stem. Its flowers are small, actinomorphic, and range from white to blue or purple, with four to five petals. Its ability to grow in water makes it a popular aquarium plant. [2]

Habitat and ecology

Bacopa crenata grows in marshy areas throughout West Africa, Angola, Madagascar, Kenya, and Tanzania. [3]

Uses

The leaves of Bacopa crenata are used in Africa to treat conjunctivitus and headaches, and to heal wounds. [4]

Related Research Articles

Basil Species of plant, important culinary herb

Basil, also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints).

<i>Salvia officinalis</i> Species of plant

Salvia officinalis is a perennial, evergreen subshrub, with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae and native to the Mediterranean region, though it has been naturalized in many places throughout the world. It has a long history of medicinal and culinary use, and in modern times it has been used as an ornamental garden plant. The common name "sage" is also used for a number of related and unrelated species.

<i>Catharanthus</i> Genus of flowering plants

Catharanthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae. Like the genus Vinca, they are known commonly as periwinkles. There are eight known species. Seven are endemic to Madagascar, though one, C. roseus, is widely naturalized around the world. The eighth species, C. pusillus, is native to India and Sri Lanka. The name Catharanthus comes from the Greek for "pure flower".

<i>Mentha suaveolens</i> Species of flowering plant

Mentha suaveolens, the apple mint, pineapple mint, woolly mint or round-leafed mint, is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae. It is native to southern and western Europe including the Mediterranean region. It is a herbaceous, upright perennial plant that is most commonly grown as a culinary herb or for ground cover.

<i>Bacopa monnieri</i> Species of aquatic plant

Bacopa monnieri is a perennial, creeping herb native to the wetlands of southern and Eastern India, Australia, Europe, Africa, Asia, and North and South America. It is known by the common names water hyssop, waterhyssop, brahmi, thyme-leafed gratiola, herb of grace, and Indian pennywort.

<i>Aponogeton madagascariensis</i> Species of aquatic plant

Aponogeton madagascariensis is commonly known as Madagascar laceleaf, lattice leaf or lace plant. It is an aquatic plant native to Madagascar, popularly sold for use in aquariums. It is endangered in the wild.

<i>Plantago major</i> Species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae

Plantago major, the broadleaf plantain, white man's foot, or greater plantain, is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae. The plant is native to most of Europe and northern and central Asia, but has widely naturalised elsewhere in the world.

<i>Bacopa</i> Genus of aquatic plants

Bacopa is a genus of 70–100 aquatic plants belonging to the family Plantaginaceae. It is commonly known as waterhyssop.

Thai basil

Thai basil is a type of basil native to Southeast Asia that has been cultivated to provide distinctive traits. Widely used throughout Southeast Asia, its flavor, described as anise- and licorice-like and slightly spicy, is more stable under high or extended cooking temperatures than that of sweet basil. Thai basil has small, narrow leaves, purple stems, and pink-purple flowers.

<i>Catharanthus roseus</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae

Catharanthus roseus, commonly known as bright eyes, Cape periwinkle, graveyard plant, Madagascar periwinkle, old maid, pink periwinkle, rose periwinkle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae. It is native and endemic to Madagascar, but grown elsewhere as an ornamental and medicinal plant. It is a source of the drugs vincristine and vinblastine, used to treat cancer. It was formerly included in the genus Vinca as Vinca rosea.

<i>Bacopa caroliniana</i> Species of aquatic plant

Bacopa caroliniana is a flowering plant species.

<i>Ardisia japonica</i> Species of flowering plant

Ardisia japonica, known as marlberry, is a species of Ardisia native to eastern Asia, in eastern China, Japan and Korea.

<i>Prunella vulgaris</i>

Prunella vulgaris is a herbaceous plant in the genus Prunella.

<i>Acalypha indica</i> Species of flowering plant

Acalypha indica is an herbaceous annual that has catkin-like inflorescences with cup-shaped involucres surrounding the minute flowers. It is mainly known for its root being attractive to domestic cats, and for its various medicinal uses. It occurs throughout the Tropics.

<i>Lippia alba</i> Species of flowering plant

Lippia alba is a species of flowering plant in the verbena family, Verbenaceae, that is native to southern Texas in the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. The species is also present in Australia and India, where it is probably a human introduction. Common names include bushy matgrass, bushy lippia, hierba negra, and pitiona. It is a multi-branched shrub, reaching a height of 1.5 m (4.9 ft). Leaves measure 1 to 3 cm in length and 0.9 to 2 cm in width and are opposite or in threes. Flowers with white, pink, or light blue-purple corollas form on spikes 2 cm (0.79 in) long.

Fenugreek production in India

The production of fenugreek in India is marked by its dominant position in world production and export. Within India Rajasthan accounts for its largest cropped area and production. The fenugreek plant is an annual herbaceous forage legume with aroma, which is used for food in the form of its seeds as spices, and its leaves as a vegetable. It is also used as a medicinal herb in several Ayurvedic formulations for treatment of dry skin, boils, hair loss and so forth.

<i>Viola abyssinica</i> Species of flowering plant

Viola abyssinica is a low perennial plant with long trailing stems and whitish or light purple flowers with purple markings on the lip, that is assigned to the violet family. In the wild it grows in moist grassland, forest glades and margins, at altitudes between 1200 and 3400 m (3900–11.000 ft), in eastern Africa, from South Africa to Ethiopia, in Cameroun and Nigeria, and on Madagascar and Bioko. Vernacular names are bezongozongo in Madagascar, and dukunsha in Ethiopia.

Vigna dalzelliana is a perennial herb with yellow flowers that commonly is used as fodder. The plant is poorly understood and was previously confused with its relative Vigna minima.

Goodenia crenata is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and endemic to north-western Australia. It is a perennial, herb with oblong, elliptic or egg-shaped leaves in a rosette at the base of the plant, and leafy racemes of yellow flowers.

References

  1. 1 2 Umberto Quattrocchi (2016). CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology (reprint ed.). CRC Press. p. 514. ISBN   9781482250640.
  2. Robert Allgayer (2006). Plantes d'aquarium. Editions Artemis. ISBN   9782844165176.
  3. Rüdiger Riehl (1998). Aquarium Atlas. 3. Steven Simpson Books. p. 22. ISBN   9783882440539.
  4. Maurice M. Iwu (2014). Handbook of African Medicinal Plants (illustrated, second ed.). CRC Press. p. 84. ISBN   9781466571976.