FoI
Frog Fruit
Share Foto info
Frog Fruit
ative Photo: Thingnam Girija
Common name: Frog Fruit, Turkey tangle, Creeping Lip Plant, Lippia, sawtooth fogfruit, turkey tangle fogfruit, wild long pepper • Assamese: কুৰকুৰি বন kurkuri bon • Gujarati: જળપીપળી jalapippali, રતવેલિયો ratvelio • Hindi: भू ओकरा bhu okra, छोटा ओकरा chota okra, जल बूटी jal buti, जल पिप्पली jal pippali • Kannada: ಜಲಹಿಪ್ಪಲಿ jala hippali, ಕೆರೆಹಿಪ್ಪಲಿ kere hippali, ನೀರುಹಿಪ್ಪಲಿ neeru hippali, ನೆಲಹಿಪ್ಪಲಿ nela hippali, ಗಜಹಿಪ್ಪಲಿ Gaja hippali, ಕಪಿವಲ್ಲಿ Kapivalli • Konkani: अदली adali • Malayalam: ജലതിപ്പലി jala thippali, കാട്ടു ത്തിപ്പലി kattu thippali, നീർത്തിപ്പലി neer thippali • Manipuri: চিংলেঙবী ꯆꯤꯡꯂꯦꯡꯕꯤ chinglengbi • Marathi: गौर मुंडी goura mundi, जल पिंपळी jala pimpali • Nepali: अकमर akamara, जल पिप्ली jal pipli, कोकना kokana, कुरकुरे झार kurkure jhar, फुली झार phuli jhar, मत्स्यगन्धा matsyagandha • Odia: ଜଳପିପ୍ପଳୀ jalapippali, ଲାଙ୍ଗଳୀଶାକ langalishaka, ଶକୁଳାହନୀ sakulahani, ଶାରଦୀ sharadi • Punjabi: ਗੋਰਖਮੁੰਡੀ gorakhmundi • Sanskrit: बहुशिखा bahushikha, जलपिप्पली jalapippali, वशीर vashira • Tamil: பொடுதலை potutalai • Telugu: బొక్కెనాకు bokenaku, బొక్కెన bokkena, గజ పిప్పలి కాడ gajapippali-kada, మొసలిపప్పు mosalipappu, నీరు పిప్పలి కాడ neeru pippali kada • Tulu: ನೀರ್ ಪಿಪ್ಪಲಿ neerpippali Source: Names of Plants in India
Botanical name: Phyla nodiflora    Family: Verbenaceae (Verbena family)
Synonyms: Lippia nodiflora, Verbena nodiflora, Platonia nodiflora

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.
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.

Identification credit: Navendu Pagé Photographed in Imphal, Manipur.

• Is this flower misidentified? If yes,