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Stalkless Joyweed
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Stalkless Joyweed
ative Photo: Rakesh Singh
Common name: Stalkless Joyweed, Sessile Joyweed, Dwarf copperleaf, Joyweed • Hindi: Garundi, Guroo • Manipuri: ꯐꯛꯆꯦꯠ Phakchet • Marathi: Kanchari • Tamil: Ponnanganni • Malayalam: Ponnankannikkira • Telugu: Ponnagantikura • Kannada: ಹೊನಗೊನ್ನೆ Honagonne, ಹೊನಗೊನೆ, ಹೊನಗೋನೆ Honagone, ಹೊನಗನ್ನೆ Honaganne • Oriya: Madaranga • Konkani: Koypa • Sanskrit: Matsyaksi • Nepali: भिरिंगी झार Bhiringi Jhaar, आँख्ले झार AAnkhe Jhaar, भाले भृंगराज Bhaale Bhringaraaj, बिसाउने झार Bisaaune Jhaar, जिब्रे पाते Jibre Paate, दुबे झार Dube Jhaar • Mizo: Ngha-te-ril • Tangkhul: Phakchek
Botanical name: Alternanthera sessilis    Family: Amaranthaceae (Amaranth family)

Stalkless Joyweed is a perennial herb, often found in and near ponds, canals and reservoirs. It prefers places with constant or periodically high humidity and so may be found in swamps, shallow ditches, and fallow rice fields. A much branched prostrate herb, branches often purplish, frequently rooting at the lower nodes; leaves simple, opposite, somewhat fleshy, lanceolate, oblanceolate or linear-oblong, obtuse or subacute, sometimes obscurely denticulate, glabrous, shortly petiolate; flowers small, white, in axillary clusters; fruits compressed obcordate utricles, seeds suborbicular. In Manipur, tender shoots and leaves are eaten cooked with rice along with fermented soyabean. Stalkless Joyweed is found in the Himalayas, at altitudes of 200-2000 m.
Medicinal uses: Stems and leaves useful in eye trouble. Decoction is taken with little salt drunk to check vomiting of blood. Shoot with other ingredients used to restore virility. Poultice used for boils.

Identification credit: Rakesh Singh Photographed in Gujarat.

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