Indian Milkwort is an annual, erect herb, 10-25 cm
tall. Stems are woody at base; branches round, crisped velvet-hairy.
Leaf-stalks are about 1 mm, velvet-hairy; leaf blade green, obovate,
elliptic, or lanceshaped, 2.6-10 x 1-1.5 cm, papery, velvet-hairy,
midvein raised below, impressed above, lateral veins few, obscure, base
wedge-shaped to rounded or heart-shaped, margin entire, slightly
recurved, tip blunt, with a short sharp point, or tapering. Flowers
are borne in racemes in leaf-axils, shorter than leaves, only about 1
cm, densely few flowered. Flower-stalks are about 1.5 mm, flowers about
4.5 mm. Petals are 3, fused at base, yellowish or white with pink;
lateral petals shorter than keel, keel about 4 mm, tip with 2 fascicled
appendages. Stamens are 8, lower 1/2 united forming an open staminal
sheath, split in upper 1/2 into 8 free filaments. Sepals are 5,
persistent, green, fringed with hairs; outer sepals 3,
ovate-lanceshaped, about 2 mm, tip tapering; inner sepals 2,
petal-like, curved, about 4.5 mm, prominently 4- or 5-veined, base
unguiculate, tip tapering. Capsule is spherical, about 2 mm in
diameter, narrowly winged, fringed with hairs, tip flat. Indian
Milkwort is found in Tropical & Subtropical Asia to Australia.
Flowering: April-October.
Medicinal uses: In Manipur, decoction of
shoots is given in inflammatory conditions. Infusion is given in
asthma.
Identification credit: Raja Ghosh
Photographed at Jamshedpur outskirts, Jharkhand.
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The flower labeled Indian Milkwort is ...