Common Name:

General Information

Geophila repens is a creeping, evergreen, perennial herb growing up to 10cm tall and often forming dense close colonies in shaded places[, ].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It can be grown as a ground cover plant in shady places.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Original habitat is obscure, but the plant is found in the tropics and subtropics of Africa, Asia, through the Pacific to the Americas and Caribbean.

Habitat

Wet thickets and forests of the hot lowlands of both coasts of Guatemala, at elevations up to 700 metres. It is often a weed in banana plantations[]. Shaded forest floor in evergreen or partly deciduous forest formations[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	0.10 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Grows best in the dappled shade of a woodland[]. Prefers a humus-rich soil[]. Succeeds in moist to wet soils[].
The plant has spread widely from its original range and is now naturalized through most of the tropics and subtropics. It is sometimes found as a weed of banana plantations[].

Edible Uses

The seeds are said to be edible[].

Medicinal

The leaves are sometimes chewed as a cough remedy[].

A decoction of the boiled plant is used as a treatment for coughs[].

The fruits are considered to be an effective antifungal agent. They are used in the treatment of skin fungi[]. They are crushed and rubbed on facial dermatitis that consists of white spots[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant forms dense, close colonies in shady places and so can be used as a ground cover plant[, ].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

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