Common Name:

General Information

Limnophila indica is an amphibious, perennial plant. It can vary from a slender, gregarious plant about 5cm tall when growing on the mud of river banks and rice fields, to a long, much-branched, submerged herb with up to 15cm of stem emerging from the water, when growing in the deeper water of pools[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine.
This species has a broad distribution, from Sri Lanka and Pakistan east to Japan and south to Australasia, it is able to exploit anthropogenic habitats such as rice fields, occurring as an alien in Africa and North America. It is unlikely to be threatened with extinction in the short term. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Widespread through tropical Africa and Asia to Papua New Guinea, northern Australia and Micronesia.

Habitat

An aquatic or semi-aquatic herb occurring in marshes, pools, along riversides or forest paths, at elevations from sea level to 1,200 metres. Sometimes also found as a weed of rice fields[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.25 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant is listed as a noxious weed in N. America.
The smell of the plant is agreeable and resembles that of turpentine, or a mixture of cinnamon and cloves or cinnamon and citrus[].

Edible Uses

The plant is eaten raw or cooked. It can be used as a condiment or sidedish, or can be steamed as a vegetable[].

Medicinal

The plant is antiseptic, febrifuge[]. An infusion of the leaves is used in the treatment of dysentery, diarrhoea and dyspepsia[]. The juice of the plant, combined with cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) and other aromatic plants, is used in the treatment of dysentery[].
The juice of the plant is rubbed on the body as a remedy for strong fevers[]. A liniment is made from the plant, combined with coconut oil, and is used in elephantiasi[]s.

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Cuttings. The stems often form basal roots, and these can be used as propagation material[].

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