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Useful Tropical Plants

Oldenlandia corymbosa

L.

Rubiaceae


Hedyotis is a very problematic genus or group of genera. Neither the overall identity and limits of this lineage, nor the evolutionary patterns within it, are at all understood or delineated. Widely differing treatments have long been used in different regions and floras. The situation is far from resolution or even general consensus and so many authors treat the genus very broadly[
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
]. In line with several recent (up to 2013) molecular and phylogenic studies, the Kew ‘World Checklist of Selected Plant Families’ has recognised a number of distinct genera and this is the treatment we are adopting here[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].

+ Synonyms

Gerontogea biflora (Lam.) Cham. & Schltdl.

Gerontogea corymbosa (L.) Cham. & Schltdl.

Gerontogea herbacea (DC.) Cham. & Schltdl.

Hedyotis alsinifolia R.Br. ex Wall.

Hedyotis biflora Hornem.

Hedyotis burmanniana R.Br. ex Wall.

Hedyotis corymbosa (L.) Lam.

Hedyotis depressa (Willd.) Roem. & Schult.

Hedyotis diantha Schult.

Hedyotis graminicola Kurz

Hedyotis hermanniana R.M.Dutta

Hedyotis intermedia Wight & Arn.

Hedyotis pseudocorymbosa Bakh.f.

Hedyotis pusilla Hochst. ex A.Rich.

Hedyotis ramose (Roxb.) Blume

Hedyotis scabrida Steud.

Hedyotis sperguloides A.Rich.

Oldenlandia alsinifolia G.Don

Oldenlandia biflora Lam.

Oldenlandia burmanniana G.Don

Oldenlandia caespitose (Benth.)

Oldenlandia capillaries DC.

Oldenlandia delicatula K.Schum.

Oldenlandia depressa Willd.

Oldenlandia herbacea DC.

Oldenlandia linearis DC.

Oldenlandia mollugoides O.Schwarz

Oldenlandia praetermissa Bremek.

Oldenlandia pseudocorymbosa (Bakh.f.) Raizada

Oldenlandia ramose Roxb.

Oldenlandia scabrida DC.

Oldenlandia subtilis S.Moore

Oldenlandia tenuissima Hiern

Common Name:

Oldenlandia corymbosa
Plant growing in native habitat
Photograph by: Barry Hammel
Creative Commons License
Oldenlandia corymbosa Oldenlandia corymbosa Oldenlandia corymbosa

General Information

Oldenlandia corymbosa is an erect or prostrate, sparsely branched annual plant with stems up to 40cm long that sometimes root at the nodes[
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
,
785
Title
Medicinal Plants of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
Publication
 
Author
Nguyen Van Duong
Publisher
Mekong Printing; Vietnam (Printers)
Year
1993
ISBN
0-9837303-1-2
Description
Published by the author, this is an excellent book on the medicinal attributes of plants growing in the area that used to be called Indo-China.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of a dye.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

500
Title
Flora of Somalia
Publication
 
Author
Thulin M. (Editor)
Publisher
Kew Publishing, London.
Year
1993
ISBN
 
Description
Detailed information on the plants of the region, often adding notes on the plants uses.

Range

Widespread through tropical and subtropical Africa; Arabia, subtropical and tropical Asia to New Guinea.

Habitat

Grassland with long or short grass, bushland, montane scrub, shallow soil on rocks, sandy river ridges, furrows and dry ponds on black-cotton soil, cultivated and disturbed ground, at elevations from sea level to 2,300 metres[
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].

Properties

Weed PotentialYes
Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitAnnual
Height0.20 m
PollinatorsInsects
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details



The plant has become a widely naturalized weed through the tropics and subtropics[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked[
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
]. The tender young leaves and stems are cooked with other vegetables such as Amaranthus and Cucurbita species, and act as a softener for the other cooked vegetables[
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
]. They are a rich source of vitamin C[
360
Title
Philippine Medicinal Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.stuartxchange.org/CompleteList.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A lovely site, giving brief details on the medicinal uses of several hundred (over 400 at the last count) plants in the Philippines, plus a picture of each plant.
].
The leaves and stems can be burnt, the ash mixed with water then filtered, and the resultant liquid used as a tenderizer when cooking other vegetables[
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].

Medicinal

The leaves are pounded, soaked in warm water and the liquid drunk to treat stomach disorders[
398
Title
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
Publication
 
Author
Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
Publisher
Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
Year
2002
ISBN
9966-896-60-0
Description
A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].
They are used externally as a poultice to treat sores and sore eyes[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

The entire plant is used in decoction as an anthelmintic, antirheumatic, depurative, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, febrifuge, pectoral and stomachic[
240
Title
Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
Publication
 
Author
Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
Publisher
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
Year
1986
ISBN
-
Description
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
,
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
,
360
Title
Philippine Medicinal Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.stuartxchange.org/CompleteList.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A lovely site, giving brief details on the medicinal uses of several hundred (over 400 at the last count) plants in the Philippines, plus a picture of each plant.
,
785
Title
Medicinal Plants of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
Publication
 
Author
Nguyen Van Duong
Publisher
Mekong Printing; Vietnam (Printers)
Year
1993
ISBN
0-9837303-1-2
Description
Published by the author, this is an excellent book on the medicinal attributes of plants growing in the area that used to be called Indo-China.
]. In India, it is a common ingredient in mixtures used internally to treat remittent fevers, gastric irritation, nervous depression and as a tonic[
240
Title
Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
Publication
 
Author
Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
Publisher
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
Year
1986
ISBN
-
Description
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
,
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. It is also used to treat jaundice and other liver conditions[
240
Title
Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
Publication
 
Author
Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
Publisher
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
Year
1986
ISBN
-
Description
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
,
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. In Chinese medicine it is used to treat viral infections, cancer, acne, boils, appendicitis, hepatitis, eye problems and bleeding[
360
Title
Philippine Medicinal Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.stuartxchange.org/CompleteList.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A lovely site, giving brief details on the medicinal uses of several hundred (over 400 at the last count) plants in the Philippines, plus a picture of each plant.
]. In Africa it is used to facilitate childbirth[
360
Title
Philippine Medicinal Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.stuartxchange.org/CompleteList.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A lovely site, giving brief details on the medicinal uses of several hundred (over 400 at the last count) plants in the Philippines, plus a picture of each plant.
].

The juice of the plant is applied to the hands and feet to cool them when the patient has a fever[
240
Title
Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
Publication
 
Author
Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
Publisher
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
Year
1986
ISBN
-
Description
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
].

The roots are reported to have vermifuge properties[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. They are often used as a tincture[
360
Title
Philippine Medicinal Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.stuartxchange.org/CompleteList.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A lovely site, giving brief details on the medicinal uses of several hundred (over 400 at the last count) plants in the Philippines, plus a picture of each plant.
].

The plant contains 0.12% of the alkaloids biflorine and biflorone, which are interconvertable, The content of biflorone increases in stored plants at the expense of biflorine[
240
Title
Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
Publication
 
Author
Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
Publisher
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
Year
1986
ISBN
-
Description
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
].

Other Uses

The roots yield a green dye known as 'gerancine' after reatment with a mordant[
688
Title
Journal of the Arnold Arboretum Vol. 68
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Harvard University.
Year
1987
ISBN
0004-2625
Description
Various articles on plants. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Oldenlandia+corymbosa>

Comments

m.a.loganathan 08th February 2016 12:15
olden landia corymbosa (enbural-seri) grind a paste apply to under feet reduse burning sensution
decotion cure fever,jaundice,sugar

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