Phyla nodiflora, Cape weed, daisylawn, fog fruit, frog fruit, knotted-flower phyla, lippia, matgrass, turkey-tangle

Phyla nodiflora is common in wet places almost throughout Pakistan plains, often in gregarious patches. Leaves and young shoots are sometimes used in curing indigestion in children; its decoction is considered as cooling agent and used as a demulcent in cases of venereal diseases. It is distributed in Throughout tropical and subtropical regions.

Medicinal Uses:

Leaves extract diuretic; boiled leaf extract to cure piles. Whole plant for urinary disorders, blood purification, aphrodisiac, menstrual disorders, female diseases. Plant infusion in fever and as a postpartum remedy. Pant juice to relieve fever, pneumonia, blood dysentery. Extract of young parts given to children in indigestion, and also to women as postpartum remedy. Leaves and young shoots for indigestion in children, a decoction cooling agent used as a demulcent in cases of venereal diseases. Squeezed plant for cold, skin disorders and cough. Crushed leaves applied on forehead in headache.Plant decoction given as a liver tonic, cooling, diuretic, febrifuge, also taken with lime water to eradicate worms; squeezed plant inhaled to treat cough and cold.

Leaves of Eclipta prostrata used in combination with Andrographis paniculata, Leucas indica, Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides, Oxalis corniculata and Phyla nodiflora given for liver problems, jaundice and gastrointestinal disorders; leaves and tops infusion as carminative and diuretic, leaves ground with Allium sativum and made into a paste kept between teeth to check toothache.

Leaf decoction given for burning sensation during urination. Ground leaves paste given to person with deficiency of sperm. Roots juice for gastric troubles.  Veterinary medicine, leaf paste applied over injured horns to check microbial infection; plant juice to relieve blood dysentery of cattle. Contact therapy, a necklace prepared from small stem pieces hung around the neck to prevent boils.

Common Names:

in English: Cape weed, daisylawn, fog fruit, frog fruit, knotted-flower phyla, lippia, matgrass, turkey-tangle

in China: guo jiang teng shu, guo jiang teng

in India: arki mirchi, bafli, bakkan, bhui-okra, bhuiokara, bhuiokra, bhuri okra, bokenaku, bokkena, bokkenaku, btutalai, bukkan, bukun booti, caivam, calakirakani, calakkiranitipanam, cempucattumuli, cetitta, chinglembi, civakarnanki, dhakvel, ilatcumi, jal-butti, jalakarna, jalapapili, jalapimpali, jalapippali, jalpeepal, kampanatakarai, kattuttippali, kattuttippili, katu-tippali, kirumutalatai, kotikkaccirukam, langali, ludra, mulakalakkoti, mulakalam nakacinku, navati, nela-hippali, nelaguridi, nelahippali, nilappippili, podutalai, podutalei, potutalai, purcatam, poduthalai, poduthalai kudineer, poduthuvalai, ponnankani, perumpotutalaikkoti, potkalam, potta, potutilai, putatalai, ratalio, ratavelio, ratoliya, ratuvel, ratvelio, sakuladani, talaibodam, talaipotakam, talaipotam, talamputam, talapotam, tipani,

tosakkinakunmanacini, toyapanam, toytalai, toytalaikkoti, vannikai, vannikaikkoti, vasaka, vashira, vekkan

in Japan: iwa-dare-sô

in Nepal: abijali, aikamar, kurkure jhar, phuli jhar

in Pakistan: jal-nim, makna, wakan

in Philippines: busbusi, chachahan, kolud, lopulopu

Scientific Names(Synonyms):

Blairia nodiflora (L.) Gaertn.

Diototheca repens (Bertol.) Raf.

Lantana larranagae Moldenke

Lantana repens Sessé & Moc.

Lippia aegyptiaca Carrière

Lippia fruticosa (Mill.) K.Kenn. ex R.W.Sanders

Lippia incisa (Small) Tidestr.

Lippia incisa (Small) E.D. Schulz

Lippia litoralis Phil.

Lippia nodiflora (L.) Michx.

Lippia nodiflora Cham.

Lippia nodiflora var. acutifolia Kuntze

Lippia nodiflora f. brevipes Kuntze

Lippia nodiflora var. minor Gillies & Hook.

Lippia nodiflora var. repens (Bertol.) Schauer

Lippia nodiflora var. rosea (D. Don) J.F. Macbr.

Lippia nodiflora var. sarmentosa (Willd.) Schauer

Lippia repens (Bertol.) Spreng.

Lippia sarmentosa (Willd.) Spreng.

Phyla chinensis Lour.

Phyla fruticosa (Mill.) K.Kenn. ex Wunderlin & B.F.Hansen

Phyla incisa Small

Phyla nodiflora var. antillana Moldenke

Phyla nodiflora f. copiapina Acevedo

Phyla nodiflora var. incisa (Small) Moldenke

Phyla nodiflora var. longifolia Moldenke

Phyla nodiflora var. sericea Moldenke

Phyla nodiflora var. texensis Moldenke

Phyla yucatana var. parviflora Moldenke

Piarimula chinensis (Lour.) Raf.

Platonia nodiflora (L.) Raf.

Verbena capitata Forssk.

Verbena cuneata Willd. ex Spreng.

Verbena elliptica Willd. ex Spreng.

Verbena fruticosa Mill.

Verbena globiflora Nocca ex Spreng.

Verbena lanata Willd. ex Walp.

Verbena nodiflora L.

Verbena repens Bertol.

Verbena sarmentosa Willd.

Zapania nodiflora Pers. ex Baker

Zappania nodiflora (L.) Lam.

Zappania repens (Bertol.) Bertol.

Zappania suberosa Spreng.

Floral Description

According to flora of Pakistan:

Perennial, prostrate herb with somewhat woody rootstock, rooting at nodes, appressedly pubescent to glabrescent. Leaves oblanceolate, obovate to spathulate, somewhat fleshy, 5-40 mm long, 4-20 mm broad, serrate above, entire below, glabrous to appressedly pubescent, subsessile to sessile, obtuse, rarely subacute. Spikes 1-4.5 cm long, 6-8 mm broad, solitary, axillary, peduncled, appressedly pubescent to glabrous. Flowers very small, white, rarely pinkish, c. 3 mm long; bracts c . 2 mm long, mucronate or acuminate, imbricate. Calyx flattened, shorter than bracts, hyaline-membranous, deeply dissected with lanceolate lobes, pubescent. Corolla slightly exceeding the bracts, unequally 4-lobed with spreading lobes. Fruit ovate, c. 1.6 mm long, subcompressed, enclosed by the persistent calyx, separating at maturity into two, 1-seeded pyrenes.