Biophytum sensitivum (L.) DC
Family: Oxalidaceae
Common Name: Little tree plant
Vernacular Names: Lajvanthi (Hindi), Viparitalajjalu (Sanskrit), Tintanali (Tamil), Mukkutti (Malayalam)
Plant Description
Biophytum sensitivum is a small, flowering, annual herb with sensitive leaves that grows in tropical Africa and Asia.
Habit: Herb
Height: 5-25 cm
Stem: simple, slender to robust with a single rosette of leaves at the apex.
Leaves: rachis slender, moderately hispid; leaflets 6-14 pairs; leaflet blades oblong to obovate-oblong, usually glabrous, occasionally sparsely covered with trichomes, base almost symmetric.
Flowers: several flowers on the umbels, the peduncle is 2-7 cm and is subequal to the length of the leaf. There are several bracts which are lanceolate and arranged densely at the apex of the peduncle. Sepals are with glandular septate trichomes. The petals are longer than sepals and yellow in color.
Fruit: capsule covered with hair, ellipsoid-obovoid in shape.
Seeds: Fattened-ellipsoid, minutely tuberculate, brown.
Medicinal Properties
• The plant is used to treat inflammation, arthritis, wounds, tumors, and burns.
• It is used to treat stomach ache.
• It is plant is used to treat asthma.
• The plant is used to treat diabetes.
• It is used to treat snake bite.
• The plant is used to treat chronic skin diseases.
• The root decoction is used to treat gonorrhea.
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