Fabaceae / Papilionaceae

Amaranthaceae
Alternanthera sessilis (L.) DeCandolle
(Syn: Gomphrena sessilis L.)
English name: Sessile joyweed, Dwarf copperleaf.
Local name: Sindhi- Koriyun kum, Urdu- Kanchari, Punjabi-
Moku-nu-wana.
Description:
Asemiaquatic to aquatic, annual or usually perennial prostrate herb up to 50 cm long
with long narrow sessile leaves, opposite, lamina variable in shape, fleshy with very
short petiole, rooting at the node. Flowers minute, off-white, in sessile clusters in the
leaf axils. Propagated by seeds and division of underground stems or by nodal
rooting.
Flowering Period:
May to October.
Habitat: .
Commonly found in damp, moist and semi-aquatic
habitats.
Uses:
Juice of plant is given to treat white discharge in urine; a
paste of plant is applied to wounds and to treat venereal
disease, also eaten by mothers to increase the flow of milk.
Distribution:
Tropics, sub-tropics of both Old and New Worlds.
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