Botanical Name: Drymaria cordata
Family: Caryophyllaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Caryophyllales
Genus: Drymaria
Species: D. cordata
Synonyms:
*Alsine media Vell.
*Alsine rotundifolia Stokes
*Bufonia rotundifolia Buch.-Ham. ex Steud.
*Cerastium cordatum (L.) Crantz
*Cerastium cordifolium Roxb.
*Drymaria adenophora Urb.
*Drymaria cordata var. diandra (Sw.) Griseb.
*Drymaria cordata var. pacifica Mizush.
Common Names: West Indin Chickweed, Whitesnow
Assamese common names :
*Laijabori
*Lai Jabori
*Thunthuni
Habitat : Drymaria cordata is native to moist habitats in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa, and has been introduced to many places in the tropics and subtropics, including the southeast US, the Caribbean, the Indian Subcontinent, southern China, Japan, and a number of islands. It grows in tropical and sub-tropical India, but extends into the Himalayas up to elevations of 2100 metres.
It is known as one of the most aggressive weeds of the tropical and subtropical parts of the world.
Description:
Drymaria cordata is a creeping annual/perennial herb, growing to 0.6 m (2ft). Stem glabrous to glandular-papillate. Branches arising from base, rooting at nodes, slender, elongate. Leaves simple, opposite; stipules lacerate ca. 1-2 mm into long filaments; petioles ca. 2-5 mm long; lamina. ca. 5-25 x 3-20 mm, deltoid-ovate to subreniform, obtuse to cordate at base, acute or obtuse and mucronate at apex, glabrous, 3-7 nerved.It is in flower from July to August. Flowers in dichasial cyme, terminal; pedicels ca. 1-8 mm long, finely glandular pubescent; bracts lanceolate ca. 2-5 mm long; Sepals 5, narrowly obovate to elliptic-ovate, ca. 2-4.5 mm long, keeled, 3-nerved, inflexed, glandular papillose on nerves; petals 3-5, 2-fid, white; lobes oblong, obtuse at apex, ca. 1.5-3 mm long, 1-nerved; stamens 2-3, ca. 1.6-2.2 mm long; anthers suborbicular; Ovary globose; styles 2 or 3 fid. Capsules 2-3 valved, ca. 1.5-2.5 mm long. Seeds one, ca. 1-2 mm in diam, cochleate, finely tuberculate.
It is usually with a mass of extensively branched, trailing stems which may root at the nodes. Roots are fibrous, shallow, mainly from the base of the stem but also from the lower nodes where the soil is moist. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Roots are fibrous, shallow, mainly from the base of the stem but also from the lower nodes where the soil is moist.
Cultivation:
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil. Prefers a rather rich soil in full sun.l.
Propagation:
Through Seeds – sow in situ in the spring. Germination usually takes place within 1 – 4 weeks at 20°c.
Edible Uses: Tender young leaves and shoots are eaten – raw or cooked as a vegetable. The leaves are used as a salad for their cooling properties. Another report says that the herb is eaten raw or cooked as a stimulant.
Medicinal Uses:
The pounded leaf is applied to snake bites in China. The plant is appetizer, depurative, emollient, febrifuge, laxative and stimulant. The juice of the plant is used.
Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplement, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drymaria_cordata
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Drymaria+cordata
https://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/281467
