Drymaria cordata (L.) Willd. ex Schultes
Family
Caryophyllaceae
Synonyms
None
Vernacular Names
| English |
Chickweed. |
| Indonesia | Jukut ibun (Sundanese), angleng (Javanese), si rempas bide (Batak). |
| Thailand | Yaa klet hoi (Chiang Mai). |
| Papua New Guinea | Lukumuaia (Fore, Eastern Highlands), iyalo (Fane, Central Province). |
| Philippines | Bakalanga (Bukidnon). |
| Vietnam | D[ow]n x[uw][ow]ng, t[uf] t[if]. |
Geographical Distributions
Drymaria cordata is pantropical and occurs throughout tropical Asia, but was originally introduced from tropical America.
Description
Drymaria cordata is an annual herb. Its stems are prostrate or ascending, striate and measuring up to 100(-150) cm long. The internodes are longer than the leaves where they root at the nodes and are smooth to glandular.
The leaves are 3-7-veined, arranged opposite, deltoid-ovate to suborbicular or cordate, measuring 0.5-2.5 cm x 0.3-2 cm, subtruncate to obtuse at the base and often apiculate at the apex. The petiole is 2-8 mm long. The stipules are lacerate with slender segments.
The inflorescence is a terminal cyme 3-many-flowered and the peduncle measures up to 12 cm long. The bracts are 2-5 mm long and lance-shaped. The flowers are bisexual, regular, 5-merous and greenish or yellowish-green. The pedicel is up to 8 mm long. The sepals are 2-4.5 mm long and free. They are inflexed, strongly keeled and 3-veined. The petals are 1.5-3 mm long, free, bifid up to the middle or more and with clawed base. There are 2-3(-5) stamens while the filaments are connate at the base. The ovary is superior, 1-celled, with short style and 2-3-fid.
The fruit is an oblong capsule measuring 1.5-2.5 mm long, 2-3-valved and 1-2-seeded. The seeds are orbicular or kidney-shaped, measuring 1.5-2 mm in diametre and densely covered with warty protuberances.
Ecology / Cultivation
Drymaria cordata is a common weed of gardens, plantations (e.g. tea, coffee, sugar cane, cinchona, upland rice), ditches, roadsides and riversides, usually in shady locations, can be found up to 1700 m altitude in Java while in New Guinea up to 2700 m. It occurs abundantly locally, but is uncommon in some regions, e.g. in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
- Plant Resources of South-East Asia No.12(3): Medicinal and poisonous plants 3.
