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Family: Plantaginaceae
Water Hyssop, more... (ur: Brahmi Butti)
[Bramia monnieri (I.) Drake, moreHerpestis monniera Kunth, Lysimachia monnieri L.] |
Fischer, E. (2006) Bacopa in Flora of Somalia 3: 276 Plants perennial herbs; stems 10-40 cm long, creeping to prostrate, glabrous, 4-angled, richly branched. Leaves sessile; blades ovate to spathulate, 6-20 mm long, 1-5 mm wide, with entire margins and obtuse to subacuminate tips. Inflorescences racemose, leafy, with widely spaced flowers; pedicels 6-15 mm long. Calyces 5-6 mm long, deeply divided into 3 lobes, lobes ovate, about 2.5 mm wide; corollas white to blue-violet, subrotate; tubes about 5 mm long; limb 2-lipped, upper lips 2-lobed, 3-5 mm long, lower lips 3-lobed, 3-5 mm long; stamens of two lengths, filaments of lower (longer) stamens 1.5-2 mm long, those of the upper stamens 0.8-1 mm long; anthers with 2 equal thecae, 0.5-0.7 mm long. Capsules about 5 mm long and 3 mm wide. Bacopa monnieri grows in wet marshy places and rock pools at 500-1400 m. It is known from region N1 of the Flora of Somalia but is pantropical in its distribution. ©Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; reproduced with permission. Awale & Jama (2018). Hordhaca dhirta badhtamaha Soomaalilaand. Geed hoosaad gu’yaal jire ah oo qunyar socod ah, oo leh jirrid afar xaglood leh oo illaa 40 cm gaadha, oo aad u laamo badan. Caleemo isku qumman, oo si toos ah jirridda ugu dheggen, oo qaabka ugxanta ah, hareerahana ka siman. Ubax keli ah, oo laacayaashiisu caddaan iyo buluug yihiin. Midho ku jira qolof. Sabo: Meelaha qoyan iyo biyo qabatinnada dhagaxa leh; joog ah illaa 1200 m. Filiqsanaanta: Kulaale xigeennada. Mill, R.R. (2015) Bacopa in Flora of Pakistan 220: 17-20 Plants with stems to 60 cm long, procumbent, rooting at the nodes and finally ascending, glabrous. Leaves decussate, sessile, spathulate to obcordate-cuneate, 6-25 mm long, 2-10 mm wide, lower surfaces gland-dotted, most veins indistinct, midrib distinct on lower surfaces, margins entire, tips obtuse or rounded. FLowers pedicellate; pedicels up to 15 mm long, bearing 2 bracteoles just below the flowers; bracteoles linear-lanceolate, 2-4.5 mm long; calyces with lobes 5-7 mm long, posterior lobes ovate, others narrower; corollas 8-11 mm long. bluish to mauve or lilad with darker lines. Capsules ovate, acute, 5-18 mm long. Bacopa monnieri is widespread in the tropics and subtropics and has been introduced in Portiugal and Spain. It flowers almost throughout the year. It forms dense masses in damp and marshy or muddy places, including by streams and irrigation canals, up to 1700 m. Plants glabrous, somewhat succulent, creeping, herbs with numerous branches. Leaves are opposite, with sessile, simple, and oblong to spathulate blades. Flowers are solitary and axillary, on pedicels to about 15 mm long with united corollas; corollas 8-11 mm long having 5 almost equal lobes, varying from white to lilac in colour, often with darker lines. Fruits are capsules from 5-18 mm long which contain numerous seeds. See links Mill, R.R.(2015; Bacopa in Flora of Pakistan 220: 17-20) states "The whole plant is used as a medicinal herb, as a cure for epilepsy and insanity, and as a nerve tonic. The therapeutic action is similar to strychine but less toxic; the active ingredient is the alkaloid brahmine cf/ Sastri. Wealth of India, Raw Mat. 1: 143( 1948). Qarshi & Hussain (2018) cite too many ways in which humans use Bacopa monnieri to repeat here. They also list numerous constituents that may contribute to its reported value for improving health and well-being. A recent article, Kathryn Leavitt cited Bacopa monnieri as being used in Ayurvedic medicine to nourish the brain and as having been used by scholars as early as the 6th Century to assists in memorizing long scriptures and hymns. She also stated it "has anti-inflammatory, anti-depressant, and anti-cancer properties, but is best known as a memory enhancer". She refers to some scientific studies of its efficacy. The article is accompanied by a link to a place where it can be ordered online (in the US). Research reports about the health value of Bacopa monnieri can be found by searching online using a combination of "Bacopa monnieri", "research", "medicinal value". Full reference information for sources cited on this page is on the "References" tab. Leavitt, K. (2021) Bacopa monnieri. LiveNaturally. Qarshi, I.A. & A. Hussain (2018). Bacopa monnieri, pp. 21-22 in Medicinal plants of Qarshi Herb Garden 3: 21-22. POWO: The link will take you to the page for Bacopa monnieri in POWO. These pages often include excellent images of the taxon involved plus a map of its distribution in the wild based on published floras or other published sources. GBIF: Global distribution of Bacopa monnieri. Note: The records may include records of both wild and cultivated occurrences. |
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