Description
A trailing perennial herb with stems rooting at nodes, forming mats; opposite, serrated, hairy leaves; small daisy-like flowers (white/pale yellow rays, yellow disc); black, feathery seeds; strong taproot.
Medicinal Uses
Wound healing, skin infections, anti-inflammatory/analgesic, digestive disorders, liver protection, fever, cough, malaria; promotes rapid healing and hemostasis.
Food Uses
Leaves sometimes cooked as a vegetable; fodder for rabbits and poultry; nutritionally rich in potassium and B vitamins.
Ritual / Cultural Uses
Insect repellent (mosquitoes), hair tonic, symbolic in local rituals as a resilient plant.
Cultivation
Hardy, fast-growing; thrives in sunny, dry, or disturbed soils; propagates via seeds and stem cuttings; drought-resistant, low maintenance, can become weedy.
