Torenia crustacean (L.) Cham. & Schltdl.

 

Family – Scrophulariaceae

Synonym – Lindernia crustacea var. clarkei G.S.Giri & Majumdar; Lindernia crustacea var. verticillata (Haines) K.K.Khanna; Lindernia gracilis (Bonati) Bonati; Lindernia minuta (Blume) Koord.; Lindernia obtusa (Blume) Koord.; Lindernia racemosa Bonati 

Habit – Herb

Habitat – Moist deciduous forests and waste lands

Distribution – Africa, America and Tropical and Subtropical Asia

Flowering and Fruiting – August-November

Key Identification Features – This herb is prostrate and diffusely branched, with simple, opposite leaves. Its flowers are axillary, either solitary or in pairs on terminal racemes. The corolla is rose to purple, and the stamens are didynamous. The ovary is globose, and the capsule contains numerous minute seeds.

Uses – It is a weed

Bonnaya antipoda (L.) Druce

 

Family – Scrophulariaceae

Synonym – Bonnaya bracteata Griff.; Bonnaya cyanea Griff.; Bonnaya grandiflora (Retz.) Spreng.; Bonnaya penicillata Nees; Bonnaya rothii A.Dietr.; Bonnaya roxburghiana A.Dietr.; Bonnaya verbenifolia (Colsm.) Spreng. 

Vernacular names – Thannippoondu

Habit – Herb

Habitat – Sides of streams, reservoirs and marshy areas

Distribution – Tropical and Subtropical Asia and Australia

Flowering and Fruiting – August-October

Key Identification Features – This herb is prostrate or diffuse, with leaves that are simple, opposite, and elliptic-obovate in shape. Its bluish flowers have a yellow mouth, and the stamens include both fertile ones and hooked staminodes. The capsule is linear-lanceolate, longer than the calyx, and contains yellow, ridged seeds.

Uses – It is a weed

Bonnaya tenuifolia (Colsm.) Spreng

 

Family – Scrophulariaceae

Synonym – Bonnaya pusilla Griff.; Lindernia tenuifolia (Colsm.) Alston; Vandellia tenuifolia (Colsm.) Haines; Gratiola tenuifolia Colsm. 

Vernacular names – Chelichulli

Habit – Herb

Habitat – Along banks of backwaters and mangroves

Distribution – Indo-Malesia to Australia

Flowering and Fruiting – August-October

Key Identification Features – This annual herb grows up to 40 cm high. Its opposite leaves are linear-oblong, glabrous on both surfaces. The solitary flowers are pale blue to bluish violet. The stamens are exserted, and the capsule is linear-cylindrical, twice or thrice as long as the calyx.

Uses – Not well documented

Parasopubia delphiniifolia (L.) H.-P.Hofm. & Eb.Fisch.

 

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Synonym: Sopubia delphiniifolia (L.) G.Don 

Vernacular name:

Habit: Herb

Habitat: Grasslands, laterite hillocks and moist deciduous forests

Distribution: India and Sri Lanka

Flowering and Fruiting: September-October

Key identification features: This annual herb has pink or purple flowers, slender pedicels, and leaves with narrow, filiform lobes. The calyx is ribbed, and the corolla has a ventricose tube. Its capsule is elliptic, enclosed in the persistent calyx tube, and the seeds are oblong and pitted.

Use: Fresh leaf extract is used externally for wound healing.

Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettst.

 

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Synonym: Herpestis monnieri (L.) Rothm. 

Vernacular name: Bhrammi, Neerbrahmi

Habit: Herb

Habitat: Low lying marshy places and water puddles

Distribution: Paleotropics

Flowering and Fruiting: Throughout the year

Key identification features: This herb is either aquatic or amphibious. The leaves are opposite, thick, and semi-succulent with an ovate-oblong or spathulate shape. The flowers are solitary and axillary. The bluish-white corolla is broadly campanulate, and faintly 2-lipped, with five subequal lobes. There are 4 didynamous stamens. Fruit is a capsule.

Use: Medicinal herb and also as an ornamental plant in ponds and aquaria

Scoparia dulcis L.

 

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Synonym: Capraria dulcis (L.) Kuntze 

Vernacular name: Kallurukki, Karakanjavu, Meenanganni

Habit: Herb

Habitat: Wasteplaces

Distribution: Native of Tropical America; now Pantropical

Flowering and Fruiting: Throughout the year

Key identification features: Eect herbs have simple leaves arranged in a decussate or whorled pattern. These leaves are obovate-oblong. The white flowers, with hairy throats and spathulate lobes. The ovary is globose. Fruit is a capsule.

Use: Traditionally used for diabetes management, hypertension, and kidney stone treatment.

Parasopubia hofmannii Pradeep & Pramod

 

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Synonym: Parasopubia hofmannii var. albiflora Pradeep & Pramod 

Vernacular name:

Habit: Herb

Habitat: Laterite hillocks

Distribution: South India (Endemic)

Flowering and Fruiting: June-October

Key identification features: This plant is an erect annual herb. The leaves are opposite, and the lower ones usually have 3 linear segments. The axillary flowers are solitary, and have a pale pink or mauve corolla. The stamens are deep pink. The capsules are obovoid, purplish green, and exceed the calyx tube.

Use: Ornamental

Limnophila repens (Benth.) Benth

 

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Synonym: Stemodia repens Benth. 

Vernacular name: Manganari

Habit: Herb

Habitat: Waterlogged areas

Distribution: Tropical & Subtropical Asia

Flowering and Fruiting: July-December

Key identification features: This herb is characterized by its strong aromatic smell. The leaves are oblong to elliptic-oblong. The flowers occur either singly or in short racemes. The violet-pink corolla has longitudinal purple stripes. There are 4 stamens, and the stigma is spathulate. The ellipsoid capsule contains angular, brown seeds..

Use: Traditionally, it has been used for its potential antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties.

Mecardonia procumbens (Mill.) Small

 

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Synonym: Pagesia procumbens (Mill.) Pennell 

Vernacular name:

Habit: Herb

Habitat: Degraded moist deciduous forests, grasslands and waste places

Distribution Native of Tropical America; Introduced and naturalised in India

Flowering and Fruiting: October-December

Key identification features: This plant is a diffuse herb with opposite, simple leaves that are ovate-lanceolate in shape. The yellow flowers are solitary and axillary, and the calyx has unequal lobes. The capsule is oblong-cylindric, and the seeds have a reticulate testa.

Use: Its bright yellow flowers make it a popular choice for ornamental gardens.

Striga gesnerioides (Willd.) Vatke

 

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Synonym: Buchnera gesnerioides Willd. 

Vernacular name: Allankizhangu

Habit: Herb

Habitat: Deciduous forests, Grass land

Distribution: Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Indian Subcontinent

Flowering and Fruiting: August-November

Key identification features: Erect parasitic herb with their leaves are reduced to scales. These lanceolate, obtuse leaves are sessile. The spikes are terminal. The corolla is pink.. The capsule is beaked, and features a persistent style..

Use: An obligate hemi parasitic angiosperm infects the roots of cowpea.

Striga asiatica (L.) Kuntze

 

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Synonym:  Buchnera asiatica L. 

Vernacular name: Kalupullappan

Habit: Herb

Habitat: Grassy areas in deciduous forests, also in the plains

Distribution: South East Asia and Africa

Flowering and Fruiting: July-September

Key identification features: Annual erect herbs with leaves are simple, opposite, lanceolate to oblanceolate, and densely scabrid. The flowers are sessile, arranged in a terminal spike, with lanceolate bracts and bracteoles. The corolla is yellow. Fruit is a capsule.

Use: It is a hemi parasitic plant that invades crops like corn, rice, sorghum, and sugar cane, causing significant yield reductions.

Rhamphicarpa fistulosa (Hochst.) Benth.

 

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Synonym: Macrosiphon fistulosus Hochst. 

Vernacular name: Aarumanippoovu, Anthipoovu

Habit: Herb

Habitat: Marshy areas

Distribution: Tropical & South Africa, Madagascar, Western India (Endemic)

Flowering and Fruiting: August-November

Key identification features: Erect, slender herbs having branched quadrangular stems. Leaves consist of linear, terete, channeled, fleshy segments that appear green to brown. The white flowers are solitary and axillary, with subulate bracteoles. Stamens are didynamous. Fruit is a capsule.

Use: It is a parasitic plant thrives in seasonally flooded wetlands and affects rice fields.

Centranthera indica (L.) Gamble

 

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Synonym: Razumovia indica (L.) Alston 

Vernacular name:

Habit: Herb

Habitat: Moist deciduous forests, grasslands and wet sandy fields

Distribution: Indo-Malesia, South China

Flowering and Fruiting: September-January

Key identification features: This plant is a diffuse, densely hispid herb with orange-yellow roots. Its leaves are basally opposite, and the upper ones are alternate. The flowers are solitary, subsessile, and axillary, with a rose-colored or white corolla. The capsule is dark brown, ovoid, and loculicidal, covered by persistent calyx lobes.

Use: With delicate white, star-shaped flowers, it serves as an ornamental plant in gardens and also acts as ground cover.