Centella asiatica (L.) Urb.

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Creeping herb, rooting at the nodes; stems terete

Morphology Leaves

Leaves solitary or up to 6 together on short lateral shoots, the blade suborbicular to reniform, up to c. 9 cm in diam. (c. 2 cm in Somali material), cordate at the base, crenate, glabrous or almost so; petiole very variable in length, c. 1–2 cm in Somali plants, glabrous to softly pilose, with membranous sheaths

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Umbels subcapitate, 1–7-flowered, on pilose peduncles up to 4 cm long; involucre of 2 broadly ovate bracts 1.5–5 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals greenish to purplish, obtuse, c. 1 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits sessile or subsessile, c. 3–4 mm long and wide, glabrous or pilose; primary and secondary ribs prominent, with ± anastomosing veins between; stylopodium low and rounded; styles spreading, slender, c. 0.5–0.8 mm long.

Distribution

N2 East Africa, widespread in the tropics andextending into some subtropical areas.

Ecology

Altitude range c. 1300 m.

Note

First record for Somalia (near Moon, S of Laasqoray at 11°01’N, 48°25’E).

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit

A creeping, glabrous herb with somewhat fleshy stems and leaves; leaves with petioles up to 22 cm long or more, usually much longer than the blades; blades broadly ovate to orbicular, mostly 2–5 cm long, rounded at the apex, shallowly cordate at the base, the margins repand- dentate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Peduncles

Peduncles shorter than the leaves; umbels head-like, 2–4-flowered, the flowers sessile or subsessile

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits 3–4 mm long and slightly broader, ribbed and reticulate.

Distribution

Grand Cayman. Pantropical.

Ecology

Usually in swampy meadows or areas of impeded drainage.

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

Umbelliferae, C.C. Townsend. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1989

Morphology General Habit

Procumbent perennial herb, with a slender to stout taproot, rooting at the nodes, up to at least 1 m. in length but often less.

Morphology Stem

Stem terete, finely striate, green or suffused purplish.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves solitary or in groups of up to 6 on very short lateral shoots, thin to more commonly rather leathery in texture, very variable in size, separated by long slender internodes up to as much as 16 cm. long, the lamina roundish to reniform with a narrow to very wide basal sinus, ± 0.8–9 cm. wide and 0.8–5.5 cm. long from apex to petiole, ± regularly bluntly crenate or the teeth sharply mucronate all round or towards the base, palmately nerved with the nerves branched at ± halfway to the margin, secondary venation increasingly faint, surfaces glabrous or very faintly pilose; sheaths narrowly oblong, ± 3–12 mm., striate, membranous margined; petiole very variable in length, 3 mm. to 30 cm., glabrous or more commonly softly white-pilose at least below the lamina.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Umbels subcapitate, 1–5 together on slender, thinly to densely pilose peduncles 3 mm. to 4 cm. long, which ± reflex in fruit.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers 1–7 in each umbel; pedicels very short (at most 1.5 mm.) and pilose, or obsolete; involucre of 2 broadly ovate, membranous-margined bracts 1.5–5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals roundish to broadly obovate, ± 1 mm., greenish to purplish red, often with minute whitish hairs on the central dorsal surface.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit very strongly laterally compressed, oblate-rounded, ± 3–4 mm., glabrous or with fine, rather long white hairs; primary and secondary ribs narrowly prominent, with ± anastomosing veins between; stylopodia low and rounded, finally indistinct; styles ± divergent, ± 0.5–0.75 mm.

Figures

Fig. 3.

Habitat

Most commonly in damp grassland along rivers and by swamps and lakes, sometimes sprawling over rocks, occasionally aquatic or in deep mud; also found in forest clearings, and at higher levels among Sphagnum; near sea-level to 3480 m.

Distribution

widely distributed in the tropical regions of the world, extending into some subtropical regions K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 P T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7

Distribution

Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 1500–2610 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Cauca, Risaralda.

Habit

Herb.

Conservation

IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.

Ecology

Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, shrubland, artificial - terrestrial.

Vernacular

Berro macho, Centella asiatica

Umbelliferae, J. F. M. Cannon. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit

A perennial creeping plant, rooting at the nodes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers purplish

Ecology

In damp grassy places.

Umbelliferae, J. F. M. Cannon. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit

Creeping herb, rooting at the nodes, but sometimes forming a large taproot.

Morphology Stem

Stem terete, with shallow grooves, sometimes purplish.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves solitary or in groups of up to 5, pubescent or glabrous; lamina 1–7 cm. wide, reniform to almost orbicular, with a deep basal sinus; margin crenate, glabrous or with scattered hairs on upper part of petiole (petiole sometimes densely hairy when young).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Umbels subcapitate; peduncles 1·5–5 cm. long, glabrous or pubescent, usually much shorter than the subtending petiole.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers 2–8, hermaphrodite, with an involucre of 2 ovate, membranous, persistent bracts. Pedicels slender or obsolete; petals dark crimson to greenish-white, orbicular with a slender inflexed point. Calyx teeth and stylopodium obsolete; styles short, ± divergent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit 3·5× 3 mm., orbicular to ellipsoid, brown at maturity, deeply constricted at the commissure and flattened laterally, primary ribs prominent when ripe, secondary ribs ± evident; carpophore entire.

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 1500 - 2610 m.; Andes.

Morphology General Habit

Hierba

Conservation

No Evaluada