Monochoria hastata (L.) Solms
Arrow Leaf Pondweed / Telipok paya (Bru.); Chacha layar (M.)
Description
Traditional Medicinal Uses
Ecology
Propagation
Distribution
Precaution
Perennial half- submerged aquatic plant with leaves and flowers floating above the water surface while the roots are submerged under water. The plant can reach up to 1.5 m tall. Leaves are simple, arrow head-shaped and spirally arranged. Leaf blade is triangular-ovate, acute to acuminate at apex, hastate to sagittate at base with entire margin. Stems are long, erect and robust. Inflorescence a terminal head. Flowers are light bluish-violet and many-flowered. Fruit an oblong capsule that contains brown seeds. Rhizomes are robust.
The roots are washed and consumed together with the endosperm or nutritive tissues surround the seeds of areca palm (Areca catechu ), seeds of fennel flowers or black cumin ( Nigella sativa ) and bulb of onion ( Allium cepa ) to relieve aching joints. Alternatively, root parts are mixed with Torenia polygonoides (Kerak nasi bini) and rubbed onto the joint as poultice. The plant is known for its cytotoxicity, antifungal, antimicrobial and antiasthmatic activities.
It occurs on wet swamps, in freshwater pools, mudflats in rivers, on rice fields and along canal banks. It grows best in wet, heavy to medium-textured soil under a sunny position.
Spores and rhizome cutting.
Distributed through Tropical Asia; Thailand, China and India.
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