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Java pennywort (Hydrocotyle javanica)

Dlium Java pennywort (Hydrocotyle javanica)

Java pennywort (Hydrocotyle javanica) is a species of plant in the Araliaceae, herbaceous with stems growing elongated at the soil surface, not woody, green with white hairs, circular leaves, white flowers at the tip of the stem and grows in shady and humid places.

H. javanica has branched stems with long leaf stalks. The leaves are heart-shaped circular or circular splits with 7-8 lobes, 9 main and radial veins with many small pinnate veins.



The leaves face up like an umbrella, 2.5-5.5 cm wide, green, the upper surface has short spines and is white and the edges have rounded teeth.

Small flowers grow at the end of the stem, have a long stalk, white, five petals with a greenish white color, five stamens. Fruit ovoid, 1 mm long and laterally compacted.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Apiales
Family: Araliaceae
Subfamily: Hydrocotyloideae
Genus: Hydrocotyle Tourn. ex L. in Sp. Pl.: 234 (1753)
Species: Hydrocotyle javanica Thunb. in Hydrocotyle: 17 (1798)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Hydrocotyle globata Blume in Bijdr. Fl. Ned. Ind.: 883 (1826)
Hydrocotyle heyneana Wall. in Numer. List: n.° 563 (1829)
Hydrocotyle hirsuta Blume (1826)
Hydrocotyle hispida D.Don in Prodr. Fl. Nepal.: 183 (1825)
Hydrocotyle javanica Zoll. in Syst. Verz. Ind. Archip. 1: 41 (1854)
Hydrocotyle javanica var. laxa Masam. in J. Soc. Trop. Agric. 4: 301 (1932)
Hydrocotyle javanica var. podantha (Molk.) C.B.Clarke in J.D.Hooker, Fl. Brit. India 2: 668 (1879)
Hydrocotyle javanica var. polycephala (Wight & Arn.) Masam. (1932)
Hydrocotyle nepalensis Hook. in Exot. Fl. 1: t. 30 (1822)
Hydrocotyle novoguineensis Warb. in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 16: 24 (1892)
Hydrocotyle podantha Molk. in F.A.W.Miquel, Pl. Jungh.: 89 (1851)
Hydrocotyle polycephala Wight & Arn. in Prodr. Fl. Ind. Orient. 1: 366 (1834)
Hydrocotyle strigosa Buch.-Ham. in N.Wallich, Numer. List: n.° 7219 (1832)
Hydrocotyle sundaica Blume (1826)
Hydrocotyle versteegii Hemsl. in Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1909: 259 (1909)
Hydrocotyle zeylanica DC. in Prodr. 4: 67 (1830)

PUBLICATIONS

Barooah, C. & Ahmed, I. (2014). Plant diversity of Assam. A checklist of Angiosperms and Gymnosperms: 1-599. Assam science technology and environment council, India.

Chang, C.S., Kim, H. & Chang, K.S. (2014). Provisional checklist of vascular plants for the Korea peninsula flora (KPF): 1-660. DESIGNPOST.

Choudhary, R.K., Srivastava, R.C., Das, A.K. & Lee, J. (2012). Floristic diversity assessment and vegetation analysis of Upper Siang district of eastern Himalaya in North East India. Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy 42: 222-246.

Dassanayake (ed.) (1981). A Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon 3: 1-499. Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. PVT. LTD., New Delhi, Calcutta.

Grierson, A.J.C. & Long, D.G. (2001). Flora of Bhutan 2: 1-1675. Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.

Iwatsuki, K., Boufford, D.E. & Ohba, H. (eds.) (1999). Flora of Japan IIc: 1-328. Kodansha Ltd., Tokyo.

Karthigeyan, K., Pandey, R.P. & Mao, A.A. (eds.) (2023). Flora of Andaman and Nicobar Islands 2: 1-689. Botanical Survey of India. Ministry of environment, forest and climate change.

Kress, W.J., DeFilipps, R.A., Farr, E. & Kyi, D.Y.Y. (2003). A Checklist of the Trees, Shrubs, Herbs and Climbers of Myanmar. Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 45: 1-590. Smithsonian Institution.

Mao, A.A. & Dash, S.S. (2020). Flowering Plants of India an Annotated Checklist (Dicotyledons) 1: 1-970. Botanical Survey of India.

Mao, A.A., Odyuo, N., Verma, D. & Singh, P. (2017). Checklist of Flora of Nagaland: 1-196. Botanical Survey of India.

Mao, A.A., Sinha, B.K., Verma, D. & Sarma, N. (2016). Check-List of Flora of Meghalaya: 1-273. Meghalaya Biodiversity Board, Shillong.

Murugan, C. & al. (eds.) (2025). Flora of India 11: 1-523. Botanical Survey of India.

Nasir, E. (1972). Flora of West Pakistan 20: 1-169.

Rajbhandari, K.R., Rai, S.K. & Chhetri, R. (2024). A Handbook of the Flowering Plants of Nepal 5: 1-432. Department of Plant Resources, Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Singh, N.P. & al. (eds.) (2002). Flora of Mizoram 1: 1-845. Botanical Survey of India.

Smith, A.C. (1985). Flora Vitiensis Nova. A new flora for Fiji (Spermatophytes only) 3: 1-758. Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai.

T. Smitinand & K. Larsen, eds. (1987). Flora of Thailand 5: 1-470. The Forest Herbarium, Royal Forest Department.

Turner, I.M. (1995 publ. 1997). A catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Malaya. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 47(2): 347-655.

VERNACULAR NAME

Chinese (simplified): 爪哇天胡荽
Chinese (traditional): 爪哇天胡荽
English: Java pennywort
Hindi: महागोटुकोला Mahagotukola
Indonesia: Daun sontak, semanggi gunung
Japanese: オオバチドメ
Java: Semanggen
Malayalam: Cheruvallei, Vaite-kala, Vella-vaite
Manipuri: Awa peruk
Mizo: Hlo-vaidawr
Russian: Щитолистник яванский
Tamil: மலை வல்லாரை Malai vallarai
Thai: บัวบกขาว Bua bok khao
Vietnam: Rau ma

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