Legazpia polygonoides (PROSEA)
Introduction |
Legazpia polygonoides (Benth.) Yamazaki
- Protologue: Journ. Jap. Bot. 30: 359 (1955).
- Family: Scrophulariaceae
- Chromosome number: 2n= unknown
Synonyms
Torenia polygonoides Benth. (1835), Legazpia mucronulata (Benth.) Yamazaki (1955).
Vernacular names
- Malaysia: kerak nasi, terutap batu, rumput sisek naga (Peninsular)
- Philippines: lalagang (Subanun), monko (Manobo)
- Thailand: mak dip namkhang (south-eastern)
- Vietnam: lê ga dày, cỏ bướm trắng.
Origin and geographic distribution
L. polygonoides occurs in eastern India, Burma (Myanmar), Indo-China, southern China, south-eastern and peninsular Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, the Philippines, New Guinea and Micronesia. In Java, it is locally naturalized along ditches in the botanical garden in Bogor.
Uses
In traditional medicine in Peninsular Malaysia, pounded whole plants are applied externally as a poultice to treat sores on the legs, ulcers and dropsy. A decoction of whole plants is used against problems of the urinary tract.
Botany
A perennial herb, with creeping stems up to 60 cm long, rooting at nodes, quadrangular. Leaves opposite, simple, ovate or orbicular-ovate, 0.5-3 cm × 0.5-2 cm, rounded or cuneate at base, acute at apex, serrate, usually glabrous; petiole 0.5-1.5 cm long; stipules absent. Inflorescence umbellate at the apex of axillary flowering shoots, 1-4-flowered; bracts linear, c. 1 mm long. Flowers bisexual; pedicel slender, as long as or slightly longer than calyx; calyx suborbicular, 4-5 mm × 3-4 mm in flower, 7-9 mm × 6-8 mm in fruit, with 3 broad wings, shortly auriculate at base, teethed at apex; corolla 7-12 mm long, with cylindrical tube, 2-lipped with orbicular upper lip and 3-lobed, spreading lower lip, yellow; stamens 4, didynamous, pairs inserted at different level on upper corolla tube, anterior filaments each with a clavate spur at base, anthers of each pair touching; ovary superior, obliquely oblong, 2-celled, style filiform, stigma 2-lamellate. Fruit an oblong-lanceolate capsule c. 5 mm long, included within the calyx, septicidally dehiscent with 2 valves, many-seeded. Seeds ellipsoid-globose, c. 0.3 mm long, thinly reticulate, scrobiculate.
Legazpia comprises a single species.
Ecology
L. polygonoides occurs in open sites in evergreen forest, on riversides and in rice fields, usually in wet locations, up to 500 m altitude.
Genetic resources
L. polygonoides has a wide distribution, is common in many regions, and often found in secondary habitats. Consequently, it is not likely to be vulnerable to genetic erosion.
Prospects
The wide availability of wild L. polygonoides and its easy cultivation offer possibilities for wide usage as a medicinal plant. Since data on phytochemistry and pharmacological properties are not available, research is needed before any claimed activity can be confirmed.
Literature
121, 249.
Other selected sources
62, 250.
Main genus page
Authors
R.H.M.J. Lemmens