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Asiatic Pennywort (Gotu Kola)
Centella asiatica (Hydrocotyle asiatica)
sen-TELL-ah ays-e-AT-ah-cah
Apiaceae (or Araliaceae)
Native to: Warm Asia
Florida abundance and distribution:
Ditches and other low wet places throughout Florida
Recognition:
Small, low-growing, herbaceous perennial having shovel-shaped leaves
sometimes with red edges. Flowers small, white to pink.
Means of dispersal: Rhizomes and seeds
Other: In India and in Asia
this species has served as a medicinal herb for thousands of years. Today
Centella asiatica is used in a wide variety of pharmaceutical products for
skin care, kidney and liver problems, wounds, and the immune system. Centella
leaves are used fresh in salads and dried in teas.
Similar Species:
Hydrocotyle umbellata
Contributed by: Bill Mullarkey
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