Scientific name: Persicaria glabra (Willd.) M.Gómez
Family: Polygonaceae
Synonym: Polygonum glabrum Willd.
Vernacular name in Malayalam: Cherumukkala, Chuvannamuthalamookku, Kozhivalan
Habit: Perennial, sprawling or climbing herb with slender stems.
Habitat: Commonly found in moist, disturbed areas such as roadsides, riverbanks, and open fields.
Distribution: Native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia; widely distributed in India, Southeast Asia, and parts of Africa.
Flowering and Fruiting: Flowers throughout the year; produces small, pink to reddish flowers arranged in terminal or axillary spikes; fruits are small achenes.
Key identification features: Slender, creeping stems; lanceolate to ovate leaves with a pointed apex; small, clustered pink to reddish flowers; tiny, dark-colored achenes.
Uses: Used in traditional medicine for wounds, inflammation, and skin diseases; young shoots and leaves sometimes consumed as vegetables; planted as ground cover to prevent soil erosion.
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