Botany
· Annual, prostrate or spreading, succulent, branched, smooth, often purplish herb, with the stems 10 to 50 cm long. Nodes without appendages.
· Leaves: fleshy, flat, oblong-obovate, 2.5 cm long with obtuse apex and wedge-shaped base.
· Flowers: 5-merous, comprise yellow, stalkless, axillary and terminal few-flowered heads. Heads solitary or cymose with compressed buds. Flowers with five yellow petals which are about as long as the sepals and notched at the tip. Flowers open only for a few hours in the morning.
· Fruits: capsules which dehisce horizontally containing many minute, dark brown, heart-shaped seeds.

Properties
Antihemorrhagic, diuretic, vulnerary, antiscorbic, refrigerant, tonic, febrifuge, anthelmintic.

Distribution
A very common weed found throughout the Philippines in settled areas.

Parts utilized
· Whole plant.
· Harvest when the vegetative parts are well-developed.
· Cut off the roots, steam, sun-dry.
· May also be used fresh.

Pharnacologic effects
Antipyretic, relieves gastrointestinal disorders.
Leaves are used for poulticing tumors, bad wounds and ulcers; also for blennorhagia and leucorrhea.
Leaf poultice is anti-hemorrhagic.
Seeds in decoction is an excellent diuretic.

Uses
Nutritional
Used as a vegetable component in salads. Excellent source of calcium and iron; also, vitamin C and ash.
Folkloric
· Poultice of leaves and tops used for cuts and wounds.
· Pounded leaves and stems for tumors, swellings, bruises, gout and erysipelas.
· Decoction of leaves used as a wash for skin diseases.
· Juice used for dysmenorrhea, dysuria, dysentery, and for expelling worms.
· The seeds have also been used as antihelmenthic and diuretic.
· For diarrhea: boil dried drug 20 to 40 gms in a cup of water to a concentrated solution and drink; fresh materials, use 40 to 100 gms.
· Poisonous bites or snake bites: get the fresh plant, wash thoroughly, add salt and crush, then cover the affected part with the preparation.
· Eczema: put crushed plant with its juice over the sensitive area.
· Acute gastroenteritis, bacillary dysentery, orchitis, nephritis, beriberi, edema: use 30 to 60 gms of dried material in decoction.
· Pulmonary tuberculosis, whooping cough: use 24 to 30 gms dried material in decoction.
· Furuncle infections: aside from treatment taking drug orally, external administration may also be applied in the form of poultice.

Note: This drug material contains vitamins A, B, C and urea, etc.
Caution. Not suited for internal use among pregnant women.

Availability
Wild-crafted.