Centella asiatica (L.) Urb.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Road no 11, Gorongosa National Park

Photo: Bart Wursten
Morumbodzi falls, Mt Gorongosa

Photo: David Gwynne-Evans
Lower slopes Mt Mabu (with Poecilocarda cosmopolita - Blue-striped leafhopper)

Photo: Bart Wursten
Lake Urema Floodplain Edge, Gorongosa National Park

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms:	Centella coriacea Nannf. Hydrocotyle asiatica L.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Creeping herb, rooting at the nodes. Stems shallowly grooved, sometimes purplish. Leaves solitary or in groups of 2-5, kidney-shaped to almost circular, distinctly and broadly cordate at the base, up to 7 cm wide, hairless or with hairs on the petiole; margin crenate. Flowers in 2-8-flowered umbels, greenish-white to dark crimson. Fruit c. 3.5 × 3 mm, laterally flattened, round or ellipsoid, ribbed, brown when ripe.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	asiatica : of Asia
Habitat:	In damp grassy places.
Altitude range:
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Pantropical and subtropical
Mozambique distribution:	Z,MS,GI,M
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Friday 24 June 2016
Literature:	Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 61. (Includes a picture). Cannon, J.F.M. (1978). Apiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 4 Pages 562 - 563. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 12. Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 24. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 18. Roodt, V. (2011). Wild flowers, Waterplants and Grasses of the Okavango Delta and Kalahari "Did You Know" nature series Struik Nature for Veronica Roodt Publications Page 10. Note that the illustration with this species is NOT of Centella asiatica but of Hydrocotyle verticillata Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 30. Siebert, S. & Mössmer, M. (Editors) (2002). SABONET Southern Mozambique Expedition 2001; Provisional Plant Checklist of the Maputo Elephant Reserve (MER) and Licuati Forest Reserve (LFR) SABONET News 7(1) Page 23. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 41. Timberlake, J.R. & Childes, S.L. (2004). Biodiversity of the Four Corners Area: Technical Reviews Volume Two (Chapter 5-15) Appendix 5-1: Plant Checklist Occasional Publications in Biodiversity 15 Page 196. as Centella coriacea Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 87.

Other sources of information about Centella asiatica:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Centella asiatica
Flora of Burundi: Centella asiatica
Flora of Caprivi: Centella asiatica
Flora of Malawi: Centella asiatica
Flora of Zambia: Centella asiatica
Flora of Zimbabwe: Centella asiatica

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Centella asiatica
African Plant Database: Centella asiatica
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Centella asiatica
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Centella asiatica
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Centella asiatica
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Centella asiatica
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Centella asiatica
JSTOR Plant Science: Centella asiatica
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Centella asiatica
Plants of the World Online: Centella asiatica
Tropicos: Centella asiatica
Wikipedia: Centella asiatica