Gentianaceae (gentian family) » Canscora diffusa

kan-SKO-ruh -- derivation ? dy-FEW-sa -- meaning, loosely spreading

commonly known as: canscora • Chinese: 铺地穿心草 pu di chuan xin cao • Hindi: भुई नीम bhui neem • Marathi: किलवर kilwar • Sanskrit: शंखपुष्पी sankhapushpi

Native to: tropical Africa, China, Indian sub-continent, Indo-China, tropical Australia

... slender, much branched, erect, smooth, annual herb 10-15 cm in height, and with four-angled stems.

... leaves are opposite ... lower ones are lanceolate and very thin, 4-7 cm in length, pointed at both ends ... upper leaves are much smaller and ovate, and gradually merge into bracts.

... flowers are borne in lax, leafy cymes, has slender teeth ... corolla is pink, mauve or white, and has usually 3, rarely 4 lobes, 2 of which are longer than the others ... actually there are 4 petals ... two of them merge to form a single notched petal.