Bergia ammannioides Roxb.

Bergia species are annual, perennial or undershrubs, stem ascending, erect or decumbent, branched diffusely, glabrous or pubescent, rooting at nodes. Leaves simple, opposite, pseudo whorled, ovate-lanceolate to elliptic-oblong, margin entire or minutely serrate, apex acute to acuminate, glabrous or pubescent, petiole short, stipulate, margins denticulate or ciliate, usually peristent. Inflorescence solitary or fascicled, axillary or terminal. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, usually pentamerous, pedicel short or subsessile, bracteates, sepals 3-5, free, ovate-oblong, united at the base, margins membranous, apex acute or subacute, keeled, petals 3-5, free, pink, white or purple, longer than the sepals, laneolate to ovate-oblong, margin entire or membranous. Stamens 5-10, usually in 2 series, filaments filiform, dilated at the base, anthers 2-locular, dorsifixed, dehiscing longitudinally disk hypogynous. Ovary superior, 3-5 locular, syncarpus, ovules numerous, anatropus, axil placentation, styles 3-5, short, erect or curved, stigma clavate. Fruit capsule, obovoid-globose, dehiscing septicidally or septifrugally. Seeds numerous, oblong, erect, surface smooth, scalariform or reticulate.

Herb

Flowering class: Dicot Habit: Herb

Flowering and fruiting: August-March

Bergia species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: MONTH.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, anemochory i.e., wind dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals.

Annual herbs, about 10-30 cm tall, stem ascending or erect, terete, reddish purple, much branched diffusely, slightly woody at the base, with many slender divaricate branches, puberulous with glandular hairy, swollen at nodes. Leaves simple, opposite, oblanceolate-oblong to obovate, about 16-30 x 3-8 mm across, base attenuate, margin lower half entire, upper half sparsely serrate with glandular tipped teeth, apex acute, glabrescent or glandular pubescent, petiole very short, stipules triangular lanceolate, margins minutely serrate with glandular tipped teeth, usually persistent, pubescent, about 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence few to many flowered in subverticellate fascicles, dense or lax, axillary. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, about 2 mm across, pedicel slender, pubescent with glandular or eglandular hairs, about 1.5-3 mm long, bracteate, sepals 3-5, free, linear ovate-lanceolate, united at the base, margins denticulate, membranous, apex acute, keeled, reddish pink, about 1.5-3.3 mm long, petals 3-5, free, pink, white, obovate-oblong, transparent, margin entire or membranous, apex obtuse, about 1.3-3.5 mm long. Stamens 5, rarely more, filaments subfiliform, about 1 mm long, dilated at the base, anthers 2-locular, oblong, dorsifixed, dehiscing longitudinally, disk hypogynous. Ovary superior, 5 locular, syncarpus, ovoid-subglobose, ovules numerous, anatropus, axil placentation, styles 3, erect or slightly curved, about 0.5-1 mm long, stigma capitate. Fruit capsule, obovoid-subglobose, about 1-4 mm long, 5 loculed, dehiscing septicidally or septifrugally. Seeds numerous, oblong-ellipsoid, about 0.5 mm across, erect, shining, dark brown, reticulate.

Bergia species are susceptible to various insect pests, powdery mildews, root knot by nematodes and moulds.

Marshy places near cultivated paddy fields, along moist grassy places.

Marshes,swamps,rice fields

Fallow lands, paddy fields and grasslands

Not evaluated (IUCN).

For treating skin diseases in folk medicine.