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Hydrocotyle verticillata
This plant looked very similar to the ubiquitous nasturtium but had some notable differences. The leaves were all smaller in diameter, slightly thicker, had regular indentations around the margin, the venation looked different especially underneath.
Clambering across the rootball of an upturned casuarina in a sandy riverbed next to a eucy dominated national park.
Unfortunately no flowers or pods were present. Only one plant in the area. I guessed the river had last flowed over this part about 3 weeks earlier.
Shield pennywort, whorled marsh pennywort, umbrella plant (Hydrocotyle verticillata) is a declared pest in Western Australia (WA).
http://bie.ala.org.au/species/HYDROCOTYL...
Previous mis-identification (also present in Australia)...
"CENTELLA asiatica (also known as Gotu Kola, Pegaga, and Mandukaparni) is a perennial, herbaceous creeper with kidney-shaped leaves found in India, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, South Africa, Australia, China, and Japan1. " - TrekLens http://www.treklens.com/gallery/photo409...
Spotted on Aug 15, 2013
Submitted on Aug 22, 2013
7 Comments
Thanks guys. I've had a good look at the form, read about it gaining pest status in Aus. and am now convinced of H verticillata. Changing name.
Bryce the 'kidney shaped leaves' is within the text quoted from the Treklens website.. not mine.
Thanks Vinny. Certainly worth thinking about.
Looks a lot like Hydrocotyle verticillata
There are a lot of variations though ,it is now a rising star in the world of herbal medicine.
Brilliant Shekainah ! At first I thought 'no' because the leaves of Gotu Kola are 'broken' like a kidney shape. Then I found young ones - the same as here. Thank you very much.
Gotu Kola?