English: Green carpetweed; Indian chickweed.
French: Mollugine.
Spanish: Alfombra.
China: Zhong leng su mi cao.
Synonym: Mollugo dichotoma; Mollugo diffusa; Mollugo costata; Pharnaceum arenarium; Pharnaceum verticellatum.
Genus: 35 species.
Region: tropical America; eastern North America; Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, Eurasia and Africa.
Habitat: disturbed fields, parking lots, gardens.
Ecology: invasive weed.
Content: triterpene sapanonins; flavonoids; acetic acid.
Use: edible, leaves as vegetables; medicinal; potherb.
BotanyHerb; sprawling across the soil.
Leaves: narrow; whorled, 3-8 at each node; 1 to 3 cm in length; obovate; apex rounded to acute.
Flowers: in clusters of 2 to 5; blooming from July through September; white or greenish white; with tiny 5 to 15 mm stalks. Fruit: egg shaped; 1 to 4 mm in length; dehiscent capsule opens at maturity.
Seeds: 0.5 mm long; red to rusty brown.
TaxonomyGenera of
Molluginaceae have previously been placed under
Aizoaceae,
Nyctaginaceae, and
Phytolaccaceae.