Doveweed

Doveweed is native to tropical and subtropical Asia, from China to India, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. It is classified as one of the world's worst weeds. It is a major weed species in rice and other crops and is a moderately invasive weed species both in agricultural crops and non-agricultural areas in South and South-East Asia. The green plant parts are used as a raw or steamed vegetable.

Jeboran (Javanese - Indonesia), Patuk Gagak (Sundanese - Indonesian), Herbe aux archons (French), Alibangon (Tagalog-Philippines), Kinkung noi (Thailand), Anagalide azul (Mexico).

This plant can found at lowland irrigated, rainfed and upland rice fields. Thrives on sunny to rather deeply shaded, not too dry sites, in teak forest, tea and cinchona plantation, arable land and gardens, edges of water, ruderal sites. Sometimes almost sub-aquatic, found up to 1,800 m altitude.

• Roots - fibrous.
• Stems - cylindrical, smooth, hollow.
• Leaves - linear to linear-oblong, alternate, narrowed into a basal sheath, glabrous or subglabrous, entire, acute or acuminate, 5-15 cm long, 7-10(-13) mm broad; basal sheath 6-10 mm long, slightly pubescent with ciliate margins.
• Flowers - 5 mm across, blue or purple; pedicels 3-4 mm long; bracts 3 mm long, boat-shaped, caducous. Sepals 1.5-2.5 mm long, oblong, pubescent, obtuse. Petals sub orbicular, 2-3 mm long,1.5-2 mm broad.
• Fruits - capsules subglobose-trigonous, 4 mm long, 2 mm broad, membranous, mucronate, 3-loculed with 2 seeds in each locule.
• Seeds -1 mm long, sub triangular, tubercled, dark-brown.

• Seeds and stolon parts are dispersed principally via wind and water, and through human activities such as agriculture.
• The plant roots easily at the nodes of the creeping stolons, and will do so when cut or broken, especially during cultivation and tillage operations.

Tannins, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, phenolic compounds and phystosterols.

• Studies have suggested as anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities.
• It possesses diuretic properties. This had been made used of in the treatment of various urinary diseases notably urinary tract infections including cystitis, dysuria and strangury. It is also used in cases of oedema including ascites.
• The paste of its leaves are used to poultice wounds.
• The Hawaiians considered the plant as a blood purifier.
• The Chinese use the juice to treat various throat infections, treat rheumatoid arthritis.
• In Malaysia, it is used to treat scorpion bites.
• The juice of the plant is dropped into the eyes to treat conjunctivitis and other ophthalmic.
• The Latin Americans and Indians use the plant to treat inflamed uterus, dysmenorrhoea and abnormal uterine bleeding. It is also used to treat vaginal discharge, gonorrhoea.