Creeping Dentella

Dentella repens is native to tropical and subtropical Asia and West Pacific. Due to its growth pattern that classified as a prostrate herb, it provided an aesthetic feel when a whole bunch of them grew over the edge of the pot and hanging down from the edge. Though the plant is present in many parts of the world, there were very few publications that focus on it. So that, further research or study is needed to know more about the pharmacological activities of this species to confirm its health benefits.

Tsjeru-manneli (Malayalam-India), Xiao ya cao (Chinese), Bunga karang (Malay), Co rang nho (Vietnamese), Dilang-butiki (Tagalog-Philippines).

D. repens is a minor weed and occurs in ever wet regions or in regions with a pronounced dry season, on light to very heavy soils, fallow fields, in sugarcane fields, dry riverbeds, wastelands, especially on heavy soils; locally abundant. Rainfed and upland rice fields. Grows at low and medium altitudes.

• Roots - fibrous, white or brown, rooting at the nodes.
• Stems - quandrangular, solid, glabrous. Stipules present, sheath like, truncate, glabrous. prostrate stems abundantly rooting, strongly branched, forming large flat cushions.
• Leaves - simple, not lobed or divided, opposite, elliptical-oblong to oblong-obovate, 4-10 mm x 2-5 mm, hairy on lower surface, margin entire, apex acute, base acute, one-veined.  4-10 mm x 2-5 mm, sessile or shortly petiolate; stipules interpetiolar, connate.
• Flowers - solitary in leaf axils, bisexual, regular, 5-merous; pedicel very short; calyx tubular, deeply 5-fid, persistent; corolla gamopetalous, funnel-shaped, 5-15 mm long, much longer than calyx, tube yellowish, hairy inside, lobes acute, white, usually with a purple spot and hairy at base; stamens inserted near the base of the corolla tube, included, with very short filaments; ovary inferior, 2-celled, style deeply bifid. 
• Fruit - an indéhiscent, subglobose capsule 3-4 mm long, crowned by the calyx, usually densely hairy, many-seeded. 
• Seeds - small, angular, reticulate, dark brown. 

Generatively propagated by seed. The seeds are often dispersed by water.

Iridoids.

• In India, leaves are used for poulticing sores, crushed warm leaf is given for loose motion in infants. Leaves are also used for blood ailments to purify the blood, to improve eyesight damaged by high blood sugar, and as laxative. Plant juice is taken once daily for blood pressure.
• In Peninsular Malaysia, the plant is used for poulticing sores.