Description
Centella grows in tropical swampy areas.The stems are slender, creeping stolons, green to reddish-green in color, connecting plants to each other.
Centella asiatica, commonly known as centella and gotu kola, is a small, herbaceous, annual plant of the family Mackinlayaceae or subfamily Mackinlayoideae of family Apiaceae, and is native to wetlands in Asia.It is used as a medicinal herb in Ayurvedic medicine, traditional African medicine, and traditional Chinese medicine.
It is also known as the Asiatic pennywort or Indian pennywort in English, among various other names in other languages.It has long-stalked, green, rounded apices which have smooth texture with palmately netted veins. The leaves are borne on pericladial petioles, around 2 cm. The rootstock consists of rhizomes, growing vertically down. They are creamish in color and covered with root hai
Plant Specifications
| Common Name | Bemgsag, brahma manduki, brahmanduki, brahmi, ondelaga or ekpanni |
| Maximum Reachable Height | 2 to 7 ft |
| Flower Colour | White or pinkish to red |
| Bloom Time | August to December |
| Difficulty Level | Easy to grow |
Planting and care
- Centella asiatica (Gotu Kola) is a well known herb traditionally used in the treatment of skin damage as well as for circulatory enhancement. This is a specialized extraction employed for the concentration of the active constituents for enhanced therapeutic benefits to the skin.
- Centella asiatica (Gotu Kola) has been shown to have many healing attributes acting as a general tonic for overall skin and circulatory health. When applied topically it s been shown to speed the healing of damaged tissues and to minimize scarring.
- Centella asiatica (Gotu Kola) is rich in saponins which are well known for their beneficial connective tissue impact where they stimulate skin repair and strengthen hair and nails. This activity is dramatic enough to improve the look of cellulite and other skin imperfections.
Brahmi care
Sunlight Full Sun to Partial Shade Watering Medium Soil Well-drained soil Temperature it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10, c Fertilizer Use any organic fertilizer Brahmi special feature
The flowers are white or pinkish to red in color, born in small, rounded bunches (umbels) near the surface of the soil. Each flower is partly enclosed in two green bracts. The hermaphrodite flowers are minute in size (less than 3 mm), with 5-6 corolla lobes per flower.
Each flower bears five stamens and two styles. The fruit are densely reticulate, distinguishing it from species of Hydrocotyle which have smooth, ribbed or warty fruit. The crop matures in three months, and the whole plant, including the roots, is harvested manually.Brahmi uses
Ornamental Use:
- The plant is used for ornamental purpose
- Its generally kep indoor in living room and in terrac area
Medicinal Use:
- According to the American Cancer Society, although centella is promoted for its health benefits, available scientific evidence does not support claims of its effectiveness for treating cancer or any other disease in humans
- However some research has shown a possible health benefit in the form of reduction of the progression of subclinical arterial lesions in low-risk asymptomatic subjects
- Note: The following information is general guidelines
- Be sure to ask your healthcare provider for guidelines
Culinary Use:
- Centella is used as a leafy green in Sri Lankan cuisine, being the most predominant of all locally available leafy greens, where it is called gotu kola
- It is one of the constituents of the Indian summer drink thandaayyee
- Centella is widely used in various Indian Regional cuisines
- It is known as vallarai in Tamil
- It is an important component of unave marunthu concept which translates to food is medicine
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