Borreria ocymoides is an erect herbaceous plant 25-60 cm tall. It reproduces by seeds and thrives in sunny and damp conditions. The plant is also believed to have numerous medicinal benefits.
It can be easily identified by its purple leaves arranged in a unique elliptic-lanceolate form and its cluster of minute white flowers.
Purple-Leaved Button Weed Scientific Classification
- Domain: Eukaryota
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Tracheophyta
- Subphylum: Angiospermae
- Class: Magnoliospida
- Order: Gentianales
- Family: Rubiaceae
- Genus: Spermacoce
- Species: Spermacoce ocymoides Burm. f.
- Varieties: Spermacoce var. prostrata, Spermacoce var. tenella, Spermacoce var. cephalophora, Spermacoce var. roxburghiana
- Common Names: Basil-like button weed and Purple-leaved button weed
Nativity and Distribution
Purple-leaved buttonweed is native to the tropical regions of West and Central Africa and South Asia. It’s also found in:
- South West Pacific
- Mexico and most countries in South America
Physical Characteristics
- Leaves: Concavely narrowed with acute or obtuse at the apex.
- Fruits: Oblong, small, and transversely wrinkled.
- Stems: Erect weak stems with sparse to fairly dense hairs.
- Flowers: 3-6 mm small clusters of white florets.
- Roots: Fine fibrous root system.
Borreria ocymoides is an erect or spreading annual herb that can grow up to 25-60 cm tall. It is recognizable by its leaves, which are uniquely arranged in opposing patterns, and clusters of tiny white flowers.
The stems are slender and square, green to purplish in colour, with sparse to fairly dense crisped hairs. They can be simple, branched, or angular, with well-spaced nodes.
The four leaves are alternately arranged with leaf stalks 1.6-3.6 cm long. They are concavely narrowed from the base with some acute or obtuse at the apex. Their fringed margins have forward-pointing teeth (serrated) and are glabrous, although there may be marginal hairs on the upper surface.
The minute flowers are 3-6mm in size at the fruiting state and are clustered in 1 cm wide heads surrounding the leaf nodes. Flowering occurs throughout most of the year when water supply is readily available.
Reproduction, Dispersal, & Life Cycle
- Life Cycle: Annual
- Seeds: Can produce up to 22,000 seeds
- Climate: Grows well in tropical and subtropical areas with warm climate
- Dispersal: Wind-dispersed
Borreria ocymoides produces chestnut-brown oblong seeds about 0.7- 1 mm long by 0.4mm wide. One mature plant can produce up to 22,000 seeds which are generally highly viable.
The seeds germinate on the top surface, optimally up to a depth of 2 cm, with a maximum depth of up to 5 cm. While the weed is highly adapted to saline soils, water stress may significantly limit its growth. Soil tillage can propagate faster spread and germination of the weed.
The small and light seeds are often dispersed by wind. They are also dispersed by water and animal activity.
Uses
- The leaf sap is used for the treatment of ringworm and eczema.
- Finely crushed leaves can be used to treat wounds.
- It can be used to treat bacterial infections including Streptococcus and E. coli.
- A Leaf poultice can be used to treat headaches.
- It is used in traditional medicine to treat malaria.
Impact on Farms and Environment
B. ocymoides is a prevalent weed in rice fields in the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Mauritius, and West Africa.
The weeds interfere with rice growth by competing for nutrients, water, and space. Purple-leaved buttonweed is hard to control because it emerges with the rice crop, leading to poor crop quality and economic losses.
In other places, it invades gardens, particularly in damp and partly shaded areas. In Africa, it’s mostly found on forest paths and open grasslands. The weed can also be found near marshes, waste places, and canals.
Control
Mechanical methods: Hand pulling and digging — hand-pulling can be effective in rice paddies, but digging can help get rid of bigger infestations in gardens, roads, and paths.
Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.