Common Name:

General Information

Gonostegia hirta is an annual or perennial herb growing up to 75 cm tall[]. The stems, which can be erect, scrambling or drooping, become woody at their base[].
The plant is gathered from the wild for local use as a source of fibre and medicines.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Indian Subcontinent, Myanmar, southern and eastern China, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea, NE Australia

Habitat

Sunny stream banks in valleys and weed patches alongside woodlands[]. Weedy places, thickets by ditches and rice fields; at elevations from 100 - 1,000, occasionally to 2,700 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual/Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant can be monoecious or dioecious[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant is depurative and febrifuge[]. The roots, the leaves or the whole plant can be used[]. They are used to treat boils and abscesses, abdominal cramps in females and leucorrhoea[]. They are also used to treat bone dislocations and fractures[].

The leaves are rubbed on the throat giving a numbing sensation, and are eaten when a person has a severe cough or sore throat[]. The crushed leaves are applied as a poultice on ulcers[].

An infusion of the whole plant is drunk by children suffering from atrophy and indigestion[].

A poultice of the roots is applied to bruises[].

Other Uses

Fibre from the bark is used for making string[].

Propagation

Seed -