If you would like to support this site, please consider Donating.
Useful Temperate Plants

Mollugo verticillata

L.

Molluginaceae

+ Synonyms

Mollugo arenaria Kunth

Mollugo axillaris Schlecht. ex Rohrb. in Mart.

Mollugo costata Y.T. Chang & C.F. Wei

Mollugo dichotoma Schrank

Mollugo diffusa Willd. ex Fenzl

Mollugo gracillima Andersson

Mollugo hoffmannseggiana Ser. in DC.

Mollugo juncea Fenzl

Mollugo schrankii Ser. ex DC.

Mollugo spergulaefolia Willd. ex Fenzl

Mollugo triphylla Schrank ex Steud.

Pharnaceum arenarium Spr.

Pharnaceum cerviana Mart. ex Rohrb. in Mart.

Pharnaceum hoffmannseggianum Roem. & Schult.

Pharnaceum verticellatum Spr.

Common Name: Indian Chickweed

Mollugo verticillata
Flowering plant
Photograph by: Eric in SF
Creative Commons License
Mollugo verticillata Mollugo verticillata Mollugo verticillata

General Information

Mollugo verticillata is a slender, much branched, erect to prostrate annual plant with stems up to 20cm long[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

50
Title
Flora Europaea
Publication
 
Author
?
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
1964
ISBN
-
Description
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for Europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
,
270
Title
Flora of N. America
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
,
274
Title
Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas
Publication
 
Author
Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J
Website
http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm
Publisher
Botanical Research Institute, Texas.
Year
1999
ISBN
1-889878-01-4
Description
An excellent flora, which is also available on-line.

Range

Eastern and western N. America - southwards from Quebec and British Columbia, through central America to southern S. America (absent from Chile)

Habitat

Sandy river banks, roadsides and cultivated ground[
43
Title
Gray's Manual of Botany.Eighth Edition
Publication
 
Author
Fernald. M. L.
Publisher
American Book Co.; New York
Year
1950
ISBN
0442222505
Description
A bit dated but a good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.
]. Weedy in fields, gardens, roadsides, moist to dry soils and sand; from sea level to 3000 metres[
270
Title
Flora of N. America
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
].

Properties

Weed PotentialYes
Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
HabitAnnual
Height0.15 m
PollinatorsInsects, Self
Self-fertileYes
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Mollugo verticillata is a plant originally of the American tropics, it has spread widely and is now found from the temperate to the tropical zones.
The plant does not survive long unless supplied with moisture[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].
Often found as a weed in cultivated land.
The plant is adapted to a short life-cycle in drier areas - the seed germinating after a shower, the plant growing quickly and able to produce seed within 30 - 45 days even if there is no more rain

Edible Uses

Entire plant - cooked[
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
]. It can be used as a pot herb or added to soups during the last minutes of cooking[
55
Title
Eat the Weeds.
Publication
 
Author
Harris. B. C.
Publisher
Pivot Health
Year
1973
ISBN
-
Description
Interesting reading.
,
105
Title
Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World.
Publication
 
Author
Tanaka. T. & Nakao S.
Publisher
Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo
Year
1976
ISBN
-
Description
The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
,
106
Title
The Dictionary of Useful Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Coon. N.
Publisher
Rodale Press
Year
1975
ISBN
0-87857-090-x
Description
Interesting reading but short on detail.
,
177
Title
Plants for Human Consumption.
Publication
 
Author
Kunkel. G.
Publisher
Koeltz Scientific Books
Year
1984
ISBN
3874292169
Description
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
,
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
].

Medicinal

The plant is demulcent, poultice[
106
Title
The Dictionary of Useful Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Coon. N.
Publisher
Rodale Press
Year
1975
ISBN
0-87857-090-x
Description
Interesting reading but short on detail.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2024-12-03. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Mollugo+verticillata>

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.