Common name: Creeping cradle plant . Tamil name: Vazhukai pul
Creeping cradle plant is a herb native to the Indian Subcontinent. The plant forms mats on floor rooting at nodes it can spread itself over 40 cm square. Although mostly seen prostrate some branches can be seen ascending. Mostly seen around fringes of deciduous forest areas. Grows quickly when monsoon arrives in shallow rocky puddle areas. The plant appears bend at each nodes giving a overall zigzag appearance. When crushed the pulp is sticky and slimy. The simple sessile leaves are arranged in an alternate manner; the leaf margin is entire. The leaf surface has a ridgy appearance: parallel nerves prominently seen. The leaf appears falcate, oval lanceolate with an acute tip. The base of the leaf fully clasps the stem. The leaf measure around 9.7 cm in length; the leaf across measure around 8 mm. The distance between successive leaf nodes measure around 3-4 cm. The inflorescence is few flowering sessile flowers which appear on the leaf axis. The flowers are purple. The flower measure around 5 mm across. The flower encloses several filaments blue hairs. The fruit is in the form of a capsule.
