Brahmamanduki / Indian Penny Wort
Centella asiatica
Also known as Centella, Pohekula, Spadeleaf
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Kerala, West Bengal, Karnataka & more
- Flowering
- Throughout the year
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Centella asiatica
- Genus
- Centella
- Family
- Apiaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- Stream banks and other water courses
- Habitat type
- Wetland
- Native to
- Old World tropics
- Distribution
- Tropical & sub-tropics of the World
- Found in India
- Kerala, West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand
- Flowering & fruiting
- Throughout the year
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (LC)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Recorded for Brahmamanduki.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower symmetry
- Radial
- Inflorescence
- Umbel
- Fruit
- Schizocarp
Typical of the Apiaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Hindi
- बल्लारि Ballari, भेकी Bheki, ब्रह्ममण्डूकी Brahmamanduki,खुलखुडी khulakhudi
- Nepali
- ब्रह्मबुटि Brahmabuti, घोड टाप्रे Ghod-Tapre, घोड टाप्रे, घोडताप्रे
- Bengali
- ব্রহ্মমন্ডূকী Brahmamanduki, থানকুনি Thanakuni, থানকুনি, ব্রহ্মমন্ডূকী
- Tamil
- கசப்பி Kacappi, மதண்டி Matanti, பறுணி Paruni, கசப்பி
- Telugu
- మండూకపర్ణి, సరస్వతీ ఆకు, బ్రహ్మి
- Kannada
- ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಿ ಸೊಪ್ಪು Brahmi Soppu, ಗದ್ದೆ ಬರಗ Gadde Baraga, ಇಲಿಕಿವಿ ಸೊಪ್ಪು Ilikivi Soppu, ಇಲಿಕಿವಿ ಸೊಪ್ಪು
- Malayalam
- കുടകം Kutakam, കുടഞ്ഞാല് Kutannal, കുടകം, കുടഞ്ഞാല്
- Marathi
- ब्राह्मी Brahmi, एकपानी Ekpani, कारिवणा Karivana, एकपानी
- Sanskrit
- भण्डीरी, भाण्डि, मण्डूकपर्णी
- Gujarati
- કોડાકલા, ખડબ્રાહ્મી
- Odia
- ଥାଲକୁଡ଼ି, ମଣ୍ଡୂକପର୍ଣ୍ଣୀ, ମୂଳ ପର୍ଣ୍ଣୀ, ସରସ୍ବତୀ
- Punjabi
- ਮੰਡੂਕ ਪਰਣੀ
- Assamese
- বৰ মানিমুনি, বৰ-মানিমুনি
- Urdu
- گوتو کولا
- Sinhala
- ගොටු කොළ, ගොටුකොල
Brahmamanduki in India
Gotu kola is a small creeping herb of damp ground, valued in Ayurveda — बल्लारि Ballari (Hindi), கசப்பி Kacappi (Tamil), మండూకపర్ణి (Telugu), ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಿ ಸೊಪ್ಪು Brahmi Soppu (Kannada), കുടകം Kutakam (Malayalam), ब्राह्मी Brahmi (Marathi). Centella asiatica is recorded across Kerala, West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, in lawns, field edges and moist shady spots.
Uses
It is a classical Ayurvedic medhya herb, traditionally used to support memory and for the skin, and the fresh leaves are eaten as a green and in chutneys (especially vallarai in the south) — attributed traditional uses, not medical advice.
How to Identify Brahmamanduki
A slender creeping herb that spreads by runners, rooting at the nodes. The leaves are the key mark: rounded to kidney-shaped with scalloped edges, held up on long stalks. Tiny pinkish flowers hide low among the leaves near the ground.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Indian Penny wort called in different Indian languages?
- बल्लारि Ballari (Hindi); கசப்பி Kacappi (Tamil); మండూకపర్ణి (Telugu); ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಿ ಸೊಪ್ಪು Brahmi Soppu (Kannada); കുടകം Kutakam (Malayalam); ब्राह्मी Brahmi (Marathi); ব্রহ্মমন্ডূকী Brahmamanduki (Bengali); કોડાકલા (Gujarati); ଥାଲକୁଡ଼ି (Odia); ਮੰਡੂਕ ਪਰਣੀ (Punjabi); भण्डीरी (Sanskrit).
- Is gotu kola the same as brahmi?
- 'Brahmi' is used for both Centella asiatica (gotu kola/mandukaparni) and Bacopa monnieri; this page is Centella, with its rounded scalloped leaves.
- Can you eat gotu kola?
- Yes — the fresh leaves are eaten as a green and in chutneys (vallarai keerai in the south), alongside its attributed traditional medicinal uses.
Apiaceae
Carrot family
Brahmamanduki belongs to the Apiaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Apiaceae
View all Apiaceae →Sources: GBIF — Centella asiatica (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · iNaturalist — Centella asiatica (regional names, India observations) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Centella asiatica (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)