Mahagotukola / Java Pennywort
Hydrocotyle javanica
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Meghalaya & more
- Flowering
- October-May
How to identify Mahagotukola
Identify Mahagotukola by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a herb habit.
- Confirm leaf type: Simple.
- Confirm leaf shape: Cordate.
- Confirm flower colour: White.
- Confirm flower arrangement: Umbel.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: October-May.
- In India, compare location records such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Nagaland and nearby regions.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Hydrocotyle javanica
- Genus
- Hydrocotyle
- Family
- Apiaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Native to
- Tropical Asia
- Distribution
- Tropical Asia, Africa & Australia
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Mizoram
- Flowering & fruiting
- October-May
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (LC)
Leaf characters
- Leaf type
- SimplerecordedA single, undivided leaf blade.“Leaves are simple, circular-heart-shaped, with seven triangular shallow lobes.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf shape
- CordaterecordedHeart-shaped, with a notch at the base.“Leaves are simple, circular-heart-shaped, with seven triangular shallow lobes.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf margin
- LobedrecordedThe edge is divided into rounded or pointed sections that don't reach the midrib.“Leaves are simple, circular-heart-shaped, with seven triangular shallow lobes.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Mahagotukola itself; the rest are typical of the Apiaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Whiterecorded“Tiny white flowers arise in 20 flowered umbels.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Flower arrangement
- UmbelrecordedFlower stalks all radiate from a single point, like umbrella ribs.“Tiny white flowers arise in 20 flowered umbels.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Umbel
- Fruit
- Schizocarp
Characters marked “recorded” are for Mahagotukola itself; the rest are typical of the Apiaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- Mahagotukola
- Malayalam
- Cheruvallei
About Mahagotukola
Java Pennywort (Hydrocotyle javanica) belongs to the Apiaceae family, where it grows as a herb. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Meghalaya and 5 other states. Flowering and fruiting run from October to May.
Apiaceae
Carrot family
Mahagotukola belongs to the Apiaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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