Daarekaddi / Oval-Leaf False-Buttonweed
Spermacoce latifolia
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka & more
- Flowering
- August-March
How to identify Daarekaddi
Identify Daarekaddi 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 shape: Elliptic.
- Confirm leaf surface: Hirsute (coarsely hairy).
- Confirm flower colour: White.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: August-March.
- In India, compare location records such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Puducherry and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Rubiaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Daarekaddi.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Spermacoce latifolia
- Genus
- Spermacoce
- Family
- Rubiaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- Moist and dry deciduous forests and waste places
- Native to
- Tropical America
- Distribution
- Naturalised in other Tropics
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Puducherry, West Bengal
- Flowering & fruiting
- August-March
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- EllipticrecordedWidest at the middle, tapering evenly at both ends.“Leaves are elliptical to oblong, up to 8 cm long.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- Hirsute (coarsely hairy)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Opposite
Characters marked “recorded” are for Daarekaddi itself; the rest are typical of the Rubiaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Whiterecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Berry
Characters marked “recorded” are for Daarekaddi itself; the rest are typical of the Rubiaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Nepali
- आलु झार Aalu Jhaar, आलु पाते Aalu Paate, पौंधी Paundhi
- Bengali
- শপিঁপড়া Shapinpara
- Kannada
- ದಾರೆಕಡ್ಡಿ Daarekaddi, ಮದನಗಂಟಿ Madanaganti
- Malayalam
- തറുതാവൽ Tharuthaaval, കുടൽചുരുക്കി Kudalchurukki
About Daarekaddi
A member of the Rubiaceae family, Oval-leaf false-buttonweed (Spermacoce latifolia) is a herb. In India it has been recorded in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and 2 other states. It grows in moist and dry deciduous forests and waste places. Flowering and fruiting run from August to March.
Rubiaceae
Coffee/Madder family
Daarekaddi belongs to the Rubiaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Rubiaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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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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