Annual, 10-30 cm high, branching from the base, somewhat succulent, glaucous, fragile. Leaves with petiole, triangular-hastate, entire. Racemes simple or branched. Pedicels solitary, bearing twin or sometimes ternate flower. Valves of fruit-bearing primary flower suborbicular, 12-18 (-23) mm long and broad, without a marginal nerve, entire, reticulate, membranous with parallel basal lobes, two of the valves with a small basal grain, the third without a grain; the second - and if present the third - fruit somewhat or hardly smaller, folded together with the primary one and hidden by it.Nut of primary flower 3.4-4.7 (-5.2) mm long, greyish-brown, that of secondary flower 2.8-4 (-4.5) mm, more dark brown.

Aperient, astringent, diuretic and cooling (leaves)

Plants for a Future

In the treatment of dysentery (roasted seeds); in treating heat of the stomach, to allay the pain of toothache and, by its astringent properties, to check nausea (plant juice).

Sharma PV. Classical Uses of Medicinal Plants.