An annual, branched, creeping herb, stem 5—15 cm tall, rooting at the nodes. Leaves alternate, lanceolate to ovate-oblong, 1.2-B3 cm x 0.2B-0.6 cm, base long decurrent, apex acute or rounded, margins subentire to shallowly toothed towards the apex. Flowers solitary, axillary, 7—15 mm long, normally 1—2 on each stem, pedicel 0.6—3.5 cm long; calyx lobes narrowly triangular, up to 3 mm long, corolla 5—12 mm long, white to pale purple, outside glabrous, inside hairy, dorsal lobes connate with lateral ones for 4 mm, up to 8 mm long, ventral and lateral lobes equal in length, filaments 5—6 mm long, more than half-way free, 2 anterior ones hairy. Capsule obconical, 4—6 mm long, glabrous, pedicel recurved. Seed ellipsoid, 0.5 mm long, dark brown, smooth.

Acts as diuretic (aerial parts); depurative, antirheumatic and antisyphilitic (roots); diuretic and cathartic (decoction of whole plant).

PROSEA (Plant Resources of South-East Asia) Foundation

Externally used on skin infections, like boils and swellings, also caused by poisonous insects and animals (aerial parts); used in alcoholic macerates as a lung tonic, for tuberculosis, asthma and treatment of bloody vomiting (whole plant); stimulates respiration, lowers the blood pressure, stops bleeding and reduces swelling (decoction of whole plant).