A small perennial herb up to 20 cm tall. Leaves in a rosette, broadly ovate to ovate or elliptical-ovate, 5-15 cm x 3-8 cm, entire or obscurely dentate, glabrous or nearly so. Spike 2-10 cm long, variably densely flowered, bracts ovate, about 1.5 mm long. Fruit 3-4 mm long, 4-6(-12)-seeded. Seeds ellipsoidal and plano-convex, (1-)1.5-2 mm long, blackish-brown.

Anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antitussive, cardiac, diuretic, expectorant and haemostatic (leaves); as a bulk laxative (mucilage of seeds).

PROSEA (Plant Resources of South-East Asia) Foundation

Adenine, aucubin, beta-sitosterol, choline, linoleic acid, n-hentriacontane, succinic acid and ursolic acid (plant); carvacrol (flower); oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid (seed).

Assists the repair of joints (leaves); used internally in the treatment of a variety of ailments including asthma, bladder problems, bronchitis, fever, hypertension and rheumatism (seeds and leaves); in the treatment of coughs (decoction of roots)