Annual to perennial, prostrate or straggling herb, with stems up to 60 cm long, with a slender taproot; stem few- to much-branched, fleshy, green, often flushed with red, finely hairy or glabrescent, nodes swollen. Leaves opposite, simple, unequal; stipules absent; petiole 0.5–1.5 cm long; blade broadly ovate to elliptical, 1–2.5 cm × 0.5–1.5 cm, base cuneate, rounded or truncate, apex rounded to acute, margins sinuate, pale green to whitish beneath, finely hairy, glandular hairy or glabrescent. Inflorescence an axillary, congested, irregular umbel or cyme, (3–)5–7(–13)-flowered; peduncle (2–)4–7 cm long; bracts and bracteoles small, fimbriate, caducous. Flowers bisexual, regular; pedicel (0–)1–1.5 mm long; perianth tubular-campanulate, distinctly constricted halfway, lower part ellipsoid, surrounding the ovary, 5-ribbed, green, upper part 5-lobed, up to 3.5 mm × 3 mm, lobes emarginate, white, pink or mauve, soon falling; stamens ( 1–)2(–3), slightly exserted; ovary superior, seemingly inferior, 1-celled, style slightly exserted, stigma head-shaped. Fruit an achene enclosed by the thickened lower part of perianth (collectively called anthocarp); anthocarp obovoid to ellipsoid, 3–3.5 mm × 1.5–2 mm, apex rounded, 5-ribbed, with rounded ribs, with glandular hairs all over, 1-seeded. Seed ovoid, pale brown. Seedling with epigeal germination.

Diuretic, stomachic, cardiotonic, hepatoprotective, laxative, anthelmintic, febrifuge, expectorant and, in higher doses, as an emetic and purgative (root); aphrodisiac (root decoction); emetic, diuretic and laxative (decoctions of the roots and leaves); as a mild laxative and febrifuge (infusion of whole plant); abortifacient and ecbolic (infusion of leaves)

PROTAbase:Boerhavia repens

A root decoction is taken to cure stomach-ache. The root sap is used as eye drops to treat filaria infection. Decoctions of the roots and leaves are taken in moderate doses to cure asthma and in larger doses to cure leprosy and syphilis. The roots are boiled and applied as a poultice to cure ulcers, including those resulting from guinea-worm infections, while ground roots are applied to yaws. The ground roots mixed with ground seeds of Blighia sapida K.D.Koenig are applied to the body to cure chicken pox. An infusion of the whole plant is taken to cure convulsions and amenorrhoea. The pounded plant is applied externally against dropsy. An infusion of the leaves is taken to cure jaundice, and the whole plant is pulped for poulticing sprains.