Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides

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Lawn marshpennywort (Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides) is a small flowering plant native to southeastern Asia. It is a dicot and was once placed in the Apiaceae family, but most experts now classify it in the Araliaceae.

Description
The plant has a moderate growth rate and spreads by creeping stems. Leaves are simple, broad, and often kidney-shaped to round, with scalloped edges and a petiole that attaches near the center of the leaf (peltate). Leaf width ranges from about 0.5 to 2 cm. Leaves are hairless and may have five to seven shallow lobes. Flowers are small with a faint yellow color and a hint of purple, arranged in simple, flat-topped or rounded clusters. The fruit is flat and splits into two halves, each side containing one seed, with elliptical to round shape and visible ridges.

Habitat, distribution, and growth habits
Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides originated in southeastern Asia but is spreading to other regions, including the eastern United States and parts of Australia. It grows in a wide range of habitats, from dry areas to places that are periodically submerged, and can even appear between sidewalk cracks. It favors full sun and grows best at temperatures between 20–28°C, tolerating 10–30°C. It prefers soils with a pH of 5–7. The plant can be propagated mainly by cuttings and is often found as a lawn weed or in ornamental settings and aquariums.

Conservation and ecology
The species is listed as of least concern, continuing to spread in its introduced ranges as conditions allow.

Uses and chemistry
Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides has a history of traditional medicinal use in Asia, addressing fever, edema, dysentery, rheumatic pain, coughs, jaundice, throat discomfort, skin ailments, hepatitis B, pain relief, dysmenorrhea, and bone fractures. In Assam, it is used as a hepatoprotective agent, a brain tonic, and a detoxifying agent; Bengali communities have used the whole plant for bone fractures. The plant is also common in the aquarium trade.

Phytochemicals identified in the plant include asiaticoside and madecassoside as major constituents, along with many other compounds such as flavonoids, phenolics, terpenes, and acids. Acute toxicity tests in rats show no toxicity up to at least 2000 mg/kg, but there have been no clinical trials to confirm safety or efficacy in humans.

Notes
Recent molecular studies place Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides firmly in the Araliaceae family and show its close relationships to other Hydrocotyle species.