FoI
Prostrate Sandmat
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Prostrate Sandmat
aturalized Photo: Prashant Awale
Common name: Prostrate Sandmat, red euphorbia, Prostrate Spurge • Oriya: Rongoalathi
Botanical name: Euphorbia prostrata    Family: Euphorbiaceae (Castor family)

Prostrate Spurge is a species of euphorbia, native to the West Indies and certain parts of South America, but it is widely naturalized in many other parts of the world, where it can be found in varied habitat types and in many areas grows as a roadside weed. It is an annual herb producing slender prostrate stems up to about 20 cm long, sometimes purple-tinted in color. The oval-shaped leaves are up to 1 cm long with finely toothed edges. The inflorescence is a cyathium less than 2 mm wide, with white petal-like appendages surrounding the actual flowers. There are four male flowers and a single female flower, the latter developing into a lobed, hairy fruit 1-2 mm wide.
Medicinal uses: Prostrate Sandmat extract has been found effective for treatment of bleeding hemorrhoids due to its contents of flavonoids, phenolics and phenolic acids. Euphorbia prostrata extract tablets have been marketed in India by Panacea Biotec Ltd.

Identification credit: Prashant Awale, Tanay Bose
Photographed in Nagpur, Maharashtra & Delhi.
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