SAURURACEAE
The family get's its queer name from the interesting spike like inflorescences, the tips of which, bend over to give it a tail like appearance. This family is closely related to the Black-Pepper Family - Piperaceae.
ЁЯМ╖Saururaceae is a small family of five genera and six species, most of them aromatic herbs native to North America and Southeast Asia. The plants generally inhabit wet areas.
ЁЯМ╖The plants are herbaceous and have creeping rhizomes (horizontal stems).
ЁЯМ╖Their leaves are simple, stalked, with entire margins and are arranged alternately.. The base of leaves is heart shaped and the apex is pointed. Stipules are present, often attached to the petiole.
ЁЯМ╖Their inflorescences (flower clusters) are slender, spike-like, and covered with inconspicuous closely appressed flowers. Even though individual flowers are small, the floral spikes are showy, and in several Saururaceae species the spikes resemble a single flower because of the expanded bracts that arise below the inflorescence.
ЁЯМ╖The flowers are bisexual, but lack sepals and petals. Stamens here are shorter than the style.
ЁЯМ╖The fruit is a capsule or a schizocarp. Seeds vary from 1- many
ЁЯМ╖In Singapore, the most commonly known Saururaceae plant is the Houttuynia cordata, commonly known as the "Chameleon Plant" or "Fish Mint". It is a herbaceous plant that is often used in traditional medicine and cooking. Houttuynia cordata is often found in damp places, such as riverbanks, ditches, and wetlands.
Its heart shaped leaves have a distinctive scent that is often described as fishy or minty.
The plant is known for its medicinal properties, and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat various ailments, such as respiratory infections, inflammation, and diarrhea. In Singapore, it is commonly used in local dishes, such as laksa and otah.
ЁЯМ╖Another popular medicinal plant of this family is the Yerba Mansa (Anemopsis californica) that is popular for treatment of inflammations of mucous membranes and prevention of urine stones and the accumulation of uric acid in joints.
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