Common Name: Spreading Hogweed
Vernacular Name: തഴുതാമ
Systematic position:
Class- Magnoliopsida
Subclass- Caryophyllidae
Order- Caryophyllales
Family- Nyctaginaceae
Genus- Boerhaavia
Species- B. diffusa
Description: Boerhaavia diffusa is widely dispersed, occurring throughout India, the Pacific, and southern United States. Flowers are small, around 5 mm in diameter. Pollens are round, roughly 65 microns in diameter. This wide range is explained by its small fruit, which are very sticky and grow a few inches off the ground, ideally placed to latch on to small migratory birds as they walk by.
Flowering and Fruiting: January to April.
Economic Importance: It is widely used as a green leafy vegetable in many Asian and African countries. B.diffusa can be used as a fodder for livestock, but has the potential for contaminating seed stocks, and may harbor pathogens for certain crops, such as eggplants.
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boerhavia_diffusa