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Bacopa monnieri

File:Starr_010818-0007_Bacopa_monnieri.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Bacopa monnieri

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Also known as water hyssop, waterhyssop, brahmi, thyme-leafed gratiola, herb of grace, Indian pennywort

species of plant

OverviewAI-generated

Bacopa monnieri is a species of plant in the family Plantaginaceae, belonging to the genus Bacopa. It is classified within the order Lamiales, class Magnoliopsida, and phylum Tracheophyta. The species has several common names, including herb of grace, Brahmi, Coastal Waterhyssop, Thyme-leafed gratiola, and Monnier's hedge hyssop. Its taxonomic authority is cited as (L.) Wettst. or (Linnaeus) Pennell, 1946.

The plant is found in freshwater habitats and has a range that includes Brazil, specifically the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná, as well as the Atlantic Forest. It has been introduced to Greece, the Lesser Sunda Islands, the Marquesas, Portugal, and Spain. The IUCN Red List assessed its conservation status as Least Concern in 2013.

Bacopa monnieri is used as a medicinal plant and serves a role as a nootropic. Records of the species are held by institutions such as ECOSUR, DCBS-DICTUS-USON, FCN-UAQ, INECOL, and CIBYC-UAEM, with occurrences documented in Mexico.

Synthesized by Vinony from 45 facts across 8 sources: Wikidata, GBIF, Gbif Occ, IUCN Red List, Plants of the World, WoRMS, iDigBio, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Species

Least Concern

Monnier's hedge hyssop

SPECIES

  1. KingdomPlantae
  2. PhylumTracheophyta
  3. ClassMagnoliopsida
  4. OrderLamiales
  5. FamilyPlantaginaceae
Habitatfreshwater
Native toAfghanistan, Alabama, Alberta, Aldabra, Andaman Is., Angola, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Argentina South, Arizona, Arkansas, Assam
Observations recorded16,150

General: It is surprising that the widespread Bacopa monnieri (L

via GBIF · IUCN · Kew POWO

Museum specimens

Specimen records
4,859
With media
3,241
Family
Plantaginaceae
Collections
ECOSUR, DCBS-DICTUS-USON, FCN-UAQ, INECOL, CIBYC-UAEM, ENCB-IPN
Recorded in
Mexico

~3 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Bacopa monnieri, also known as water hyssop, brahmi, thyme-leafed gratiola, herb of grace, and Indian pennywort, is a perennial, creeping herb native to wetland areas globally.

It is used in Ayurveda. In 2019, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned manufacturers of dietary supplement products containing Bacopa monnieri against making illegal and unproven claims that the herb can treat various diseases. There is inconclusive evidence of it improving cognitive performance and memory, and its safety and effectiveness remain uncertain.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Bacopa monnieri” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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