The name of this plant in Tamil is Ponnanganni meaning ‘golden eye’, which itself describes its importance. Those with eye issues can try Honagone Soppu or Ponnaganti as it is known in Kannada and in Telugu respectively. According to reports, consuming the leaves or the aerial parts of this plant will keep away any eye-related complaints and will provide clear vision even in old-age. Oral administration of the filtrate of the steamed inflorescences of this plant can cure night blindness.
Nowadays, in most vegetable markets across the country, an invasive weed that has lethal properties is sold under the name Honagone soppu or Ponnaganni or Ponnaganti. It is essential to provide the exo-macro-morphological key feature to distinguish both species.
The medicinal/traditional Honagone soppu is botanically known as Alternanthera sessilis and belongs to the Amaranthaceae family. It is a prostrate, much-branched herb, often forming mats on the substratum. It grows on moist localities along water courses, throughout the warmer parts of our country.
Branches are smooth, and end in branchlets with two lines of hair; the nodes are often hairy. The differentiating feature is the presence and absence of the stalk of the inflorescences as shown in the images.