Oxalis corniculata L.

Semanggi (Oxalis corniculata) is a creeping herb 5-10 cm long of the Oxalidaceae family, believed to originate from Europe and able to flower year-round. Its sour-tasting leaves are commonly eaten as fresh greens or cooked as a natural seasoning. Traditionally, semanggi is believed to reduce fever, relieve hepatitis, and treat urinary tract infections.

This wild plant can grow in open areas, along moist roads and footpaths, grasslands from the coast to mountains at elevations up to 3,000 m above sea level.

• Roots have an anatomy composed of epidermis (rhizodermis), cortex, endodermis, and vascular cylinder.
• Stem soft and branching.
• Leaves compound, trifoliate, with heart-shaped leaflets, long-stalked, and light green in color.
• Flowers emerge from leaf axils, small, umbrella-shaped, yellow in color.
• Fruit is a capsule, oblong, upright, beak-like tip.

• Propagated through seeds and branch shoots.
• Produces many seeds released in dry weather. Seeds germinate well in full sunlight.

Saponins, flavonoids, polyphenols, tannins, oxalic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, isoorientin, palmitic acid, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, stearic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid.

• Treats fever, flu, hepatitis, urinary tract infections, relieves diarrhea, lowers hypertension, physical weakness (neurasthenia), stops bleeding, menstrual stimulant, cures liver disease.

• Pick an adequate amount of semanggi leaves.
• Air-dry the leaves until dry (not sun-dried).
• Grind the dried leaves into powder.
• Put into an airtight container.

Daun asam kecil (Aceh), Calingcing (Sunda), Semanggi gunung (Java), Cembicenan (Madura), Mala-mala (Ternate).