Flora of the Southeastern United States

Centella erecta (Linnaeus f.) Fernald. Common name: Centella, Coinleaf. Phenology: May-Sep; Jul-Oct. Habitat: Pine savannas, pondshores, ditches, and a wide variety of other moist to wet habitats. Distribution: S. NJ and DE south to s. FL, west to s. TX; West Indies, Mexico, Central America.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: Centella erecta is sometimes included in C. asiatica, which otherwise has an Old World distribution, but Alqahtani et al. (2017) found good evidence to treat C. erecta and C. asiatica as specifically distinct. Centella asiatica (Gotu kola) has been consumed by humans for years as its array of triterpenoids are purported to have numerous health benefits; interestingly C. cordifolia has been shown to contain even higher phenolic and antioxidant capacity (Alqahtani et al. 2017).

Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, F, G, MC, Meso4.1, NcTx, Tat, Va, Alqahtani et al (2017); = Centella repanda (Pers.) Small — S; = Hydrocotyle repanda Pers. — Chap; < Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. — Bah, Fl7, FNA13, GW2, K4, RAB, Tx, WH3; > Centella repanda (Pers.) Small var. floridana Small — S13; > Centella repanda (Pers.) Small var. repanda — S13; Hydrocotyle erecta Linnaeus f. Basionym: Hydrocotyle erecta L.f. 1781

Links to other floras: < Centella asiatica - FNA13

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACW
• Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACW
• Great Plains: FACW
• Midwest: FACW

Heliophily ⓘ: 8