This annual is a creeping and moisture-loving herb; it has a short, flat or round stem and small white flowers on a long stalk. It grows 3" tall; the leaves are opposite and lance-shaped. Bringraj grows abundantly in the tropics and is used with success in Ayurvedic medicine. This is the main herb for the hair and cirrhosis in Ayurveda. It is believed to prevent aging, maintains and rejuvenates hair, teeth, bones, memory, sight, and hearing. It is a rejuvenative for kidneys, and liver. As an oil, it removes graying, balding, makes the hair darker, and promotes deep sleep. Externally, it draws out poisons and reduces inflammations and swollen glands. It also improves complexion. The root powder is used in Ayurveda for hepatitis, enlarged spleen and skin disorders. Mixed with salt, it relieves burning urine. Mixed with a little oil and applied to the head, it relieves headache. Two drops of expressed juice is mixed with eight drops raw honey and given to newborn children with colds and excess mucus. Mixed with castor oil, it removes worms. Juice placed in the ears removes earaches. A leaf decoction is useful for uterine hemorrhaging (two to four ounces twice daily). Leaf paste applied to swollen glands and skin conditions helps them to heal. Leaf juice boiled in coconut oil makes a hair oil to remove gray hair and balding. This Ayurvedic herb is found throughout India and the southwestern U.S. Its name in India means "ruler of the hair".