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<big>''[[Coldenia procumbens]]'' L.</big>

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{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Coldenia procumbens'' (PROTA)}}

:Protologue: Sp. pl. 1: 125 (1753).

:Family: Boraginaceae

== Origin and geographic distribution ==

Pharmacological screening of an ethanolic extract of whole ''Coldenia procumbens'' plants showed depression of the central nervous system in mice and prolongation of the pentobarbital-induced sleeping time in rats. Extracts exhibited some analgesic effects but had no anticonvulsant effects, did not alter the body temperature and did not abolish conditioned avoidance responses. The mechanism of the analgesic activity may possibly involve opioid receptors and enhancement of the pain threshold. Acetone, ethanol and water extracts of dried aerial parts have shown weak angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition in vitro.

Annual, prostrate herb with compressed, ascendingly branched stems up to 50 cm long, greyish hairy. Leaves alternate, simple; stipules absent; petiole up to 0.5 cm long; blade asymmetric, oblong or obovate, 0.5–3 cm × 0.5–1.5 cm, margin crenate, veins in 4–6 pairs, impressed above, prominent below. Flowers solitary, extra-axillary, bisexual, 4-merous, almost sessile, small; calyx c. 1.5 mm long, slightly accrescent in fruit; corolla up to 2 mm long, with cylindrical tube and small lobes, white; stamens inserted at about the middle of the corolla tube, included; ovary superior, style bifid nearly to the base. Fruit initially splitting into 2 halves, later each half into 2 one-seeded nutlets with a distinct beak.

''Coldenia'' comprises a single species. Several American species previously included have been transferred to the genus ''Tiquilia''.

== Ecology ==

''Coldenia procumbens'' is found in seasonally wet or flooded locations such as muddy river banks and lake shores, black cotton soil, rice fields and depressions. In tropical Africa it is found at altitudes up to 750 m. The wall of the nutlet is partly thick and corky, which enables dispersal by water.

== Genetic resources ==

== Author(s) ==

== Correct citation of this article ==

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