Ponnanganni (Alternanthera sessilis)

Ponnanganni, gudrisag in Hindi, is sessile joyweed, a creeping green of wet ground that Tamil homes cook as ponnanganni keerai. Its Tamil name is often explained as golden eye, and folk practice links it with eyesight. Its tiny white flowers sit in clusters directly in the leaf axils, without stalks. Red-leaved forms are grown in aquariums.

Botanical name: Alternanthera sessilis (L.) DC.
Family: Amaranthaceae
Tamil: Ponnanganni
Hindi: Gudrisag
Sanskrit: Matsyākṣī
Parts used: Leaves and tender shoots
Habit: Prostrate wet-ground amaranth cooked as a Tamil green
Last updated: 2026-10-27

How to recognise Ponnanganni

It is a creeping or ascending perennial that roots at the nodes, often forming mats.

The leaves are opposite, narrow to oval, and green or reddish.

Each flower is papery and silvery-white, only a few millimetres long.

Tiny white flowers form small, round, stalkless clusters in the leaf axils.

Stems often have a line of hairs on two sides.

Alligator weed, a related invasive, has flower heads on long stalks.

Traditional use of Ponnanganni

Kitchen

Ponnanganni keerai is stir-fried with coconut or cooked with dal.

Tamil food practice

Siddha

Ponnanganni is used in Siddha for eye health and as a cooling food.

Siddha practice

Kitchen

In Sri Lanka mukunuwenna mallung, a shredded green with coconut, is an everyday dish.

Sri Lankan food practice

Modern notes on Ponnanganni

The leaves are rich in beta-carotene, iron and calcium.

Cultivated ponnanganni in markets is sometimes a different Alternanthera.

It is a weed of rice fields and drains.

Ponnanganni safety

Pick it only from clean water and ground, since it grows in drains and can carry pollutants. Cook it before eating.

Ecology and sourcing

It grows in wet places across the tropics.

It spreads by rooting stems.

Small insects visit its flowers.

It tolerates seasonal flooding and slightly salty ground.

Related plants

Also in Amaranthaceae

Questions about Ponnanganni

What is ponnanganni?

Sessile joyweed, eaten as a green.

Is Ponnanganni good for the eyes?

It is rich in beta-carotene; folk claims go further.

Where does Ponnanganni grow?

In wet ground.

Is Ponnanganni the same in Sri Lanka?

Yes, as mukunuwenna.

Can I grow Ponnanganni at home?

Yes, from cuttings in moist soil.

Sources

Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.