Biophytum sensitivum aka Lifeplant

Biophytum sensitivum is a small annual, a plant that lives one year. It belongs to the Oxalidaceae family. Its native range spans tropical and subtropical parts of Asia. Records cover China and the Indian subcontinent. They also cover much of Southeast Asia. It grows in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines too. Kew places it in a wet tropical climate. The RHS says it is not native to Britain or Ireland.

The plant has one stem, which does not branch. Useful Tropical Plants gives a height of about 0.8 feet (0.25 metres). Its fuller account gives an upper height of 1.1 feet (0.35 metres). These sizes show a small plant. They do not confirm a garden size range. The sources give no details of leaves or bark. They give no spread for a full-grown plant. African floras name some plants as this species. Those records need care when checking the plant's name. Useful Tropical Plants treats them as another species, Biophytum helenae.

Wild plants grow in shade and damp thickets. They also grow on river banks and waste ground. Records reach heights of about 820 feet (250 metres) above sea level. It can bloom and bear fruit all year. The account gives no flower colour or fruit shape. Its damp, shaded sites give clues to its needs. But the evidence gives no tested plan for watering. It gives no frost limit, soil mix, or garden hardiness rating.

You can raise new plants from seed. The source reports that seeds stay dormant for about nine months after ripening. This means they rest before they sprout. It suggests that a substance may delay sprouting. Water can dissolve that substance. The best reported heat range for sprouting is 30 to 40°C. This range concerns seeds, not full-grown plants. The evidence does not show how fast plants grow after sprouting. Nor does it name pests, diseases, or a landscape role.

People gather wild plants for food and folk medicine. The leaves are the part listed as fit to eat. Folk uses include ground seeds for wounds. People also use boiled roots for bladder stones. Reports list uses for gonorrhoea and diabetes too. They also list chest complaints and tuberculosis. These are folk uses, not treatments with proven benefits. Useful Tropical Plants lists no known hazards. This does not prove safety for people or pets.