Acalypha indica (English: Indian acalypha, Indian nettle, three-seeded mercury French: Ricinelle des Indes, oreille de chatte, herbe chatte, Muktajhuri in Bengali, Tamil: Poonamayakki, Kuppaimeni Sinhalese: කුප්පමේනිය) is a species of plant having catkin type of inflorescence. It occurs throughout tropical Africa and South Africa, in India and Sri Lanka, as well as in Yemen and Pakistan. It has possibly been introduced elsewhere as a weed. In West and East Africa the plant is used as a medicinal plant. In West Africa the leaves are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. It is also browsed by cattle. This plant is held in high esteem in traditional Tamil Siddha medicine as it is believed to rejuvenate the body.