Ceylon spinach
SKU: Basellaceae
Annual or short-lived perennial herb up to 3 m tall. Normally found at an altitude from 0–2,600 m and often occurs in disturbed sites.
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Basella alba
COMMON NAME
Indian Spinach, Ceylon spinach, 落葵, 帝皇苗, 木耳菜
CLASSIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS
Plant Division Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon) Plant Growth Form Climber, Vine & Liana, Shrub (Creeper) Lifespan (in Singapore) Perennial Mode of Nutrition Autotrophic Maximum Height 2 m to 6 m PLANT CARE AND PROPAGATION
Light Preference Full Sun Water Preference Moderate Water Diseases This species is seldom attacked by diseases. Pest(s) Nematodes Propagation Method Seed, Stem Cutting Seed or Spore Germination Duration To 7 Seed or Spore Germination Duration Unit Days USES
- The leaves and stem tips are eaten cooked or raw as a vegetable in many countries.
- In Chinese folk medicine, leaves and stems are used as laxative, while flowers are used as poison antidotes. In Javanese folk medicine, the fruit is used to treat conjunctivitis, while roots are used to treat diarrhoea and swellings.
Disclaimer
The information in this website is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.