Tetragonia implexicoma
(Miq.) Hook. f.
Bower spinach, Warrigal Spinach, Ice Plant
(c) Jennifer Michelson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jennifer Michelson
(c) Graeme Rigg, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Graeme Rigg
(c) Ian McMaster, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Ian McMaster
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit, Leaves
None known
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant. It is a coastal plant. It forms thick tangled masses just behind the sand dunes. It can tolerate high levels of salt. It is drought resistant but sensitive to frost. Hobart Botanical Gardens. Tasmania Herbarium.
Australia*, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, Tasmania*,
How to Identify
A succulent climber. It can climb 3 m high. The stems are slender and fleshy. It can form dense mats over the ground. The leaves are thick and diamond shaped. They are 1.5-4 cm long. They are bright green and have water filled pustules on the surface. The flowers are small and yellow. They are on slender stems arising from the leaf bases. The fruit are red to black and berry like. They have a hard seed inside. The leaves are smaller and darker than Tetragonia tetragonoides and lack distinct veins.
How to Grow
Plants can be grown from cuttings.
Medicinal Uses
None known
Other Uses
None known
Wikipedia
Source ↗Tetragonia implexicoma, commonly known as bower spinach, is a species of plant in the Aizoaceae, or ice-plant family. A similar species is Tetragonia tetragonioides, however this species has larger leaves and a shorter flowering time.
Other Information
The leaves have been a popular food.
Notes
There are about 50-60 Tetragonia species.
Names & Synonyms
Barilla, Coorong spinach, Kokihi, New Zealand Spinach
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