Telosma cordata
(N. L. Burman) Merrill
Night-scented flower, Night-coming scent, Fragrant telosma
(c) NIC KYU, some rights reserved (CC BY-ND)
(c) NPS - pacific island vegetation monitoring, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves, Flowers, Fruit, Roots
Young leaves and flowers are eaten in soup or stir-fried with egg. A sweet meat is made from the roots. The fruit is also edible.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. It is best in full sun. It does well in hot, dry, lowland tropical locations. It needs a well drained and fertile soil. It grows in limestone areas. In Yunnan.
Asia, Cambodia, China, Europe, Hawaii, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, North America, Pacific, Pakistan, Philippines, SE Asia, Singapore, South America, Thailand, USA, Vietnam,
How to Identify
A woody climbing creeper. The stems are slender. They are hairy. The leaf stalks are 4-6 cm long. The leaves are broadly heart shaped. They are thin and often wrinkled. They are pointed at the tip. The flower buds are pale green. They open to yellow 5 petalled flowers. They have a scent at night. The fruit are slender pods and 10-14 cm long. The seeds are up to 1 cm long. They are grey-brown.
Nutrition Score: 37/100
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leaves/Flowers | 80.5 | 272 | 65 | 5 | — | — | 1 | — |
How to Grow
It can be grown by cuttings, layering or seed.
Propagation: Seed - Cuttings root easily.
Medicinal Uses
The flowers are used in the treatment of conjunctivitis.
Other Uses
An essential oil is obtained from the flowers.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Telosma cordata (Chinese: 夜來香; lit. 'night-blooming fragrance') is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae (tribe Marsdenieae), native to China and Indo-China. It is cultivated elsewhere and may occur wild as an introduced species. Common names include Chinese violet, cowslip creeper, Pakalana vine, Tonkin jasmine and Tonkinese creeper. The plant bears clusters of golden yellow blooms along the vining stems during summer months. Individual blooms emerge successively over a period of weeks emitting a rich, heavy fragrance during the day and night.
Other Information
It is a cultivated food plant.
Names & Synonyms
Bak kik, Bunga siam, Bunga tongkeng, Cowslip creeper, Cowslip, Dok kig, Dok kik, East-coast creeper, Guaal manda, Kanjalata, Kha jon, Melati tongkeng, Pakalana, Phak kik, Primrose-creeper, Salit, Seetamanoharam, Thien ly, Tonkin creeper, Yelaixiang, Yexianghua
References (31)
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