Edithcolea grandis

N. E. Br.

Persian carpet flower

ApocynaceaeLeavesRootsShootsPotential hazards — see below

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Stems, Roots, Vegetable

The stems and roots are eaten as a vegetable.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

It is a tropical plant. It grows in hot dry desert areas. It grows in sunny locations and sandy soils. It is damaged by frost or drought. It can grow in arid places.

Africa*, Australia, East Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Middle East, Socotra, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Angola, Australia, Burkina Faso, Bahrain, Burundi, Benin, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Israel, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kenya, Comoros, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, Syria, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

A succulent herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It does not have leaves and lies along the ground. It grows up to 30 cm tall. The stem is 2-3 cm across. It is 5 angled. The angles have hard brown spine like teeth. The flowers usually occur singly at the ends of branches.

How to Grow

It can be grown by seeds or cuttings. Cuttings root easily at 27°C. The soil needs to be well drained.

Propagation: Seed - Propagation is possible by seed and by cuttings. Stem cuttings root easily and best results are obtained at temperatures above 27°C in light shade; the soil has to be well drained because the plant rots extremely easily. Plants tolerate temperatures as low as 4°C, but the temperature should preferably not drop below 12°C. Established plants need much sun for growth, so cultivation is difficult in many temperate regions.

Other Information

It is a minor food.

Notes

Also put in the family Asclepiadaceae.

Names & Synonyms

Tapis persan, Xamakow

Edithcolea sordida N. E. Br.

References (5)

Bodkin, F., 1991, Encyclopedia Botanica. Cornstalk publishing, p 375
Grubben, G. J. H. and Denton, O. A. (eds), 2004, Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA, Wageningen, Netherlands. p 292
Jansen, P.C.M., 2004. Edithcolea grandis N.E.Br. [Internet] Record from Protabase. Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa), Wageningen, Netherlands. < http://database.prota.org/search.htm>. Accessed 15 October 2009.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1999). Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (SEPASAL) database. Published on the Internet; http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ceb/sepasal/internet [Accessed 30th March 2011] (Also as Edithcolea sordida)
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew