Viola arcuata
Blume
(c) Stargazer, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Jean Pierre Cisterna
(c) Stargazer, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Stargazer, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves
Young leaves and flower buds - raw or cooked. A sweetish flavour. When added to soup they thicken it in much the same way as okra. A tea can be made from the leaves.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant. It grows in moist and marshy places. It is usually at lower elevations but can be up to 3,000 m above sea level. In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Asia, Bhutan, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Russia, SE Asia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam,
How to Identify
A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It has a rhizome about 2 mm across with many fine roots. It produces stolons. The stems are in groups and 35 cm tall. The stolons are flexible and 40 cm long. The leaves at the base have long leaf stalks. The leaves are triangle or heart shaped and 2-3 cm long by 2-6 cm wide. There are some teeth along the edge. The flowers are light purplish or white. The fruit is a capsule 6-8 mm long and 3 mm across.
How to Grow
Viola arcuata has a very wide natural range from the cold temperate regions of northern Siberia to the tropics of southeast Asia, where it is usually found at elevations above 1,000 metres. Species in this genus generally prefer a cool moist well-drained humus-rich soil in partial or dappled shade and protection from scorching winds. They can tolerate sandstone and limestone soils but become chlorotic if the pH is too high. They prefer a pH between 6 and 6.5. All members of this genus have more or less edible leaves and flower buds, though those species with yellow flowers can cause diarrhoea if eaten in large quantities.
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in containers in a lightly shaded position, Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out when large enough. Division works at any time of the year, so long as the plants are kept moist. Small divisions are best potted up until established, larger divisions can be planted direct into their permanent positions.
Medicinal Uses
The leaves are crushed and applied to cuts, swellings, ulcers and wounds.
Other Information
It is sold in local markets in China.
Names & Synonyms
Eveikoreio, Tim trungbo, Xiao litou
References (2)
- Li, D. et al, 2017, Ethnobotanical survey of herbal tea plants from the traditional markets in Chaoshan, China. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 205 (2017) 195-206
- Pfoze, N. L., et al, 2012, Survey and assessment of floral diversity on wild edible plants from Senapati district of Manipur, Northeast India. Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences. 1(6):50-52 (As Viola distans)
