Elatostema cuneatum
Wight
(c) Shiwalee Samant, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Shiwalee Samant
(c) 王錦堯（Ong Jin Yao）, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves
Young leaves are edible when cooked.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
It is a tropical plant. It grows in shaded places in the lowlands. It also grows between 1,200-1,400 m above sea level in southern China. And to 1,600 m above sea level in Northeastern India. In Yunnan.
Asia, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Northeastern India, SE Asia, Sikkim, Vietnam,
How to Identify
A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. The stems are unbranched and can be 25 cm tall. It does not have stinging hairs. Male and female flowers are on separate plants.
How to Grow
We have very little information on this species but it should succeed as a spring-sown annual in Britain. It is likely to require a shady position. Plants are dioecious - male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Propagation: Sow seed in spring in situ.
Medicinal Uses
None known.
Other Uses
None known.
Wikipedia
Source ↗A low-growing annual reaching 20cm tall, flowering June to July. Dioecious species requiring both male and female plants for seed production. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils. Grows in mildly acid, neutral, and basic alkaline soils. Adapts to semi-shade and prefers consistently moist soil.
Notes
There are about 200 Elatostema species.
Names & Synonyms
Chulukpa
References (4)
- Fern, K., 2012, Tropical Species Database http://theferns.info/tropical/
- Flora of China @ efloras.org Volume 5
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/ (As Elatostema densiflorum)
- Tsering, J., et al, 2017, Ethnobotanical appraisal on wild edible plants used by the Monpa community of Arunchal Pradesh. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. Vol 16(4), October 2017, pp 626-637
