Persicaria pulchra
(Blume) Sojak
Watersmart weed
(c) Shin-Ming Ku, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Shin-Ming Ku
(c) Shin-Ming Ku, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Shin-Ming Ku
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves, Leaves - flavouring
The leaves are eaten raw in salads or cooked as a vegetable, and are also used as a flavouring.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. It occurs widely throughout the tropics. It grows in marshes and roadside ditches. It grows in wet grass savannah. It grows between 100-300 m above sea level.
Africa, Asia, Benin, Burkina Faso, China, East Africa, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nigeria, Philippines, SE Asia, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, West Africa,
How to Identify
A creeping herb that grows in water. It has hollow stems. It roots at the nodes. It can be 2 m long. Much of the plant is under water. The leaves are very hairy. They are sword shaped and taper to the tip. They sheath the stem at the base. The flowers are small and white. The occur in clusters which are erect and nodding.
Nutrition Score: 41/100
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leaves | 74.5 | 292 | 70 | 13.8 | — | — | — | — |
Medicinal Uses
The leaves are used traditionally in salads and as a cooked vegetable.
Notes
There are about 50 Polygonum species.
Names & Synonyms
Bakoan, Bendet, Chachabean, Dekerngude, Funte, Jangkong, Johong beraleh, Lukantamila, Musokapale, Nyakisumbi, Pai-nam, Pukut chareng
References (12)
- Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 481 (As Polygonum pulchrum)
- Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 4. Kew. (As Polygonum pulchrum)
- Burkill, I.H., 1966, A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol 2 (I-Z) p 1824 (As Polygonum pulchrum)
- Crevost & Lemarie, 1917, p 183 (As Polygonum pulchrum)
- Flora of China @ efloras.org Volume 5 (As Polygonum pulchrum)
- Malaisse, F., 1997, Se nourrir en floret claire africaine. Approche ecologique et nutritionnelle. CTA., p 67 (As Polygonum pulchrum)
- McMakin, P.D., 2000, Flowering Plants of Thailand. A Field Guide. White Lotus. p 85 (As Polygonum pulchrum)
- Ojelel, S. & Kakudidi, E. K., 2015, Wild edible plant species utilized by a subsistence farming community in the Obalanga sub-county, Amuria district, Uganda. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 11:7 (As Polygonum pulchrum)
- Ruffo, C. K., Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B., 2002, Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania. RELMA p 534 (As Polygonum pulchrum)
- Singh, H.B., Arora R.K.,1978, Wild edible Plants of India. Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi. p 33 (As Polygonum pulchrum)
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- Zon, A.P.M. van der, Grubben, G.J.H., 1976, Les legumes-feuilles spontanes et cultives du Sud-Dahomey, Communication 65, Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, p 85, 86 (As Polygonum pulchrum)
