Food Plants International - Plant Fact Sheets

Homalomena occulta

Edible: Root, Stem, Leaves

A herb. It has creeping rhizomes. The end of the stem is erect and 30-50 cm tall. The leaf stalk is 25-40 cm long. The leaves are sword shaped to heart shaped and 15-30 cm long by 15-28 cm wide. There are 1-3 flowering shoots together.

A tropical plant. It grows in dense valley forests and bamboo forests between 100-1,100 m above sea level. In XTBG Yunnan.

Synonyms: 

Calla occulta Loureiro;
Homalomena cochinchinensis Engler;
Homalomena tonkinensis Engler;

Grewia retusifolia

Edible: Fruit, Leaves

A shrub. It grows to 1.5 m high. The stems have coarse hairs. The leaves are oval. The blade is 6.5-12 cm long by 2-4 cm wide. They are dull green and hairy on the top surface and whitish underneath. The edges have teeth. The flowers are white and 0.7 cm long. They occur in clusters in the axils of leaves. The fruit are fleshy and oblong. They have 2-4 lobes and are 0.6 cm long by 1.2 cm wide. They are red-brown when ripe and with hard seeds inside. The fruit are edible.

A tropical plant. They suit tropical locations. They grow naturally in open woodland on sandy soils.

Common Names: Andjodmo, Bull-dog, Gara, Giam la-ta, Kangarn, Marwurrangyi, Mayawung, Mutamuta

Synonyms: 

Grewia polygama;

Helminthostachys zeylanica

Edible: Fronds, Leaves, Stalks, Vegetable

A fern. It is erect and grows in soil. It grows 15-90 cm tall. It has a deep creeping rhizome of underground stem. There are 1-2 leaves. The leaf stalk is thick. It is 10-60 cm long. The sterile part of the leaf is divided 3 times and these each have 2-5 segments. The segments are sword shaped and taper to the tip and have fine teeth along the edge. They are 5-25 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. The fertile spike is at the top. It is on a stalk 3-30 cm long and the spike is 5-21 cm long.

It is a tropical plant. In Indonesia it grows from sea level to 725 m above sea level. It grows in moist poorly drained soil. It is often along rivers and on the edge of forests.

Common Names: Asi bisi, Feciruk, Han votar, Majur goda, Manon, Olipien, Pakis urang, Paku manis, Paku payung, Paku tunjuk langit, Pantjar bumi, Musitop, Sam dat, Tapak chalak, Tungkod-langit

Synonyms: 

Osmunda zeylanica L.;

Hemerocallis fulva

Edible: Flowers, Leaves, Root, Bulb, Shoots, Vegetable

A herb. It grows 40-150 cm tall. Plants usually lose their leaves during the winter. The roots are fleshy with swollen tubers near the tip. There can be stolons or runners up to 30 cm long. The leaves are narrow and 50-90 cm long by 1-2.8 cm wide. The flowers occur as double groups of 2-5 flowers. The flowers are yellow or orange. They do not have a scent. They open in the morning and close in the evening of the same day. The fruit is a capsule. It is oval and 2-2.5 cm long by 1.2-1.5 cm wide. Several varieties are recognised.

It is a temperate plant. It grows in forests and thickets in grasslands and near streams from 300-2500 m altitude in China. It suits hardiness zones 4-9. In XTBG Yunnan. In Sichuan.

Common Names: Chin cheng tsai, Chu-ta, Dok mai cheen, Fulvus daylily, Golden needles, Hoa hien, Huanghuacai, Kanzou, Kim cham, Orange day lily, Rumenorjava maslenica, Shina-kanzo, Wonchurri, Xuan cao, Yabu-kanzo, Yellow flower vegetable

Synonyms: 

Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus var. fulva L.;

Heritiera littoralis

Edible: Fruit, Seeds, Nuts, Leaves - tea

A tree up to 30 m high with a silvery crown and wide spreading branch-like buttresses. The trunk can be 90 cm across. The bark is light coloured and coarsely furrowed. The leaves are grouped near the ends of branches and are dark green on top and with silvery scales underneath. The leaves are 14-29 cm long. The upper side of the leaves is smooth and without hairs while the under side is silvery. The flowering branches are borne in the axils of leaves and have many flowers. The flowers are small, and hang in tassels. The flowers are of one sex, yellowish green and bell shaped. The fruit are hard, woody, smooth and shiny and boat shaped. The fruit are in clusters near the ends of branches. Fruit are 5-10 cm long. There is one seed inside which is edible. The wood is very hard.

A tropical plant. They are found in the inner part of the mangrove swamp and sometimes on dry land just at the back of the swamp in the tropics. They grow on sandy and rocky coasts. It can tolerate salt. They occur up to 50 m altitude. The trees occur from tropical Africa, India through Malaysia to Polynesia. It can grow in arid places. In Townsville palmetum.

Common Names: Adavibadamu, Chandmara, Chebibech, Chomuntri, Cui, Dugun kecil, Dungun ayer, Dungun, Etuna, Itik-itikan, Kalampu, Kannadi-yilai, Kolland, Mawtda, Mkokoshi, Mkungu, Msikundazi, Mukuram, Nakam, Pinle-kanazo, Pohon dungun teropong, Sundari, Sundrichand, Thhiey, Tulip mangrove

Synonyms: 

Amygdalus littoralis (Dryander) O. Kuntze;
Amygdalus minor (Gaertn.) O. Kuntze;
Atunus litorea Rumph.;
Balanopteris minor Gaertn.;
Balanopteris tothila Gaertn.;
Heritiera fomes Wall.;
Heritiera minor Lam.;
Heritiera tothila (Gaertn.) Kurz;
Nagam Rheede;
Samandura littoralis Oken;
Sterculia ambiformis Ahern;
Sterculia cymbiformis Blanco;
Sutherlandia littoralis J. F. Gmelin;

Heteropanax fragrans

Edible: Leaves

A tree. It grows 30 m tall. The leaves have 3 to 5 leaflets along the stalk. The leaves are 50-100 cm long and the leaflets are opposite. The leaflets are narrowly oval and 6-13 cm long by 4-6 cm wide.

It is a tropical plant. It grows near sea level and up to 1,000 m above sea level. In XTBG Yunnan.

Common Names: Chang-khen, Kyaundauk, Kyaung-sha-letto, Mai-aw-sang, Mai-mak-long-ka-hkam, Tachanza

Synonyms: 

Aralia fragrans (Roxb.) G. Don ex Loud.;
Panax fragrans Roxb.;
Panax fragrans Roxb. ex DC.;

Hibiscus mutabilis

Edible: Leaves, Root, Flowers, Leaves - tea

A shrub which loses its leaves during the year. It grows to 3 m high and spreads to 2m across. The stem is erect and branching. The stem is covered with soft, star shaped hairs. The leaves are large and oval and divided like fingers on a hand and have 3-7 pointed lobes. The leaves can be 17 cm long. The flowers are funnel shaped and white and turn deep pink in a day. They can be double or single. They are 10 cm across. There are some named varieties.

A tropical plant. It grows best in light to medium, well drained soils. It needs an open sunny position. It needs a humus rich, fertile soil. It is damaged by frost and cannot tolerate drought. It needs a temperature above 13°C. It suits hardiness zones 8-10. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Common Names: Bettada tavare, Changeable rose, Changing Rose, Chinaparatti, Chinese rose, Cotton rose, Fu rong hua, Gul-i-ajaib, Hinaparutti, Irratai-vellaichembarattam, Jushuanghua, Kyet-shaw, Mu fu rong, Neladavare, Phudung, Phuttan, Resisting frost flower, Sembarattai, Shalapara, Sthal kamal, Sthalopidmo, Sthalpadma, Suryakanti, Taw-wah, Tholopodmo, Thon-ban-hla, Tree lotus, Waru ladak, White Mallow

Synonyms: 

Abelmoschus mutabilis (L.) Wall. ex Hassk.;
Abelmoschus venustus Walp.;
Hibiscus immutabilis Dehnh.;
Hibiscus javanicus Weinm.;
Hibiscus malvarosa Noronha;
Hibiscus sinensis Mill.;
Ketmia mutabilis (L.) Moench;

Hibiscus sabdariffa

Edible: Calyces, Leaves, Seeds, Flowers - tea, Vegetable, Fruit

A branched shrub up to 2 m high. It has reddish stems, leaves and fruit. Different types vary in their height, shape and leafiness. The leaves are 7-10 cm across and lobed. The upper leaves often have more lobes than the lower leaves. The flowers are large and yellow and in the axils of the leaves. They are carried singly. The bracts at the base of the flower are enlarged and form a fleshy red fruit. This capsule is 3 cm long and contains 22-34 seeds. The seeds are dark brown and 4-6 mm long. 1000 seeds weigh about 25 g.

A tropical plant. It grows from sea level up to about 1,700 m altitude. It will tolerate a range of soils. It requires short days for flowering. They will grow in semi arid locations. It grows best where average temperatures are in the range 25-30°. It needs a temperature above 10-13°C. It is very sensitive to frost. Plants will tolerate high temperatures. They grow up to 800 m altitude in Africa. A rainfall of 450-550 mm distributed over a 90-120 day growing period is required. It cannot tolerate waterlogged soils. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 10-12. In XTBG Yunnan.

Common Names: Abema, Abin kan iyaakaa, Amukan, Ankpama, Asam ruso, Asam susur, Bamya, Bare-see, Beet, Bilat-chinbaung, Bissap, Carcade, Cay bup giam, Chhuka, Chidede, Chinbaung-ni, Chinbaung ywet, Chinebaune, Chukar, Chukiar, Dah, Divay, Ekiganga, Ekikenke, Emalakany, Emelakwang, Essang, Fol-lere, Folere, Florida cranberry, Gamet walanda, Gisima, Gisma, Gurguzu, Hanserong, Hasip, Indian sorrel, Jajewdet, Kahcieb priew, Kalabi, Karcade, Karkady, Ka-santhor, Kasturi roriha, Kata bahaji petua, Khatabhaji, Khirmoishak, Kpakpala, Krachiap-daeng, Krachiap, Kubab, Kudiass, Kuluba, Labog, Lakher-anthur, Lal-ambadi, Lal-ambari, Lal mesta, Lal-mista, Langkamit, Lokeke, Malakwang, Mei gui qie, Mesta tenga, Mphesya, Ngayi-ngayi, Ojo, Oseilla rouge, Oseille, Patwa, Phakkengkheng, Phat-swon-pan, Polechi, Pulichchai, Pulincha kira, Pundibija, Quimbombo chino, Rata bilincha, Red Sorrel, Roozera, Rosel, Rosela, Sakpa, Sangume, Sato, Sawa-sawa, Shan qie zi, Shilot sougree, Slok chu, Sodo, Som pho di, Sorel, Sour-sour, Sum-bawng, Sununkru, Sure, Talingsiag, Tenga more, Thakhlao maikhri, Tikonn'te, Tikwouann'ti, Tropical cranberry, Vaianthuh, Vai anthuk, Vinagreira, Yakuwa, Yakwa, Yerra gogu

Synonyms: 

Abelmoschus sabdariffa;
Furcaria sabdariffa Ulbr.;
Hibiscus cannabinus Hiern.; ?
Hibiscus masuianus De Wild. & T. Durand; ?
and others

Hibiscus syriacus

Edible: Leaves, Flowers, Leaves - tea, Seeds - oil, Flowers - tea

A shrub 3-4 m high. It spreads 1.2-1.8 m wide. It loses its leaves in cooler climates. The leaves are oval with teeth around the edge. They are small and hairless. The flowers are purple with crimson centres. The flowers are bell shaped and can be single or double. They are produced in the axils of leaves. There are a range of cultivated varieties.

It is a temperate plant. In the tropics it grows at high altitude. It is frost hardy but flowers are damaged by frost. It suits hardiness zones 5-9. At Anvers Chocolate factory. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Common Names: Bai jin hua, Chaba, Gurhal, Kembang sepatu mawar, Kembang sepatu saro, Mu jin, Shrubby Althæa, Sirski oslez, Swet jaba, Thon-ban-hla, Woody Hibiscus

Synonyms: 

Althaea frutex Mill.;
Hibiscus acerifolius Salisb.;
Hibiscus arborescens Gaterau;
Hibiscus floridus Salisb.;
Hibiscus rhombifolius Cav.;
Hibiscus syriacus var. micrantha Y. N. Lee & K. B. Yim;
Ketmia arborea Moench;
Ketmia syriaca (L.) Scop.;
Ketmia syrorum Medik.;
 

Colocasia esculenta - Taro

Edible Portion: Corm, Leaves, Stalks, Vegetable, Root, Flowers

This plant has large flat leaves on the end of upright leaf stalks. It grows up to 1 m high. The leaf stalk or petiole joins the leaf towards the centre of the leaf. The leaves are 20-50 cm long. Near the ground a thickened rounded corm is produced. Around this plant their is normally a ring of small plants called suckers. Many different varieties occur. If left to maturity, a lily type flower is produced in the centre of the plant. It has a spathe 15-30 cm long which is rolled inwards. The flowers are yellow and fused along the stalk. There are many named cultivated varieties.

Taro comes in two basic forms. The Dasheen type Colocasia esculenta var. esculenta and Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum or the Eddoe type. The basic difference is the adaptation of the Eddoe type to storage and survival in seasonally dry places, while the dasheen type needs to be maintained in a more or less continuously growing vegetative stage. These are now recognised as separate species names.