Food Plants International - Plant Fact Sheets

Mentha aquatica

Edible: Leaves, Flavouring, Leaves - tea, Flowers - spice

A small herb. It grows 90 cm high. It has a thin rhizome. It can be smooth or hairy. The leaves are 2.5-5 cm long. They have teeth around the edge. The leaves are oval or sword shaped. The flowers are at the top of the shoots. They are small and purple in 2-3 rings.

It is a temperate plant. It grows in marshes and beside running water. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 3,300 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 7-9.

Common Names: Budi-nan, Dag nanesi, Herba sana, Hung lui, Koricha lega, Kurbaga nanesi, Marsh mint, Mayime, Orange mint, Patana, Pusi-nan, Pit'na, Su nanesi, Umuteekampengeri, Vodna meta, Yaban nanesi

Synonyms:

Mentha hirsuta;
Mentha x piperita var. citrata;

Melochia umbellata

Edible: Leaves

A small tree. It grows 10 m high. The leaves are 22 cm long. The leaves are hairy underneath. The flowers are pink.

A tropical plant. It grows in hot places. It grows along the edges of lowland evergreen forests.

Common Names: Al-abada, Betenook, Boosi, Chapak, Endilau binchil, Jubut, Lesnu, Meloch, Methuri, Pilaw-bin, Sa dam, Senu, Singa, Tampu, Tangkal bintenu, Trungcua rung, Wesnu,

Synonyms:

Melochia arborea Blco;
Melochia velutina Bedd.;
Visenia tomentosa Miq.;
Visenia umbellata Houtt.;
 

Memecylon caeruleum

Edible: Fruit, Leaves

A shrub or small tree. It grows 3-6 m tall. The stems are angular. The leaves are oblong and 8-11 cm long by 4-6 cm wide. The flowers are in clusters in the axils of leaves. The petals are white or greenish yellow but pale blue towards the base. The fruit are pink to red and turn purple to black as they ripen. They are oval and 1-1.5 cm across. They are juicy.

A tropical plant. It grows near the coast. It grows in forests between 900-1,200 m above sea level in southern China. In Yunnan.

Common Names: Api-api hutan, Delek-delek jambu, Delek jambu puteh, Kelat batu, Lam lam, Phlong khee tai, Plong, Prom, Senonya, Thabye-on

Synonyms: 

Memecylon cordatum Wallich;
Memecylon floribundum Blume;

Memecylon edule

Edible: Fruit, Leaves

A small tree. It grows 23 m high. The leaves are opposite and simple. They are 10 cm long by 4 cm wide. They are oval. The flowers are blue to purple and 2 mm across. They are in bundles in the axils of leaves. The fruit are blue to purple and 8 mm long by 6 mm across. There are 1-2 seeds.

It is a tropical plant. It grows in a range of forest types including swamp forest. It grows up to 1,400 m above sea level. It is often on alluvial sites near rivers. It is usually on sandy soils.

Common Names: Alimara, Basing, Byin-gale, Delek air, Kayu besi, Kebesi, Lee-ko-kee, Me-byaung, Mi-nauk, Moc, Nipis kulit, Obar, Pak mead aer, Phlong dam, Phlong mueat, Pohon delek air, Pohon kebes, Telinga

Synonyms: 

Memecylon edule var. typica C. B. Cl. in Hook. f.;

Melaleuca argentea

Edible: Leaves - flavouring

A tall spreading tree. It grows 10-20 m high. It spreads to 10-25 m wide. The branches are slender and hang downwards. The leaves are silvery-green. The bark is papery and light grey. It is soft and layered. The leaves are produced alternately. They are silvery and covered with silky hairs when young. The leaves are long and narrow and widest in the middle but tapering to each end. They are 5-14 cm long by 0.6-2 cm wide. There are 3-5 veins along the leaf. The leaves are pointed at the tip. The leaf stalk is hairy and 0.4-1 cm long. The flowers are cream with many stamens. They have a strong scent. Flowers are 1.2-1.5 cm long and stalkless. The form cylinder shaped spikes which can be 5-12 cm long by 2.5-3 cm wide. The spikes occur in clusters of 4 near the end of branches. The fruit are small cup-shaped woody capsules. They do not have stalks and are 0.3 cm across. They are grey-brown when ripe. They have many very small seeds.

A tropical plant. It will grow in the subtropics and warm temperate regions. In tropical Queensland it grows from sea level to 400 m altitude. They grow naturally along the banks of freshwater creeks. They are on sandy loam soils. The soil needs to be well drained. They can tolerate occasional flooding. They can tolerate light frosts. It can grow in semi arid areas.

Common Names: River paperbark, Silver Cadjeput, Silvery weeping River Teatree

Melaleuca leucadendra

Edible: Nectar, Leaves - tea, Fruit - tea, Leaves - flavouring

An evergreen tree. It grows to a height of 10-40 m and with a spread of 5-8 m. The trunk is upright and the branches hang over. The bark is pale, thick, soft and spongy. This papery bark is a distinctive feature of the tree. The leaves are simple and long. They are about 7-20 cm long by 1-2 cm wide. The leaves are pale or dull dark green colour and carried one after another along opposite sides of the stalk. They have a short leaf stalk. The 5 or 6 veins of the leaf run along the leaf. The flowers are cream, green or slightly pink and are carried without a stalk. The flowers are carried on a 10 cm long stalk. The flowers are at the end of branches of the upper leaves and appear in winter. They have 1-1.5 cm long stamens. The flowers are scented. The flowers make a showy display. The fruit is a small cup-shaped woody capsule about 0.3-0.4 cm across. These capsules turn brown when ripe and carry many very small seeds.

It is a tropical plant and prefers an open sunny position. It will also grow in subtropical and warm temperate regions. Moist loose soils are suitable. It often grows naturally along streams and on deep sandy soils. It is damaged by drought and frost. It can tolerate being occasionally flooded by seasonal rains. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.

Common Names: Cadjeput, Cajaputi, Cajuputa, Cajuputte, Gelam, Kaiyappudai, Kayaputi, Kayu puteh, Med, Punkaringa, Samed, Samet, Smach, Weeping River Teatree

Synonyms: 

Melaleuca cajaputi Roxb.;
Myrtus leucodendron L.;
 

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Edible: Leaves, Fruit, Flowers, Roots

An evergreen shrub. It grows about 2 m high. The branches are nearly four angled. They are densely covered with scales. The leaves have stalks. The leaves are 3.5-10 cm long by 1.4-3 cm wide. They are broadly sword shaped. They have hairs on the upper surface and a few underneath. The flowers are purple. The fruit is oval with a blunt end. The pulp of the fruit is red.

A tropical plant. It suits the hot, wet tropical lowlands. In Nepal it grows between 200-1600 m altitude. In Yunnan in China it grows below 1800 m altitude. It grows in secondary forest. It needs regular moisture and humidity. It grows in wetlands. It needs fertile, well-drained soil. It needs an acid pH. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.

Common Names: Akysanyi, Amkerki, Amlalas, Angeri, Asom, Augeri, Baksi, Ban-tejpata, Baynhenh, Bebei, Beyo, Bi bi nan nan, Bik bik, Bit-bit, Bol-kakkhia, Bre, Bu zhang yang, Choulisy, Dagaday, Daidassa, Dai-hitae, Datranga, Dayyamchettu, Di-sengn, Dieng-soh-khing, Dovedove, Doy oppu, Gongai, Guo gao, Harendog, Harendong, Kadu-du, Kajirai, Kakku, Kalampatti, Katokanmuela, Kemunting, Kengjang, Khlong-khleng-khii-nok, Khusim, Kluruk, Koroti, Kyet-gale, Linda-pabyin, Ma bowitiya, Malabar gooseberry, Malatangaw, Mang kre, Mang re, Moegalo, Mua la be, Myetpye, Nakkukaruppan, Nyaung-ye-o-pan, Palore, Pattuda, Phutkala, Phutki, Phutuka, Phutkola, Re, Sahkao, Sekedudok, Selngang, Seludok, Sendudok, Senggani, Shame, Sikaduduak, Sikaduduk, Singapore Rhododendron, Tagad-ay, Taitung, Tekai-chi, Thothkala, Thulo anyar, Thung khu, Tingku, Tulasi, Tungbram, Wachyang, Wagangga, Yagaidian

Synonyms: Melastoma affine D. Don;
Melastoma candida D. Don;
Melastoma cavaleriei H. Lev. & Vaniot;
Melastoma esquirolii H. Lev.;
Melastoma normale D. Don;
Melastoma polyanthum Blume;

Dactyloctenium aegyptium - Comb Fringe Grass

Edible Portion: Seeds, Cereal, Rhizome, Root

An annual grass. The stems are slender. They can lie along the ground. These can form roots at the nodes. They can have runners and form mats. It is 15-60 cm high. The edges of the leaf sheaths have small hairs. The leaf blades are flat and 5-20 cm long by 0.2-0.6 cm wide. The surfaces are lumpy/hairy. It tapers to the tip. The flowers spread like fingers on a hand. There are 2-9 flower stalks. They are long and narrow. They often spread out horizontally. The spikes are on one side of the stalk. The tip is bare. The seed grains are about 1 mm across.

Hordeum vulgare - Barley

Edible Portion: Seeds, Cereal, Seeds - Tea

An erect annual grass. It grows 80-120 cm tall. The nodes are solid and the internodes are hollow. The leaves are narrow.  There are 5-10 leaves. They are produced alternately on opposite sides of the stem at the nodes. The leaves are narrowly sword shaped and 5-40 cm long by 0.5-1.5 cm wide. The flowers are greenish. Flowers have long awns. The fruit is a grain. It is oval and narrow. There are a range of named cultivated varieties.

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.