Trapa natans var. bispinosa
L., (Roxb.) Makino
Caltrop, Water chestnut
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(c) Irina Mitjushina, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Nykyta, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Евгений Беляков, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Description
A herb which grows in water. The stems curve upwards. The leaves float. They are in rings close together often with 3 lobes and joined by one of the shorter sides. They are more broad than long. The leaves under the water are like long threads. The stalk is spongy. The flowers are white and occur singly. The fruit is a nut which is angled. There is a short beak at the tip. There is a sharp spiny horn on either side.
Edible Uses
The fleshy, white, starch-rich seed leaves are eaten. Seeds and nuts are cooked or eaten raw, sometimes with rice. Fruits are eaten raw, canned as a dessert, or served as a fresh fruit. It is an important food in some regions.
Traditional Uses
The seed leaf is fleshy, white and rich in starch. It is eaten. The seeds are cooked and eaten. They are also eaten raw. They are sometimes cooked and eaten with rice. The fruit are eaten raw and also canned and eaten as a dessert fruit.
Distribution
It is a tropical plant. In Nepal plants grow up to about 600 m altitude. It grows near Mumbai and Chenai. It grows in lakes and rivers. It grows in wetlands. It can grow in arid places.
Where It Grows
Africa, Angola, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Botswana, Central Africa, China, East Africa, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Himalayas, India, Iran, Japan, Malawi, Malaysia, Middle East, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Northeastern India, Pakistan, SE Asia, South Africa - Natal, Southern Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Taiwan, Tanzania, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Cultivation
Plants are grown from seeds or rhizomes.
Production
In Manipur in India the seeds are available July to Spetember.
Other Information
It is an important food in some regions.
Notes
It is also put in the family Trapaceae.
Nutrition
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuts | 66.4 | — | 117 | 4.1 | — | — | 1.2 | — |
Synonyms
Also Known As
Bor singori, Daa jo, Hara-nut, Jalaphala, Karimpolam, Keikak, Kubyakama, Kywe-baung, Paniphal, Pani singari, Shingada, Shingara, Shingori, Shringata, Singada, Singera, Singhara-nut, Singhara, Singra kaita, Sringataka, Trikonaphalam, Yelli
References (38)
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- Arora, R. K., 2014, Diversity in Underutilized Plant Species - An Asia-Pacific Perspective. Bioversity International. p 109
- BARC, 2016, State of Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council. (As Trapa bispinosa)
- Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 5. Kew.
- Chandrakumar, P., et al, 2015, Ethnobotanical studies of wild edible plants of Gond, Halba and Kawar tribes of Salekasa Taluka, Gondia District, Maharashtra State, India. International Research Journal of Pharmacy 6(8)
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- Dangol, D. R. et al, 2017, Wild Edible Plants in Nepal. Proceedings of 2nd National Workshop on CUAOGR, 2017. (As Trapa bispinosa)
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- Wild edible plants of Himachal Pradesh
