Porophyllum ruderale

(Jacq.) Cass.

Poreleaf, Yerba porosa

Asteraceae Edible: Leaves, Spice 2,620 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Porophyllum ruderale is an herbaceous annual plant whose leaves can be used for seasoning food. The taste has been described as "somewhere between arugula, cilantro and rue". The plant is commonly grown in Mexico and South America for use in salsas. When fully grown, the plant measures about 150 cm (5 ft) in height and 90 cm (3 ft) in diameter. The plant is easy to grow from seed in a well-drained soil, which should be allowed to dry between watering.

Description

A herb. It grows each year from seed. It grows 40-120 cm tall. The leaves are opposite.

This description is brief — help expand it

Edible Uses

The leaves are eaten raw in salads or finely chopped and added to stews. They are also used as a spice.

Traditional Uses

The leaves are eaten raw in salads. They are also finely chopped and added to stews.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The plant is used as an antiinflammatory. The roots are used in treating snakebite and also to relieve pain from rheumatism and the bacterial disease erysipelas.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows on sandy soils and on sand bars along streams. It grows between 200-1,200 m above sea level. At ECHO.

Where It Grows

Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Caribbean, Central America, Chile, Cuba*, Dominica, Dominican Republic*, Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Lesser Antilles*, Mexico*, North America, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, South America, Suriname, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela, Virgin Islands, West Indies*,

Cultivation

Porophyllum ruderale is an annual plant found from the warm temperate zone of southern N. America and south through the tropical Americas to Bolivia and Peru. It is usually found in very freely draining soils, often in semi-arid regions where it grows after rains. Requires a sunny position, succeeding in a range of soil types so long as they are well-drained. In addition to being cultivated as a food crop, the subspecies macrocephalum is often found as a weed of waste and disturbed ground in its native habitat. It was introduced into the Galapagos as a food, where it has escaped from cultivation and is now classed as an invasive weed. The subspecies macrocephalum is the form more commonly grown for its edible leaves. The aromatic oils, which are contained largely in the pores or glands that are especially plentiful on the leaves, produce a strong odour when the foliage is bruised, broken, or heated. Cures, real or fancied, that are attributed to various species of Porophyllum are probably largely due to either the soothing properties of the oils or the imagination by the patient that anything that is so odoriferous must be beneficial.

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ

Other Uses

An essential oil obtained from the plant is used medicinally and also has significant antifungal activity. It has been recommended for use to develop natural fungicidal formulations in order to protect post-harvest stored grains. Higher antifungal activity is displayed when the complete essential oil is used, as opposed to individual components from the oil used in isolation, suggesting that enhancement of antifungal activity is obtained when other minor compounds are present in the oil, suggesting that the antifungal activity is a result of a synergistic effect.. The oil contains a significant amount (25%) of waxes and fatty acids, with the following major compounds identified: citronellal (29.3%), -caryophillene (12.4%), hexyl cinnamic aldehyde (8.4%), and bisabolene (7.41%).

Production

The leaves are ready to harvest within one year.

Synonyms

Cacalia porophyllum L.Cacalia ruderalis (Jacq.) Sw.Porophyllum ellipticum Cass.

Also Known As

Arnica, Couvinha, Cravo-de-urubu, Erva-couvinha, Erva fresca, Mboi moroti, Papalo quelite, Quillquina

References (15)

Bost, J. B., 2009, Edible plants of the Chinantla, Oazaca, Mexico. Master's thesis University of Florida. p 34
Casas, A., et al, 1996, Plant Management Among the Nahua and the Mixtec in the Balsas River Basin, Mexico: An Ethnobotanical Approach to the Study of Plant Domestication. Human Ecology, Vol. 24, No. 4 pp. 455-478
Casas, A., et al, 2016, Evolutionary Ethnobotanical Studies of Incipient Domestication of Plants in Mesoamerica. In Lira, R., et al, (eds.) Ethnobotany of Mexico, Ethnobiology. Springer p 265
F. Cuvier, Dict. sci. nat. 43:56. 1826
Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 41

Show all 15 references

Gonzalez-Insuasti, M. S. and Caballero, J., 2007, Managing Plants Resources: How Intensive Can it be? Human Ecology, 35:303-314
Gonzalez-Insuasti, M. S., et al, 2011, Intra-cultural Differences in the Importance of Plant Resources and Their Impact on Management Intensificaton in the Tehuacan Vallet, Mexico. Human Ecology 39:191-202
Hermandez Bermejo, J.E., and Leon, J. (Eds.), 1994, Neglected Crops. 1492 from a different perspective. FAO Plant Production and Protection Series No 26. FAO, Rome. p 12
Hibbert, M., 2002, The Aussie Plant Finder 2002, Florilegium. p 238
Kinupp, V. F., 2007, Plantas alimenticias nao-convencionais da regiao metropolitana de Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil p 67
Leon-Lobos, P., et al, 2022, Patterns of Traditional and Modern Uses of Wild Edible Native Plants of Chile: Challenges and Future Perspectives. Plants (Basel) v 11 (6) Table S1
Malezas Comestibles del Cono Sur, INTA, 2009, Buernos Aires
Piedra-Malagón, E. M. et al, 2022, Edible native plants of the Gulf of Mexico Province. Biodiversity Data Journal 10: e80565 p 13
Plants of Haiti Smithsonian Institute http://botany.si.edu
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew