Sphenoclea zeylanica

Sphenoclea zeylanica, called chickenspike, gooseweed, and wedgewort, is a widespread species of flowering plant in the genus Sphenoclea, native to Africa, Madagascar, tropical and subtropical Asia, and Australia. It is widely introduced in the New World tropics and subtopics from the southern United States to northern Argentina. Its young leaves are edible and are occasionally eaten, perhaps with a light boiling. A common weed of rice paddies, it can cause yield losses from 25 to 50%.

Description

An annual herb. It grows 20-60 cm tall. The stems are much branched. They are hollow. The leaves have stalks. They are alternate and simple. The leaves are 2.5-7.5 cm long and sword shaped. The flowers are arranged in spikes at the tip of the plant. The flowers are white. The fruit is a capsule. It is enclosed in the persistent outer layer of flower parts. The fruit has 2 cells and splits around the middle. There are several seeds.

Edible Uses

The young shoots are eaten as a vegetable with a slightly bitter taste, steamed as a potherb, mixed with grated coconut, or served with rice. In the Philippines, they are squeezed and soaked in rice washings for 3 days before serving as a salad vegetable. The plant is sold in local markets.

Traditional Uses

The young shoots are eaten as a vegetable. They have a slightly bitter taste. They are steamed and eaten as a potherb, mixed with grated coconut, or served as a side dish with rice. They probably need processing. In the Philippines they are squeezed and soaked in rice washings for 3 days and then serve as a salad vegetable.

Medicinal Uses

None mentioned.

Known Hazards

The young shoots probably need processing before consumption.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows on marshy ground and in paddy fields. It grows in rivers. In Java it grows up to 350 m above sea level. It occurs throughout the tropics. It grows in wet places. In Argentina it grows below 500 m above sea level. In Yunnan.

Where It Grows

Africa, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central Asia, China, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Eswatini, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, North America, Northeastern India, Pakistan, Paraguay, Philippines, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America*, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, USA, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seed. Seeds germinate easily on waterlogged soil.

Other Information

They are sold in local markets.

Notes

There is only one genus in the Sphenocleaceae and only one (2) Sphenoclea species.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Aiker, Bum-bum, Cosso-bsue, Goonda, Gunda, Jhil-mirich, Kanndieng-krapen tuk, Khamna bon, Larang dapo, Lehati bon, Mirchbooti, Mirchi, Nhambairam-faro, Opaia, Pagana, Panimarich, Phak pot, Phulanghas, Sifung mwigong, Wedgewort

References (30)

• Airy Shaw H. K., 1948, Sphenocleaceae, Flora Malesiana, Ser 1 Vol 4(1) p 27
• Ajain, M., Ali, T., & Siddiqui, M.F., 2015, A Survey of Ethnobotanically Important Herbaceous Plants of Tehsil Jatoi,District Muzaffar Garh, Punjab, Pakistan. Int. J. Biol. Res., 3(2): 87-92, 2015.
• Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 592
• Arora, R. K., 2014, Diversity in Underutilized Plant Species - An Asia-Pacific Perspective. Bioversity International. p 46
• AVRDC files