Asystasia gangetica
(L.) T. Anderson
Chinese violet
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Summary
Source: WikipediaAsystasia gangetica is a species of plant in the family Acanthaceae. It is commonly known as the Chinese violet, coromandel or creeping foxglove. In South Africa this plant may simply be called asystasia.
Description
An erect herb. It can clamber over other objects. It can keep growing from year to year. It can also be grown each year from seed. It grows 60-100 cm high. The leaves are oval or heart shaped. They are 3-6 cm long. The flowers are bell shaped. They have lobes which flare out. They are light violet with a light yellow throat. They can be all yellow. They occur in spikes. The flowers are 3-5 cm wide. The fruit is a capsule that splits open. It is cylinder shaped and 2.5 cm long.
Edible Uses
The leaves are used as a pot-herb, stir-fried, or added to fish and meat stews. Leaves are also dried and stored. Stems and flowers are edible.
Traditional Uses
The leaves are used as a pot-herb or stir-fried. They are added to fish and meat stews. The leaves are also dried and stored.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
In some parts of Africa, the leaves are eaten as a vegetable and used as an herbal remedy in traditional African medicine. The leaves are used in many parts of Nigeria as a traditional African medicine for the management of asthma. It is also used as an ornamental plant.
Distribution
It is a tropical plant. It grows near Chennai in India. It grows naturally in India and Malaysia and probably East Africa. It prefers moderate moisture but can tolerate dry periods. It can grow in full sun or light shade. It grows in the lowlands. It suits hardiness zones 9-12. In Yunnan.
Where It Grows
Africa, American Samoa, Angola, Asia, Australia, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, China, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, India, Indochina, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Kiribati, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Marquesas, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Pacific, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Sahel, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, South America, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Uganda, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, West Africa, West Indies, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Cultivation
It can be grown from seed, layering of the stems or cuttings.
Propagation
Seed - Cuttings with 1 - 3 nodes. Single-node cuttings, buried in the soil, can produce flowers and fruit within 6 weeks. Division of rooted stems
Other Uses
The plant is used as a soap-substitute. It froths in water, suggesting the presence of saponins. The plant has weak stems which sprawl along the ground unless they find something to support them. They make a dense mat and so form a good, weed-excluding ground cover. The plant can be especially useful on slopes where it can help prevent soil erosion. The plant is not generally regarded as useful in plantations of crops such as cocoa, oil palm or rubber, nor amongst vegetables or field crops, even though its ground cover checks erosion and prevents the infestation by other, more noxious weeds such as Mimosa pigra and Imperata cylindrica. It is liked as a naturally occurring plantation cover in some orchards, however, because the bees which pollinate the flowers of fruit trees such as starfruit or durian, are attracted to the orchard by the flowers of this plant.
Production
It is fast growing. The leaves are harvested by plucking.
Other Information
It is a popular leafy green in Kenya and Uganda. Leaves are sold in local markets.
Notes
There are about 40-70 Asystasia species. It can become a serious weed.
Nutrition
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leaves | 82.6 | 234 | 56 | 3.7 | — | 42 | 4.7 | — |
Synonyms
Also Known As
Aconge, Acongwe wang-gweno, Acwe, Anamala, Akoussimekpe, Atchelekman, Atolleta, Azeman, Avokombiby, Candindjaon, Coromandel, Degnuman, Ecoto, Enkosida, Futsure, Futswe, Ganges primrose, Ganges-violet, Hedul, Huyet bo, Isihobo, Kianjoro, Lanjokobi, Lavana-valli, Liman, Lobiri, Mampody vady, Medday keerai, Mella, Midchy keeray, Mungera tappeta, Namu, Nasubgwi, Odipa ikong, Oak oumsrab, Omigalin, Owuru, Pobunga, Redampa, Tala-kushe, Temba, Tikini, Torbol, Tropical primrose, Tropical violet, Umegarin, Upputhali, Yefe
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