Spilanthes mauritiana

(A. Rich ex Pers.) DC.

Brazil cress, Para cress

Asteraceae Edible: Leaves

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Meise Botanic Garden

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Meise Botanic Garden

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Meise Botanic Garden

Description

A herb. It is a slender straggling plant. It forms roots at the joints. The leaves are in distant pairs. The leaf blade is oval and 4 cm long by 2 cm wide. There are a few teeth along the edge. The flower heads have long stems. The heads have many flowers. They are yellow.

Edible Uses

The leaves are chewed fresh for their minty flavor.

Traditional Uses

The leaves are chewed for their minty flavour.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. In Swaziland it grows in the high veld and middle veld.

Where It Grows

Africa, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Synonyms

See Spilanthes acmella Acmella mauritiana A. Rich. ex Pers.Spilanthes acmella auct.Spilanthes filicaulis (Schum. & Thonn.) C. D. Adams

Also Known As

Gahe, Parpehi, Saraktro

References (7)

Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 3. Kew. (As Spilanthes filicaulis)
Dalziel, J. M., 1937, The Useful plants of west tropical Africa. Crown Agents for the Colonies London.(As Spilanthes acmella)
Fowler, D. G., 2007, Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses. Kew. p 77 (As Spilanthes mauritiana)
Glover et al, 1966b,
Grivetti, L. E., 1980, Agricultural development: present and potential role of edible wild plants. Part 2: Sub-Saharan Africa, Report to the Department of State Agency for International Development. p 44

Show all 7 references

Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 92
Swaziland's Flora Database http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora (As Spilanthes mauritiana)