Plectranthus parviflorus

Willd.

Sudan potato

Lamiaceae Edible: Leaves, Roots

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Description

A herb or shrub that grows from a tuberous rootstock. It can be 20 cm to 1 m tall. The leaves are 1-3 cm long by 1-4 cm wide. They have large teeth along the edge. Leaves are hairy. The flowering shoots are 30 cm long. They flowers are 4-5 mm across and in rings of six. The fruit are 4-5 mm long.

Edible Uses

The tubers are boiled or baked like potatoes and eaten as a vegetable. The leaves are also eaten.

Traditional Uses

The tubers are boiled or baked like a potato and eaten as a vegetable.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

A poultice of the leaves, or a wash made from an infusion of them, is used as a treatment for syphilitic sores. The plant has been shown to contain compounds that inhibit HIV-1 integrase.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows in drier areas. Plants can produce with 100 mm of rainfall.

Where It Grows

Africa, Asia, Australia, Hawaii, Malaysia, Pacific, SE Asia,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seeds. They can also be grown from cuttings 10-20 cm long and by division of the sprouting tubers.

Propagation

Seed - not normally used for propagation. Cuttings about 10 - 20cm long. Division of sprouting tubers.

Other Uses

Plants easily reseed themselves around the mother plant. They can easily be re-planted to other locations or be allowed to remain to form a loose groundcover.

Production

Tubers are ready 4-5 months after planting. Yields of 4-7 tonnes per hectare are possible.

Other Information

It is cultivated.

Synonyms

Germanea australis (R. Br.) BrittenGermanea parviflora Poir.Lumnitzera moschata (R. Br.) Spreng.Majana parviflora (Poir.) KuntzeMoschosma australe (R. Br.) Benth.Moschosma brownii Heynh.Moschosma moschatum (R. Br.) DrucePlectranthus australis R. Br.Plectranthus klossii S. MoorePlectranthus moschatus R. Br.Plectranthus paniculatus Jacq.Plectranthus parviflorus Spreng. [Illegitimate]: Plectranthus parviflorus var. australis (R. Br.) Briq.Plectranthus parviflorus var. elatior Benth.Plectranthus sieberi Benth.

References (3)

Fern, K., 2012, Tropical Species Database http://theferns.info/tropical/
Lukhoba, C. W., et al, 2006, Plectranthus: A review of ethnobotanical uses. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 103 (2006) 1–24
Zeven, A. C. & de West, J. M. J., 1982, Dictionary of cultivated plants and their regions of diversity. Wageningen. p 56 (As Coleus parviflorus)