Boerhavia tetrandra
G. Forst.
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Peter Zika, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Peter Zika
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Peter Zika, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Description
A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It can lie along the ground. The leaves are fleshy and bluntly oval. They are 1-4 cm long. The leaf stalk can be 2 cm long. The flowers are in the axils of the leaves and often in compound flower arrangements. The flower stalks are 3-10 cm long. The flowers are pink or lilac.
Edible Uses
The roots are eaten.
Distribution
It is a tropical plant. It grows in coastal areas in Pacific Islands. It needs good sunlight.
Where It Grows
Australia, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Kiribati, Lord Howe Island, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Pacific, Tokelau, Tuvalu, USA,
Synonyms
Also Known As
Katul, Nat'to, Nuna, Palkea, Runa, Tiale
References (6)
- Neal, In Gardens of Hawaii.
- Parham, B. E. V., 1971, The Vegetation of the Tokelau Islands with special reference to the Plants of Nukunonu Atoll. New Zealand Journal of Botany. 9:4, 576-609
- Reis, S. V. and Lipp, F. L., 1982, New Plant Sources for Drugs and Foods from the New York Botanical Garden herbarium. Harvard. p 58
- Thaman, R. R, 2016, The flora of Tuvalu. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 611. Smithsonian Institute p 103
- Thaman, R. R., 1992, Batiri Kei Baravi: The Ethnobotany of Pacific Island Coastal Plants. Atoll Research Bulletin. No. 361.
Show all 6 references Hide references
- Whister, Ethnobotany of the Cook islands.
