Enicostema axillare
(Poir. ex Lam.) A. Raynal
Indian whitehead
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Troos van der Merwe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Troos van der Merwe
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Troos van der Merwe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Troos van der Merwe
Description
A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 50-100 cm tall. The leaves are narrow and oblong to sword shaped. The flowers do not have stalks and they are white. They are in clusters in the axils of leaves. The fruit is a small oval capsule.
Edible Uses
The bitter leaves are cooked in curries with pulses.
Traditional Uses
The leaves are cooked in curries with pulses. It is bitter.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
The plant has traditional medicinal applications.
Distribution
It is a tropical plant. In India it grows from sea level to 450 m above sea level.
Where It Grows
Africa, Angola, Asia, Botswana, East Africa, India, Indonesia, Namibia, SE Asia, South Africa, Sri Lanka,
Cultivation
Plants are grown from seeds.
Notes
It is also used as medicine.
Nutrition
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leaves | 53.2 | 585 | 140 | 7 | — | — | — | 1.4 |
Synonyms
Also Known As
Gorumadi, Nanu kariyatun
References (2)
- Ferns, Tropical plants
- Kuhnlein, H. V., et al, 2009, Indigenous Peoples' food systems. FAO Rome p 192 (As Enicostema hyssopifolium)
