Stachytarpheta indica

(L.) Vahl

False verbena

Verbenaceae Edible: Leaves, Leaves - tea 339 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Stachytarpheta indica is a species of plant in the family Verbenaceae, native to the tropical Americas. It has often been included in the species S. jamaicensis.

Description

An erect annual herb. It is like a small shrub. The leaves are opposite. The leaves have teeth around the edge. The flowers are small and blue. They occur in long spikes.

Edible Uses

The leaves are edible and can be consumed fresh or brewed as tea.

Medicinal Uses

The roots are used to make an eyewash. The plant (part not specified) is laxative.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in many tropical places. It grows along the edges of rivers and small lakes. It can be in flooded rice fields.

Where It Grows

Africa, America, Asia, Austria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mali, Myanmar, Niue, Pacific, Pantropical, SE Asia, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Togo, West Africa,

Synonyms

Stachytarpheta angustifolia (Mill.) VahlVerbena indica L.

Also Known As

Aseik-taya, Bassakou, Jarung lalaki, Motofu, Ngadi rengga, Ogafa, Selaseh dandi, Selaseh hutan, Ye-chaung-pan, Yimondou

References (13)

Achigan-Dako, E, et al (Eds), 2009, Catalogue of Traditional Vegetables in Benin. International Foundation for Science.
Batawila, K., et al, 2007, Diversite et gestion des legumes de cueillete au Togo. African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development 7( 3& 4): 68
Boedecker, J., et al, 2014, Dietary contribution of Wild Edible Plants to women’s diets in the buffer zone around the Lama forest, Benin – an underutilized potential. Food Sec. 6:833–849
Burkill, I.H., 1966, A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol 2 (I-Z) p 2107
Dansi, A., et al, 2008, Traditional leafy vegetables and their use in the Benin Republic. Genet Resour Crop Evol (2008) 55:1239–1256

Show all 13 references

Diarra, N. et al, 2016, Etude ethnobotanique des plantes alimentaires utilisées en période de soudure dans les régions Sud du Mali. Int. J. Biol. Chem. Sci. 10(1): 184-197
Enum. pl. 1:206. 1804
Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 633
Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 836
Martin, F.W. & Ruberte, R.M., 1979, Edible Leaves of the Tropics. Antillian College Press, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. p 224
McMakin, P.D., 2000, Flowering Plants of Thailand. A Field Guide. White Lotus. p 103
N'Danikou, S. et al, 2010, Eliciting Local Values of Wild Edible Plants in Southern Bénin to Identify Priority Species for Conservation. Economic Botany, 20(10), 2011, pp. 1–15.
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew