Chinese ditch-stonecrop
Penthorum chinense
Family: Penthoraceae
What it is like
A herb that keeps growing from year to year. It has runners. It grows 15-80 cm high. The runners are like wire and are red. They are 6-10 cm long. The stems emerge from the end of these runners. They lie along the ground at the base. They are purple-red. The leaves are sword shaped and 4-11 cm long by 1 cm wide. There are teeth along the edge. The flowers are small and yellowish-green.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. In China it grows between 100-2,200 m above sea level. It grows in wet places. It grows in wetlands. In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China, Indochina, Japan, Korea, Laos, Mongolia, Russia, SE Asia, Thailand, Vietnam
How it is used for food
The young shoot are used as a potherb.
It is a famine food.
Edible parts
Shoots