Chinese jelly herb, Black cincau
Platostoma palustre

Family: Lamiaceae

What it is like

A herb. It grows 15-100 cm high. It has fine bristles. The leaf stalk is 2-15 mm long. The leaf blade is narrowly oval and 2-5 cm long by 0.8-2.8 cm wide. The flower clusters are 2-10 cm long. The flowers are white or reddish. The nutlets are black and oval.

There are 8-10 Mesona species. They occur in Asia. They are probably now all Plectranthus.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. In China it grows in ravines in dry and sandy areas in southern areas.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Myanmar, SE Asia, Taiwan

How it is used for food

The dried plant is mixed with rice water to make a cooling drink. For grass jelly drink the plant is boiled in water with potassium carbonate added and the plant is then removed and the water boiled a second time and cooled into a jelly. These are then mixed with water, sugar and corn starch.

It is canned and exported.

Edible parts

Flowers, leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Liang fen cao, Sian shhau, Hsien-jen-ts'ao, Jellywort

Synonyms

Geniosporum parviflorum Benth.; Mesona chinensis Benth.; Mesona elegans Hayata; Mesona palustris Blume; Mesona parviflora (Benth.) Briq.; Mesona philippinensis Merr.; Mesona procumbens Hemsley; Platostoma chinense (Benth.) A. J. Paton;