Ludwigia hyssopifolia

Family: Onagraceae

What it is like

A herb. It grows 0.5-3 m tall. The stems can be 4 angled. The leaves are simple and 2-13 cm long by 1-2 cm wide. The flowers occur singly in the axils of leaves. The flower has 4 small petals. They are yellow and 2-3 mm long. The fruit is a capsule. It is green, red or brown. They are 15-42 mm long by 3-4 mm wide. There are several seeds.

There are about 80 Ludwigia species. They grow in the tropics.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in wet places in tropical Asia. It grows on coastal floodplains. It grows on the banks of ponds. In tropical Queensland it grows from sea level to 810 m altitude. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, American Samoa, Amazon, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South America, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, West Africa

How it is used for food

The leaves are eaten in soup.

It is sold in local markets in China.

Edible parts

Leaves, shoots, leaves - tea

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Aco-faro, Arco sacha de la playa, Boroboro, Borro-borro, Karanfoo, Lang mir-ang, Ndacatua-afudo, Smach tuk, Tian shi liu, Utilolob

Synonyms

Fissendocarpa linifolia (Vahl) Bennet; Jussiaea fissendocarpa Haines; Jussiaea hyssopifolia G. Don; Jussiaea linifolia Vahl; Jussiaea weddellii Micheli;