Neanotis hirsuta

Family: Rubiaceae

What it is like

A small herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It has a bad smell when crushed. The stems lie along the ground and have thin hairs. The stems are green with some tinges of red and form roots at the nodes. The stems are 15-75 cm long. The leaves are opposite and have short stalks. They are oval and dark green above and more pale underneath. They are 1-5 cm long by 1-3 cm wide. The leaf stalks have a furrow and narrow wings. The flowering shoot are in the axils of leaves with 2-10 flowers. The flowers are small and funnel shaped and yellowish-white. The fruit is a flattened capsule 2-3 mm across. They have many small seeds.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. In Indonesia it grows from 700 m above sea level into the high mountains. It is best is humus rich soil. It grows in wet sites near streams and in forests between 500-1,000 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Cambodia, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pacific, Pakistan, SE Asia, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

It is eaten as a relish. It is cooked and eaten. The smell disappears when cooked.

Edible parts

Leaves

How it is grown

It can be grown by seeds.

Its other names

Local names

Chukut kahitutan, Kahitutan, Kasimukan, Kesembukan lemah, Ringitan, Ringgitan gunung, Sembukan lemah

Synonyms

Anotis capitata Korth.; Anotis hirsuta (L.f.) Miq. ex Backer & Slooten; Hedyotis hirsuta (L.f.) Spreng.; Oldenlandia hirsuta L. f.; and others