Shui zhu ye
Murdannia triquetra

Family: Commelinaceae

What it is like

A perennial creeping herb. It forms roots at the lower nodes. It is green with purple tinges. The leaves are narrowly sword shaped and 2-4 cm long by 4-6 mm wide. There is a line of hairs where the leaf and leaf sheath join. The flowers are pale blue. They occur singly at the ends of leafy shoots.

There are 50 Murdannia species. They grow in the tropics. The protein content is 2.8% on a fresh weight basis.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows by rice fields or wet places from near sea level to 1600 m altitude in southern China. It grows in wetlands. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Bangladesh, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Laos, Myanmar, SE Asia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

It is used as a vegetable. The young plants before flowering are used as a potherb.

Edible parts

Leaves, vegetable

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Aneilema triquetrum Wallich ex C. B. Clarke; Aneilema nutans H. Léveillé;