Silver leaf, Tree heliotrope
Tournefortia argentea

Family: Boraginaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small crooked tree. It grows 1-6 m high. The bark is light grey and deeply cracked. The leaves are light green and with silky hairs. The leaves are simple and alternate. They are broadly oval and in rings at the tips of the branches. The leaves are 10-30 cm long and 3-12 cm wide. The flowers are small, white and hairy. They occur in groups and have no stalks. The fruit are smooth and green. They are round and 5-8 mm long. There are 2-4 small nutlets that are light brown when dry.

There are about 150 Tournefortia species. It can be invasive on some tropical islands.

Where it is found

A tropical and subtropical plant. It grows along sandy beaches in China. It grows in coastal regions up to 15 m altitude. It is usually in areas with rainfall or 300-5000 mm per year. It can grow in shallow, salty and infertile soils. It grows in areas with an average temperature of 20-32°C. It can be on rocky limestone banks. It needs good drainage. It can grow with soil pH of 6.1-7.4. It can tolerate windy coastal conditions.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, American Samoa, Asia, Australia, British Indian Ocean Terr., BIOT, Caroline Islands, China, Chuuk, Cook Islands, East Africa, East Timor, Fiji, Guam, Hawaii, India, Indian Ocean, Indochina, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mariana Islands, Marshall islands, Micronesia, Mozambique, Nauru, New Caledonia, Pacific, Philippines, Polynesia, Russia, Samoa, SE Asia, SW Asia, Europe, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, USA, Vietnam, Wallis & Futuna, Yap

How it is used for food

The leaves are eaten raw. They have the taste of parsley. They are also used for stuffing when cooking pigs.

It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Leaves, fruit, vegetable

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed. Seeds are collected from ripe fruit. The flesh is rubbed off and the seeds planted, preferably fresh. Seeds germinate in 2-4 weeks. Seedlings can be planted in the field after 12 months. It can be grown from cuttings or by layering.

It is slow growing.

Its other names

Local names

Amoloset, Amonoset, Babakoan, Boshi, Chen, Ebu, Evu, Hunek, Hunig, Hunik, Irin, Ki bako, Kiden, Lorovahu asa hila-hila, N'vimbaleia, Rirs, Roronibebe, Sesen, Sisin, Sruhsruh, Tausuni, Tahinu, Tai'inu, Taihuni, Tau'unu, Tauhunu, Tausuni, Tausunu, Tchel, Te re, Te ren, Titin, Touhuni, Yamolehat

Synonyms

Argusia argentea (Linnaeus f.) Heine; Messerschmidia argentea (Linnaeus f.) I. M. Johnston; Tournefortia arborea Blanco.; Tournefortia sarmentosa sensu Christian non Lam.; Tournefortia sericea Cham.;