Waterleaf
Talinum fruticosum

Family: Talinaceae

What it is like

A small leafy branching herb. It grows up to 35-60 cm high. It can be erect or lie over. The roots are swollen and fleshy. The stems are succulent. The leaves are alternate and have very short stalks and are fairly soft and light green in colour. The leaves can be 7.5 cm long. In the shade they grow larger. The flowers are on a 3 sided stalk at the top of the plant. There is a clump of pale pink flowers with 5 petals. Seeds are very small and black.

There are about 50 Talinum species. They grow in warm places. Also put in the family Portulacaceae. Can have higher oxalates. High levels on magnesium can reduce these effects. Should not have above 180 mg/day as this can have serious consequences.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It occurs in coastal tropical areas and up to about 1,600 m altitude. Due to the C4 pathway optimum growth is achieved with high temperatures, high soil fertility, plenty of sunlight and sufficient moisture. The plant will also grow adequately in poorer conditions including some drought and a little shade. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Amazon, Anguilla, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Central America, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, East Timor, Ecuador, Fiji, Ghana, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Hawaii, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Malaysia, Mexico, Niger, Nigeria, North America, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South America, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Trinidad-Tobago, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies

How it is used for food

The leaves and tender stems are eaten raw or cooked. They are slightly sour. Steaming the leaves produces less brown discolouration and they are less slimy. They can also be dried and stored. They are used in soup. Caution: Due to oxalates in the leaves, large amounts should not be eaten. They can be removed by cooking and leaching. Also fermentation, steaming and baking. It is good to use in soups.

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. It is a productive, nutritious, easy to grow vegetable. At present not widely distributed in Papua New Guinea but being accepted and liked in areas where it occurs.

Edible parts

Leaves, vegetable, caution

How it is grown

It can be grown from seeds or stem cuttings. There are about 4000 seeds per gram. Seed collection is not easy because the seed capsules split open very easily and the seeds drop out. Also plants don't always produce seeds readily. Growing from seed is easiest by sowing seeds in a small nursery then transplanting the small plants when they are about 5-8 cm high. With very small seeds like these, it is best to mix the seeds with dry sand before sowing. Then a small amount of the seed/sand mixture can be sown and the seeds will not be too close together. Seeds will grow in about 6 days. Often plants once established become self sown from natural seed falling. Alternatively cuttings about 15 cm long of the more mature but not woody stems can be used. The excess leaves should be removed from the cuttings. A spacing of 20 cm is suitable. Plants grow better in fertile soil, but will grow in fairly low fertility soils. They need plenty of moisture.

The leaves and tender stems can keep being produced for up to a year. Older plants can be cut back and allowed to sprout again. Plants start producing 4-6 weeks after planting. Leaf tips may be picked every two weeks for up to a year. Normally the top shoots are picked out first, to let the side shoots grow. A yield of up to 5 kg of edible tips per square metre area of plants over one year can be achieved.

Its other names

Local names

Achiapa, Adwera, Ajiamon, Alfavaca, Alengalenga, Ama, Ambioko, Amlotshi pui, Born'de, oboro, Busum-muru, Carambola rosada, Caruru, Ceylon spinach, Gbure, Guele guele, Gure, Kamplekankan'de, Konkolo, Kpame, Krapper, Krokot belanda, Lagos Bologi, Lipopi, Makilmoron, Makwelekwele, Melelu, Negro aguachoso, Neputu, Ngml-ongmle, Ngnangnon, Ngolu, Nti-0ke, Odondon, Paruppu keerai, Pasali, Philippine-spinach, Pinari, Potherb fameflower, Sagnga, Sam dat ba canh, Sansa banzenza, Sese, Surinam purslane, Sweetheart, Tal-talinung, Tho nhan sam ba canh, Verdolaga, Yemontuou

Synonyms

Calandrinia andrewsii (Sweet) Sweet; Caladrina lockhartii Sweet; Caladrina pachypoda Diels; Claytonia triangularis (Jacq.) Kuntze; Portulaca crassicaulis Jacq.; Portulaca crassifolia Jacq.; Portulaca triangularis Jacq.; Ruelingia triangularis (Jacq.) Ehrh.; Talinum andrewsii Sweet; Talinum attentuatum Rose & Standley; Talinum grandiflorum G. Don; Talinum mucronatum Kunth; Talinum revolutum Kunth; Talinum triangulare (Jacq.) Willd.;