Characteristics
A perennial plant. It can be grown as an annual. It grows up to 80 cm tall and spreads to 30 cm wide. It has creeping roots. The leaves are sword shaped and have teeth long the edge. The flower spikes are 30 cm long. The flowers are pink or red.
| Life form |
perennial
|
| Growth form |
herb
|
| Growth support |
-
|
| Foliage retention |
deciduous
|
| Sexuality |
hermaphrodite
|
| Pollination |
entomogamy
|
| Spread |
-
|
| Mature width (meter) |
0.3
|
| Mature height (meter) |
0.8
|
| Root system |
creeping-root
|
| Rooting depth (meter) |
-
|
| Root diameter (meter) |
-
|
| Flower color |
|
| Blooming months |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | | Apr | May | Jun | | Jul | Aug | Sep | | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|
| Fruit color |
-
|
| Fruiting months |
-
|
| Nitrogen fixer |
-
|
| Photosynthetic pathway |
-
|
Environment
It is a warm temperate to tropical plant. It does best in a sheltered sunny position. It needs well-drained soil. It is resistant to drought but sensitive to frost. It suits hardiness zones 9-11.
| Light |
|
| Soil humidity |
|
| Soil texture |
|
| Soil acidity |
|
| Soil nutriment |
-
|
| Hardiness (USDA) |
|
Usage
The young leaves and flowers are used as flavouring. They are added to salads. The leaves can be used to make a herbal tea.
| Uses |
essential oil
medicinal
tea
|
| Edible
|
flowers
leaves
|
| Therapeutic use
|
Earache (flower), Epilepsy (flower), Hypertension (flower), Hypnotics and sedatives (flower), Nervous system diseases (flower), Relaxation (flower), Earache (leaf), Epilepsy (leaf), Hypertension (leaf), Hypnotics and sedatives (leaf), Nervous system diseases (leaf), Relaxation (leaf)
|
| Human toxicity |
-
|
| Animal toxicity |
-
|
Cultivation
Plants can be grown from seed. They should just be covered with soil and germinate in 1-3 months at 13°C. They should be grown in the nursery for the first year. Plants can also be grown by dividing clumps and can be grown from basal cuttings. These root in 3 weeks.
| Mode |
cuttings
divisions
seedlings
|
| Germination duration (days) |
30 - 90
|
| Germination temperacture (C°) |
12
|
| Germination luminosity |
-
|
| Germination treatment |
-
|
| Minimum temperature (C°) |
-7
|
| Optimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Size |
-
|
| Vigor |
-
|
| Productivity |
-
|
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