Characteristics
It is an evergreen creeper. It forms roots at the nodes. The stems are pink. The leaves are oval and 1.2 cm long. They have 3 primary veins. The leaf stalk is red. The flowers occur singly and are at the ends of branches. The flowers have 5 violet to pink petals. The flowers are 2.5-4 cm wide. The flowers occur singly. The fruit is a berry about 10 mm across. There are many seeds about 1 mm long.
| Life form |
perennial
|
| Growth form |
herb
|
| Growth support |
-
|
| Foliage retention |
|
| Sexuality |
hermaphrodite
|
| Pollination |
-
|
| Spread |
-
|
| Mature width (meter) |
-
|
| Mature height (meter) |
-
|
| Root system |
-
|
| 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 tropical plant. It needs regular moisture or wet conditions. It needs fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil. It needs an acid pH. It is best in full sunlight. It grows in wet locations throughout the forest zone in West Africa. In Zimbabwe it grows up to 1,200 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.
| Light |
-
|
| Soil humidity |
-
|
| Soil texture |
-
|
| Soil acidity |
-
|
| Soil nutriment |
-
|
| Hardiness (USDA) |
|
Usage
The leaves are used as a potherb and as a spice for sauces.
Cultivation
It easily forms roots from cuttings.
| Mode |
cuttings
|
| Germination duration (days) |
-
|
| Germination temperacture (C°) |
-
|
| Germination luminosity |
-
|
| Germination treatment |
-
|
| Minimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Optimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Size |
-
|
| Vigor |
-
|
| Productivity |
-
|
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