Iresine herbstii Hook.

Perennial herb, erect or ascending, often much branched, slightly fleshy; nodes thickened; base of the internodes in dried specimens strongly constricted; young stems pubescent, especially on and near nodes. Leaves broadly ovate-orbicular, broadly oval or broadly obovate, at the frequently slightly unequal base very obtuse, rounded or truncate but shortly contracted into the petiole, with a usually more or less deeply emarginate but sometimes rounded or shortly acuminate and then very acute apex, entire or subentire, concave, thinly fleshy, either shining dark red with lighter coloured bands along the main-nerves or (var. aureo-reticu-lata NICH.) green with golden yellow bands, on both surfaces very thinly clothed with shining brown or yellowish, partly bifid and appressed hairs, 2½-8 cm long and wide; petioles 1-5 cm; those of a single pair connected at the base by a transverse row of longish, thickis, harticulate hairs. Panicles terminal and often also in axils of the highest and then small leaves, 5-50 cm long, united in a terminal, erect, 8-60 cm long, often much branched and rich-flowered panicle; primary branches of the panicle erecto-patent, branched from base or nearly so; ultimate branchlets spici-form, rather dense-flowered, 1-4 cm long; rachises of the panicle thin, red, at first rather densely clothed with longish shining hairs; glabrescent. Flowers not concealing the rachis, in Malaysia exclusively o; bracts, bracteoles and perianth greenish white or yellowish white; bracts and bracteoles persistent after fall of the perianth, ovate, rather acute, concave, nerveless, glabrous; bracts ± 1 mm long; bracteoles slightly wider, ± 1¼ mm long. Perianth ± 1.25 mm long, at the base externally with a dense whorl of long, very thin, white hairs; tepals dor-sally with a few short hairs, otherwise glabrous, oblong, rather acute, nerveless; pseudo-staminodes minute. Ovary suborbicular, much compressed, glabrous; stigmas obliquely patent-ascending, ± ½ mm. Fruit never produced in Malaysia.

A tropical plant. It grows between 500 and 2500 m altitude in the tropics near the equator. It is killed by frost. It does best in a rich, moist, well drained soil. It needs a protected sunny position. It can grow in shade. It cannot tolerate drought. It needs a temperature above 10°C. It suits hardiness zones 9-12. In Yunnan.

It has been reported to be used as a vegetable cooked and eaten with pig meat. The colouring is squeezed out to use in agar-agar jelly in Indonesia.

It can be grown from tip cuttings. It can be grown from seeds in places where these are produced. For maximum leaf production, flowers should be picked off.