Characteristics
A herb which keeps growing from year to year. It grows 10-60 cm high. It has fleshy roots. The leaves are 10-30 cm long by 0.5-0.8 cm wide. They are sword like or grass-like. The leaves occur in a loose ring around the base. They are erect and arching. They are bluish-green. The flower panicles are 30-60 cm high. The flowers are 1.5-2 cm across and blue. They are on slender stalks. The fruit is a capsule 0.6-0.8 cm long by 0.3-0.4 cm wide. It is oval. The seeds are black and have pits.
| Life form |
perennial
|
| Growth form |
herb
|
| Growth support |
free-standing
|
| Foliage retention |
-
|
| Sexuality |
hermaphrodite
|
| Pollination |
-
|
| Spread |
-
|
| Mature width (meter) |
-
|
| Mature height (meter) |
0.1 - 0.6
|
| Root system |
-
|
| Rooting depth (meter) |
-
|
| Root diameter (meter) |
-
|
| Flower color |
-
|
| Blooming months |
-
|
| Fruit color |
-
|
| Fruiting months |
-
|
| Nitrogen fixer |
-
|
| Photosynthetic pathway |
-
|
Environment
It is a tropical plant. It grows in open forest, often in moist soils. Plants often flower after heavy rain. It needs well drained soil and some shade. It can tolerate frost.
| Light |
-
|
| Soil humidity |
-
|
| Soil texture |
-
|
| Soil acidity |
-
|
| Soil nutriment |
-
|
| Hardiness (USDA) |
-
|
Usage
The tubers are eaten raw.
| Uses |
-
|
| Edible
|
roots
tubers
|
| Therapeutic use
|
-
|
| Human toxicity |
-
|
| Animal toxicity |
-
|
Cultivation
Plants are grown from fresh seed.
| Mode |
-
|
| Germination duration (days) |
-
|
| Germination temperacture (C°) |
-
|
| Germination luminosity |
-
|
| Germination treatment |
-
|
| Minimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Optimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Size |
-
|
| Vigor |
-
|
| Productivity |
-
|
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