Characteristics
A herb. It may or may not be branched. It grows 75-200 cm tall. The leaves are narrow and alternate or opposite. They are 2-12 cm long by 0.1-4 cm wide. The lower leaves can have irregular teeth. The flowers are dull red. They are a slightly bell shaped. They are 2.5 cm long. The fruit is a capsule 2.5 cm long. It has a beak.
| Life form |
-
|
| Growth form |
herb
|
| Growth support |
-
|
| Foliage retention |
deciduous
|
| Sexuality |
hermaphrodite
|
| Pollination |
-
|
| Spread |
-
|
| Mature width (meter) |
-
|
| Mature height (meter) |
0.75 - 2.0
|
| Root system |
-
|
| Rooting depth (meter) |
-
|
| Root diameter (meter) |
-
|
| Flower color |
-
|
| Blooming months |
-
|
| Fruit color |
-
|
| Fruiting months |
-
|
| Nitrogen fixer |
-
|
| Photosynthetic pathway |
-
|
Environment
A tropical plant. It grows in waste places and is a weed of cultivated areas. It grows from sea level to 2,000 m above sea level.
| Light |
-
|
| Soil humidity |
-
|
| Soil texture |
-
|
| Soil acidity |
-
|
| Soil nutriment |
-
|
| Hardiness (USDA) |
-
|
Usage
The young shoots and leaves are cooked and eaten. They are slimy so are chopped and cooked with other leaves. They are also used to thicken sauces. The seeds are eaten in sauces and soups. They seeds produce an edible oil.
| Uses |
oil
|
| Edible
|
leaves
seeds
|
| Therapeutic use
|
-
|
| Human toxicity |
-
|
| Animal toxicity |
-
|
Cultivation
Plants can be grown by seeds. A spacing of 20 cm is suitable.
| Mode |
-
|
| Germination duration (days) |
-
|
| Germination temperacture (C°) |
-
|
| Germination luminosity |
-
|
| Germination treatment |
-
|
| Minimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Optimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Size |
-
|
| Vigor |
-
|
| Productivity |
-
|
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