Characteristics
A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 40 cm tall. When the stems lie over they can form roots at the nodes. The stems are 4 angled. The leaves are oval to oblong and papery. They are 4-10 cm long and taper towards the base. The flowers are in groups of 1-3 and crowded. They are purple. The fruit is a narrow capsule 1.5-1.8 cm long. There are 4 seeds.
Life form |
-
|
Growth form |
herb
|
Growth support |
free-standing
|
Foliage retention |
deciduous
|
Sexuality |
hermaphrodite
|
Pollination |
-
|
Spread |
-
|
Mature width (meter) |
1.0
|
Mature height (meter) |
0.95 - 1.1
|
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 and subtropical plant. In Taiwan it grows between 1,200-2,500 m above sea level.
Light |
|
Soil humidity |
|
Soil texture |
-
|
Soil acidity |
|
Soil nutriment |
-
|
Hardiness (USDA) |
|
Usage
The young leaves are cooked as a vegetable.
Uses |
-
|
Edible
|
leaves
|
Therapeutic use
|
-
|
Human toxicity |
-
|
Animal toxicity |
-
|
Cultivation
Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings.
Mode |
cuttings
seedlings
|
Germination duration (days) |
-
|
Germination temperacture (C°) |
-
|
Germination luminosity |
-
|
Germination treatment |
-
|
Minimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
Optimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
Size |
-
|
Vigor |
-
|
Productivity |
-
|