Characteristics
A herb which grows in water. The stems curve upwards. The leaves float. They are in rings close together often with 3 lobes and joined by one of the shorter sides. They are more broad than long. The leaves under the water are like long threads. The stalk is spongy. The flowers are white and occur singly. The fruit is a nut which is angled. There is a short beak at the tip. There is a sharp spiny horn on either side.
| Life form |
annual
|
| Growth form |
herb
|
| Growth support |
-
|
| Foliage retention |
-
|
| Sexuality |
hermaphrodite
|
| Pollination |
hydrogamy
|
| Spread |
endozoochory
|
| Mature width (meter) |
-
|
| Mature height (meter) |
0.02 - 0.02
|
| 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. In Nepal plants grow up to about 600 m altitude. It grows near Mumbai and Chenai. It grows in lakes and rivers. It grows in wetlands. It can grow in arid places.
| Light |
-
|
| Soil humidity |
-
|
| Soil texture |
-
|
| Soil acidity |
-
|
| Soil nutriment |
-
|
| Hardiness (USDA) |
-
|
Usage
The seed leaf is fleshy, white and rich in starch. It is eaten. The seeds are cooked and eaten. They are also eaten raw. They are sometimes cooked and eaten with rice. The fruit are eaten raw and also canned and eaten as a dessert fruit.
| Uses |
fodder
food
medicinal
|
| Edible
|
fruits
nuts
seeds
|
| Therapeutic use
|
Astringent (unspecified), Bronchitis (unspecified), Cancer (unspecified), Cough (unspecified), Dropsy (unspecified), Fever (unspecified), Flux (unspecified), Hair-Dye (unspecified), Rinderpest (unspecified), Sunstroke (unspecified), Anasarca (unspecified)
|
| Human toxicity |
-
|
| Animal toxicity |
-
|
Cultivation
Plants are grown from seeds or rhizomes.
| Mode |
seedlings
|
| Germination duration (days) |
-
|
| Germination temperacture (C°) |
-
|
| Germination luminosity |
-
|
| Germination treatment |
-
|
| Minimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Optimum temperature (C°) |
15 - 25
|
| Size |
-
|
| Vigor |
-
|
| Productivity |
-
|
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