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 Annual growing to 0.6m, and is frost tender. The flowers are
monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both
sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by Wind.
The plant is self-fertile.
Edible Uses
Leaves; Seed.
Leaves and stems - raw or cooked as a spinach
Seed - cooked. Very small but easy to harvest and very nutritious.
The seed can be cooked whole, and becomes very gelatinous like this.
Medicinal Uses:The seed is used as a poultice for broken bones.
The plant is astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic, emollient and
febrifuge. It is used internally in the treatment of internal
bleeding, diarrhoea and excessive menstruation.]. It is also used in
the treatment of snake bites. Externally, it is used to treat
ulcerated mouths, vaginal discharges, nosebleeds and wounds. The
plant can be used fresh or it can also be harvested when coming into
flower and dried for later use.
The root is emmenagogue and galactogogue. It is used in the
treatment of menorrhagia, gonorrhoea, eczema and colic. |
