Unknown edible herb

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by Detta, Oct 17, 2011.

  1. Detta

    Detta Member

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    These are 2 jpgs of a plant, whose leaves I use regularly, both raw, and cooked in pan breads, and which I believe came from S.E.Asia. I do not have a scientific name for it nor know it's family. The 'flowers' are very interesting and when in bloom are small, a rich maroon colour, and attached in a row to the midrib of the underside of the leaves.
     

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  2. togata57

    togata57 Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    My best guesses are Murraya koenigii, curry-leaf tree---or Laurus nobilis, bay laurel.
    Think that I am wrong on both...one discrepancy is that flowers on these two are not maroon but white.

    Am sure that ID will be forthcoming!
    Welcome to the Forum.
     
  3. Detta

    Detta Member

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    Definitely not Murraya koenigii, I have several of these trees and they are used by the East Indian population here. Their leaves are shorter less ovoid and serrated. The birds also eat the berries. The plant in question was termed "Sweet leaf" by the person who gave it to me, but I now find that Sweet Leaf is a sugar substitute and is a small herbaceous plant with white flowers. This one grows to a height of about 7 feet. The leaves have a greyish sheen and older ones have a light area adjacent to the midrib.
     
  4. wrygrass2

    wrygrass2 Active Member 10 Years

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    One of the definitions for Sweetleaf on the web was Sauropus androgynus. The flowers are a dark maroon but arising from the leaflet axil. The height one page listed as 2.5 meters, which would make your 7 feet.

    The following web page is about a lung ailment associated with this plant.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9140317

    Upon further reading it seems that the lung problems came about because of excess use of this herb in a weight loss regimen. Also eating it raw was also mentioned as a risk.

    http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/145/9/842.full.pdf+html
     
    Last edited: Oct 19, 2011
  5. saltcedar

    saltcedar Rising Contributor 10 Years

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  6. Detta

    Detta Member

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    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 19, 2011
  7. Detta

    Detta Member

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    Thanks saltcedar. The jpegs in the article clearly illustrate the beautifull little flowers, and the points re propagation are consistent with my experience. Will be a little more cautious of my intake!
    I have been feeding it to the recovering birds in my Rehabilitation Centre. Am now wondering if am doing them a disfavour!
     
  8. jessiehewong

    jessiehewong Active Member

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    Oh, I love this plant, all over in East Malaysia, in vegetable markets. So yummy, everyone from there eats it, fried and eat, we don't eat raw.
    It is so easy to plant there. Can I get a branch from someone near me? I want to plant it. Thanks. I am in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
    We call it sweet plant or sweet leaves.

    jessie
     
  9. Detta

    Detta Member

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    I eat it raw mostly, Jessie, because it has a pleasant taste, but it does not breakdown in the intestine very well.....it floats in the loo afterwards!
    Perhaps someone has a SERIOUS explanation for this?
     
  10. jessiehewong

    jessiehewong Active Member

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    Detta, thanks.

    I will try to eat raw next time, really nice plant, hard to digest, I know it. When I was little, we ate too much at one time and we got stomach trouble. Then we noticed other people crashed the leaves, then cooked, it made it easier to digest. We continue to like it and had no trouble, just enjoy the leaves.
     

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