Common Name:

General Information

Persicaria attenuata is a robust, hairy, rhizomatous, perennial plant growing up to 2 metres tall. It has branched stems, basally creeping and rooting at the nodes, that become hollow when older[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. When growing wild, it is seen as an indicator of land suitable for growing rice.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Widespread in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australia.

Habitat

In and beside water, often forming large patches with long floating stems that root at the lowest nodes, at elevations from sea-level up to 1,000 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.50 m

Cultivation Details

The plant is sometimes a troublesome weed in rice, although it is also considered an indicator of land suitable for rice cultivation[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw or cooked. Used as a fresh salad or as a cooked vegetable[]. In South-East Asia the leaves are eaten with food as a tonic and to purify the blood[].

We have no specific information for this species, but the seed of most, if not all, members of the genus is edible both raw and cooked, and is potentially a good source of amino acids. Unfortunately the seed is also usually rather small and fiddly to utilize[].

Medicinal

Persicaria attenuata is widely used medicinally.
The rhizome contains 2.5% of an acrid resin which is a depressant and can arrest the heart[].

The leaves are used in treatments for syphilis, rheumatism and swellings. They are eaten with food as a tonic and to purify the blood[].

The plant is burnt to obtain a vegetable salt which is rich in potassium and is applied to sores on the back and chest of scrofulous hunchbacked children[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is considered an indicator of land suitable for rice cultivation[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

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