Aerva lanata
(L.) A.L.Juss. ex Schult.
Amaranthaceae
Achyranthes lanata L.
Achyranthes villosa Forssk.
Illecebrum lanatum (L.) L.
Common Name:
General Information
Aerva lanata is a perennial herb, frequently becoming more or less woody at the base. The stems can be erect to prostrate, sometimes scrambling or climbing into other plants for support; they can be stiff or weak and straggling, growing from 30 - 200cm long[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
The plant is gathered from the wild for local medicinal use and the leaves are sometimes used for food. The leaves are often used as food in Sri Lanka, where they are sold in local markets[
1401- Title
- Vitamin C content of commonly eaten green leafy vegetables in fresh and under different storage conditions
- Publication
- Tropical Plant Research 2(3): 240-245, 2015
- Author
- Umaramani M. & Sivakanesan R.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2015
- ISBN
- 2349 - 1183
- Description
-
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
308- Title
- Flora Zambesiaca
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
Range
Widespread in the tropics and subtropics of Africa through Asia to the Philippines and New Guinea.
Habitat
Open forest on mountain slopes, on waste and disturbed ground, deserted cultivation and coastal scrub from sea-level to 1,490 metres[
308- Title
- Flora Zambesiaca
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Perennial |
| Height | 2.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Plants sometimes flower in their first year[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Edible Uses
Leaves - cooked and eaten as a spinach[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
]. Commonly eaten as a vegetable in Sri Lanka[
1401- Title
- Vitamin C content of commonly eaten green leafy vegetables in fresh and under different storage conditions
- Publication
- Tropical Plant Research 2(3): 240-245, 2015
- Author
- Umaramani M. & Sivakanesan R.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2015
- ISBN
- 2349 - 1183
- Description
-
].The young shoots are used in curries in India, where the leaves are also a famine food[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
].
Medicinal
A decoction (the report does not specify the plant part[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
]) is considered to be an efficacious diuretic and is used against catarrh of the bladder and gonorrhoea[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. It is described as one of the best known remedies for bladder and kidney stones. Ayurvedic practitioners recommend a decoction of the plant to be taken internally for a few days to dissolves the stone and to clear the urinary path[
372- Title
- Flowers of India
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.flowersofindia.net/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A wed site of native Indian plants, plus cultivated and naturalized species. It has good quality photos and terse details on more than 3,000 species and cultivars.
].
Leaves are steeped in hot water and applied to swellings[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. The juice from crushed leaves is applied to the eyes[
398- Title
- Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
- Publisher
- Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 9966-896-60-0
- Description
- A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].
The roots are used to treat headache, as demulcent, to cure coughs and as a vermifuge[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. They are used for treating snakebite and constipation[
398- Title
- Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
- Publisher
- Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 9966-896-60-0
- Description
- A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
