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Useful Tropical Plants

Melochia corchorifolia

L.

Malvaceae

+ Synonyms

Riedlea corchorifolia (L.) DC.

Visenia corchorifolia (L.) Spreng.

Common Name: Chocolate Weed

Melochia corchorifolia
Flowers
Photograph by: Jeevan Jose, Kerala, India
Creative Commons License
Melochia corchorifolia Melochia corchorifolia

General Information

Melochia corchorifolia is an erect to spreading perennial plant growing up to 2 metres tall. Sometimes a woody shrub, it can also produce herbaceous stems from a woody rootstock.
The plant is harvested from the wild for its edible leaves and medicinal uses. It also provides a good fibre and an insecticide[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

Eastern and southern Africa through Eastern and southern Asia to Australia and the Solomon Islands.

Habitat

Mostly found in sunny or slightly shaded, humid localities such as river banks, lake shores and alluvial plains. It is a common and important weed, notably in rice (both upland and lowland), soybean, cotton and cassava[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Properties

Weed PotentialYes
Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitShrub
Height1.50 m
PollinatorsInsects
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details



The plant is a weed of cultivated land and has spread outside of its native range.
A highly polymorphic species, several varieties have been described[
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 potherb[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. The cooked leaves provide a popular, slimy side-dish in Malawi[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Medicinal

The plant is commonly used in traditional medicine to treat a range of conditions[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
Phytochemical analysis of the leaves has revealed the presence of triterpenes (friedelin, friedelinol and β-amyrin), flavonol glycosides (hibifolin, triflin and melocorin), aliphatic compounds, flavonoids (vitexin and robunin), β-D-sitosterol and its stearate, β-D-glucoside and alkaloids.[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
] A pyridine alkaloid, 6-methoxy-3-propenyl-2-pyridine carboxylic acid, may be important as related pyridine derivatives are physiologically active[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

A leaf decoction is prescribed in a compound mixture of herbs against urinary disorders[
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 leaves are used for poulticing sores and swellings of the abdomen, and the sap is applied as an antidote to wounds caused by arrows poisoned with Antiaris toxicaria[
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.
].

A decoction of the leaves and roots is used internally to treat dysentery, and a decoction of the leaves to stop vomiting[
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.
].
Leaves and roots are used for poulticing in cases of smallpox[
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.
].

A decoction of the plant is applied in folk medicine in India as a cure for abdominal swelling, dysentery and snake bites[
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.
].

Other Uses

A fibre extracted from the bark is fine and strong[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. A beautifully silvery-white, fine and strong fibre, but obtained in too small a quantity to be important[
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 stems are used for tying bundles and are used in the construction of conical roofs for local houses[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

An aqueous solution of leaves has insecticidal properties[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. Pulses stored in gunny bags treated with the solution have shown a reduction in the number of eggs laid and in damage done by the storage pest Callosobruchus[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Propagation

Seed - germination rates are improved by scarifying the seed prior to sowing[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. Scarified seed germinates best at temperatures of 35 - 40°c[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. Seed buried to a depth of 1 - 5cm gave a germination rate of 80 - 90% after 7 days; when planted at the soil surface or deeper than 8 cm the seed did not germinate[
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.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-12-03. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Melochia+corchorifolia>

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