Common Name:

General Information

Persicaria nepalensis is a slender, spreading or procumbent annual plant, usually forming new roots at the leaf nodes; it can grow up to 50cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.
Persicaria nepalensis produces an abundance of seed and can spread freely as a weed in crops, being especially abundant in tea plantations and amongst a range of annual crops. The plant is believed to have originated in the Himalayas but it is now quite widespread, across the Asian, African and American continents and also in the Pacific, but is apparently limited, as a significant weed, to high altitude tropics. Why it does not occur more commonly in temperate lowlands, which have roughly comparable temperature regimes is not clear. It can persist sporadically, in temperate regions, even as far north as the UK but is not reported as a weed problem. The plant is shallow-rooted and readily removed by manual or hoe weeding[]..

Known Hazards

Although no specific mention has been made for this species, there have been reports that some members of this genus can cause photosensitivity in susceptible people.
Many species also contain oxalic acid (the distinctive lemony flavour of sorrel) - whilst not toxic this substance can bind up other minerals making them unavailable to the body and leading to mineral deficiency. Having said that, a number of common foods such as sorrel and rhubarb contain oxalic acid and the leaves of most members of this genus are nutritious and beneficial to eat in moderate quantities. Cooking the leaves will reduce their content of oxalic acid. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition[].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Temperate and tropical Asia - Afghanistan and Tadzhikistan, east through China and India to Russian Far East, Japan, Korea, Philippines and New Guinea

Habitat

Usually common in damp shaded situations, 1700 - 2000 metres in Srinagar. Damp woods in mountains all over Japan[]. Exposed rocky slopes, 1200 - 4000 metres in Nepal[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.30 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Persicaria nepalensis originated at moderate elevations in the Himalayas, but has spread to many other areas from the tropics (usually at moderate to higher elevations) to the temperate zone.
Requires a fairly sunny position in temperate zones. Succeeds in an ordinary garden soil[] but prefers a moisture retentive not too fertile soil.[]. Repays generous treatment[, ].
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[].

Edible Uses

Tender young leaves and shots - raw or cooked as a vegetable[, ].

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

A juice of the root is used in the treatment of fevers[]. A paste of the root is used as a poultice on fresh wounds[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant has been regarded in Sri Lanka as a valuable ground cover in plantations, protecting the soil from erosion. Weeding methods were deliberately aimed at encouraging the plant in preference to other more troublesome species, only removing it from around the base of the crop plants[].

Other Uses

The squeezed plant is used for washing clothes[].

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ. Germination is usually free and easy.

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.

Name:

Email(Private):

Message:

Captcha: what is greater, 5 or 9?