Common Name:

General Information

Polygonum plebeium is a much-branched, prostrate annual plant with stems 4 - 45cm long[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Widespread in tropical regions, though rare in some regions, extending from Africa, through Asia to Australia.

Habitat

Drier locations than many other Polygonum species, in places such as rocky ground in dried riverbeds and drying mudflats along lakes. It is also found as a weed in fields[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.20 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

When growing in dry places the leaves are said to develop a bitter flavour[, ].
The plant is sometimes found as a weed in cultivated fields[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[]. They can be cooked with potatoes and groundnuts[], 466. The food is slimy, but is well liked because it has a good smell[, ]. In India it is used as a famine 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

The crushed seeds are cooked and eaten as a remedy fort bowel complaints[]. The roots are similarly applied[].

The fresh root contains 11% tannin, and oxymethylanthraquinone has also been isolated[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

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