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Nomenclature of this species is quite confusing. Some works treat Talinum fruticosum (L.) Juss., and Talinum triangulare (Jacq.) Willd., as separate and distinct species, whilst others treat Talinum triangulare as a synonym of Talinum fruticosum (the treatment we have followed here). In addition, there are other authors who have used these names - for example Talinum fruticosum Macfad. (treated as a synonym of an accepted Talinum triangulare); Talinum fruticosum Willd., and Talinum triangulare purpureum Ram. Goyena (both treated as synonyms of Talinum fruticosum (L.) Juss.[].

Common Name: Waterleaf

General Information

Talinum fruticosum is a short-lived, erect, strongly branched, perennial plant with succulent stems 30 - 100cm tall growing from swollen, fleshy roots[].
The plant is often harvsted from the wild for local use as a food. It is also cultivated in various parts of the tropics for its edible leaves, being grown on a particularly large scale in Africa[, ]. It is sometimes planted as an ornamental pot plant or as an edging plant in gardens[].

Known Hazards

Waterleaf is a mucilaginous vegetable with high calcium oxalate content. The presence of oxalate is a drawback since more than 90% of it is present in a soluble form and it can induce kidney stones if taken in excess. Blanching or cooking removes nearly half of the soluble oxalate[].
Waterleaf also contains hydrocyanic acid (which is also destroyed in the cooking process), which is a further reason why this vegetable should be consumed raw in small quantities only and why it is not recommended for livestock[].
Caution should also be exercised in the use of this vegetable in infant foods, the more so since it
contains nitrates and nitrites, which are not removed by cooking[].
Waterleaf is rich in saponins, which are poorly absorbed and removed in the cooking process[, ].

Botanical References

Range

Northern S. America - Peru, Ecuador, north to the Caribbean and through Central America to Mexico.

Habitat

Occurs naturally on roadsides, waste places, and forests edges, from sea level up to 1,000 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.50 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Grows best in the moist humid conditions of lowland tropical areas, though it can succeed at elevations up to 1,000 metres[]. It grows best in areas where the mean annual temperature is within the range 22 - 30 °c, though it can tolerate 15 - 36 °c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000 - 2,000mm, tolerating 500 - 3,000mm[].
Light shade can improve leaf production[]. Prefers a well-drained but moist, humus-rich fertile soil, though it will succeed in relatively poor soils[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6.5 but can tolerate 4.5 - 7[]. Plants are relatively tolerant of drought, adopting a crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), resulting in an effective use of available moisture, with carbon dioxide assimilation continuing during the night, and increased growth[].
Waterleaf was probably originally native of tropical America, it has now become a weed with pantropical distribution[]. It can become a weed in cultivated or disturbed land, including roadsides and near homesteads, but few farmers worry about it since its roots are shallow and the plant is easy to remove[].
Plants grown in short day-length conditions rarely exceed 45cm in height[].
The first harvest can take place about 35 - 45 days after sowing the seed and continues every two weeks for about 1 year[].
Yields have been estimated to about 10 kilos per square metre of crop[]. The yield range is 10 - 60 tonnes per hectare[].
There are some named varieties[].
This species photosynthesize by a more efficient method than most plants. Called the 'C4 carbon-fixation pathway', this process is particularly efficient at high temperatures, in bright sunlight and under dry conditions[].

Edible Uses

Leaves and flowers - raw in salads or cooked[, ]. Young shoots, 15 - 20cm long, are used[]. The shoots are used in making soups, stews etc[]. Combined with the leaves of eru (Gnetum species) and fufu (a starchy dish), it is considered a delicacy; the tender shoots of waterleaf acting to soften the tough leaves of eru[]. Best lightly steamed, they should not be overcooked or they will become excessively soft and mucilaginous[, ]. The leaves are used as a colouring agent in okra soup[]. The leaves have a slightly sour taste, they can be finely chopped and added to salads[]. Many forms of this plant have a high concentration of calcium oxalate (see notes above on toxicity), though this is easily destroyed on cooking[].

Medicinal

The plant has some medicinal uses[].

The plant (part not specified) is used as a treatment for measles and diabetes[].

A tonic is made from the fleshy root[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ or in a nursery seedbed. The small seeds are usually mixed with a fine sand before sowing[]. Germination takes place after about 5 days and subsequent growth is very rapid if adequate water is supplied. Seedlings can be transplanted into their permanent positions when 3 weeks old[].
Cuttings of young shoots 15 - 20cm long root readily[].

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