Common Name: Indian Spinach

General Information

Basella alba is a short-lived, perennial climbing plant, producing stems up to 9 metres long that scramble over the ground and twine into other plants for support[].
The plant is widely cultivated for its edible leaves in the tropics. These can be harvested all the year round[, ], there are some named varieties[]. It is an excellent hot weather substitute for spinach[]. The leaves are sometimes sold in local markets[]. Red forms of the plant are often grown as ornamentals[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

A widely cultivated plant, its original range uncertain but was possibly Africa.

Habitat

Moist places in hedges ; at elevations around 500 metres in Nepal[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial Climber
Height	6.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Basella alba is a plant of the moist tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,500 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 23 - 27°c, but can tolerate 10 - 35°c[]. It is not tolerant of frost. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 2,000 - 2,500mm, but tolerates 700 - 4,200mm[]. It requires a minimum daytime temperature of 15°c if it is to keep growing vigorously[]. It tolerates low light levels plus night temperatures occasionally falling below 10°c[]. The plant is not hardy outdoors in the temperate zone, but can be grown as a spring-sown annual in areas with long, hot, and pereferably moist summers[].
Best growth is produced in a well-drained moisture-retentive soil rich in organic matter and a warm sunny sheltered position[, ]. Plants produce larger, more succulent leaves when grown in light shade[, ]. Prefers a sandy loam[, ], but it is well adapted to a range of soils and climates[, ]. Tolerates fairly poor soils but does much better in rich soils[]. Tolerates high rainfall[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7 but can tolerate 4.3 - 7.5[].
A fast growing insect and disease resistant plant[], it is capable of producing a crop within 70 days from seed in a warm climate[, ].
Plants do not flower if the length of daylight is more than 13 hours per day[].
A vigorous, fast-growing plant, when established it can be harvested every week or so by removing young shoots 7 - 13cm long[]. In addition to keeping the plant within bounds, this encourages the production of side shoots and thus more stems to harvest[].
A short-term crop yields up to 40 tonnes per hectare in 75 days; for long-term crops, yields are very variable, up to 1.5 kg of shoots or leaves per plant or 80 tonnes in 180 days. Yields of 20 - 50 tonnes per month of cultivation have been reported[].
This species photosynthesizes 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 stem tips - raw or cooked[, ]. A pleasant mild spinach flavour[], the leaves can be used as a spinach or added to salads[]. Do not overcook the leaves or they will become slimy[]. The mucilaginous qualities of the plant make it an excellent thickening agent in soups, stews etc where it can be used as a substitute for okra, Abelmoschatus esculentus[]. The leaves are a good source of vitamins A and C, iron and calcium[], a nutritional analysis is available[].

An infusion of the leaves is a tea substitute[].

The purplish sap from the fruit is used as a food colouring in pastries and sweets[]. The colour is enhanced by adding some lemon juice[].

Medicinal

The roots are astringent. They are cooked and used in the treatment of diarrhoea[, ].
A paste of the root is applied to swellings and is also used as a rubefacient[].

The leaves and stems are cooked and eaten for their laxative properties[, ].
The leaf juice is a demulcent, used in cases of dysentery[]. It is also diuretic, febrifuge and laxative[]. The leaf juice is used in Nepal to treat catarrh[].
A paste of the leaves is applied externally to treat boils and sores[, ].

The flowers are used as an antidote to poisons[].

The plant is febrifuge, its juice is a safe aperient for pregnant women and a decoction has been used to alleviate labour[].

The red juice of the fruit is used as eye drops to treat conjunctivitis[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant can be grown on living stakes, usually on a fence or on a hedge[].

Other Uses

A red dye is obtained from the juice of the fruits[]. It has been used as a rouge, an ink, for colouring foods and also as a dye for official seals[, ].

Propagation

Seed - sow early to mid spring in a warm greenhouse. The seed requires a minimum temperature of 18 - 21°c in order to germinate[], it germinates within 10 - 21 days at 20°c. Pre-soaking the seed for 24 hours in warm water shortens the germination time[]. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots of fairly rich compost and grow them on fast, planting them out after the last expected frosts.
Stem cuttings[]. These can be taken in the late summer, overwintered in a greenhouse and then be planted out in late spring or early summer.