Description: Is a succulent plant with smooth, oval to lance-shaped bright green leaves that are rich in nutrients. Its fleshy, green to reddish stems are slightly branched, allowing the plant to grow upright or spread along the ground. The small, star-shaped flowers are pink to purple and bloom in clusters, attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies.
Substitutions – Talinum paniculatum: Known as Jewels of Opar, it has similar succulent, fleshy leaves and stems but with a more compact, bushy growth form and red to pink flowers in loose clusters. – Talinum triangulare: Commonly referred to as Ceylon spinach or waterleaf, it is often confused with T. fruticosum due to its similar culinary and medicinal uses but is typically smaller in size and has a more trailing growth habit.
Ecology: It thrives in warm tropical and subtropical climates, prefers moderate to high humidity, and grows best in well-drained sandy or loamy soils with a pH of 5.5–7.5. Requiring full sun to partial shade and moderate watering.
General Distribution: Is commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions, including West Africa, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, and India.
Use: This plant is widely consumed as a nutritious vegetable, rich in vitamins and minerals, and is also used in traditional medicine for its antioxidant properties.
Poslat emailem
