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Summary
Okinawa Spinach, Crassocephalum crepidioides, is a tropical, upright, herb with thick and soft stem and alternate leaves. It makes an excellent spinach substitute. Its flowers are yellow and reddish and fruits are dark brown with long silky hairs at the end. It is commonly found in Papua New Guinea and in many other tropical countries. The leaves are used for indigestion, headaches, fresh wounds, nose bleeding, and sleeping sickness. The roots are used in the treatment of swollen lips. Aside from the medicinal uses, the leaves are also edible either raw or cooked. It is used as a vegetable. The roots are eaten with chilli sauce in Thailand. It may also be known as Gynura crepioides (a Synonym)
Physical Characteristics
Crassocephalum is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.8 m (2ft 7in) by 0.3 m (1ft) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10.
Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
UK Hardiness Map
US Hardiness Map
Synonyms
Crassocephalum diversifolium Hiern Gynura crepidioides Benth. Gynura diversifolia Sch.Bip. ex Asch.
Plant Habitats
Edible Uses
A commercially cultivated vegetable. Leaves - raw or cooked. A distinctive, pine-like flavour[ 298 ]. The leaves are fleshy, somewhat mucilaginous with a nutty flavour[ 301 ]. The tender and succulent leaves and stems of ebolo are mucilaginous and are used as a vegetable in soups and stews, especially in West and Central Africa[ 299 ]. It is much appreciated for its special flavour, which is sharp but not bitter[ 299 ]. It is especially popular in south-western Nigeria. Here the leaves are lightly blanched, excess water is drained off, and the leaves are then cooked with peppers, onions, tomatoes, melon and sometimes fish or meat to make soups and stews[ 299 ]. In Sierra Leone the leaves are also popular and are made into a sauce with groundnut paste[ 299 ]. In Australia it is eaten as a salad green, either cooked or raw[ 299 ]. Roots - eaten with chilli sauce in Thailand[ 301 ].
References More on Edible Uses
Medicinal Uses
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
The leaves are used to treat indigestion[ 299 ]. The leaf sap is given to treat upset stomach[ 299 ]. A leaf lotion or decoction is used to treat headaches[ 299 ]. A mixture of the leaf sap, combined with Cymbopogon giganteus, is used orally and externally for the treatment of epilepsy[ 299 ]. Applied externally, the leaf sap is used as a treatment for fresh wounds[ 299 ]. The dried leaf powder is applied as a snuff to stop nose bleeding and smoked to treat sleeping sickness[ 299 ]. Tannin found in the roots of the plant is used to treat swollen lips[ 299 ].
References More on Medicinal Uses
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Other Uses
Agroforestry Uses: Crassocephalum crepidioides has been used successfully as a trap plant to collect adult corm weevils in banana plantations. Other Uses: Fodder/animal feed.
Special Uses
References More on Other Uses
Cultivation details
Grows well in soils that are rich in organic matter[ 299 ]. An easy to grow vegetable, especially suited to shady localities in home gardens and tree plantations[ 299 ]. Often cultivated as a food crop in the tropics, the plant has light, plumed seeds that are easily distributed by the wind. It has escaped from cultivation in many areas and become an invasive weed in some places[ 305 ].
References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information
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Plant Propagation
Seed and Cuttings.
Other Names
If available other names are mentioned here
Other common names are ebolo, redflower rag leaf, thickhead, and fireweed, Okinawa Spinach, Crassocephalum crepidioides. Also known as: Ebolo; fireweed; thickhead. Chinese: ye tong hao. Fiji: pua lele; se vuka. Indonesia: jukut jamalok. Japan: benibanaborogiku. Java: jewor; sintrong. Papua New Guinea: thick head. Philippines: bulak manok. Samoa: fua lele; vao lele. Thailand: phak pet maeo. Tonga: fisi puna. Other names: Agologolo, A ngung, Doyan-doyan, Ekinami, Gbuluh fuka, Guan dong weu niu, Hogegain, Impingi, Ingiri, Limbiti, Lisahuka, Marakapon, Miao kuo, Phak kaad chang, Phakkoat chaang, Rau tau bay, Sandeko, Udu daya, Voi ngoai, Wondally, Yaxiehu.
Native Range
TEMPERATE ASIA: Yemen AFRICA: Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Côte D‘Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, South Africa (Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga), Madagascar
Weed Potential
Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section.
Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.
Classified as one of the most aggressive weeds occurring in tropical and subtropical regions in the Global Compendium of Weeds.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : This taxon has not yet been assessed
Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.
Expert comment
Author
(Benth.) S.Moore
Botanical References
Links / References
For a list of references used on this page please go here
A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.
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