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Wolffia globosa - (Roxb.) Hartog. & Plas.

Common Name Khai Nam
Family Araceae
USDA hardiness 10-12
Known Hazards Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, it belongs to a family where most of the members contain calcium oxalate crystals. This substance is toxic fresh and, if eaten, makes the mouth, tongue and throat feel as if hundreds of small needles are digging in to them. However, calcium oxalate is easily broken down either by thoroughly cooking the plant or by fully drying it and, in either of these states, it is safe to eat the plant. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones and hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet[238 ].
Habitats Floating on quiet waters[204 ]. A rare native of southern Britain, growing in still waters[17 ].
Range Tropical areas of Africa and Asia, widely naturalised in other warm regions of the world.
Edibility Rating    (4 of 5)
Other Uses    (0 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (0 of 5)
Care (info)
Tender Wet Soil Water Plants Full sun
Wolffia globosa Khai Nam


wikimedia.org
Wolffia globosa Khai Nam
Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA wikimedia.org

 

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Summary

Wolffia globosa, commonly known as Khai Nam or Water-Eggs, is a very small aquatic herb with free floating fronds. It is a tropical and subtropical plant and one of the smallest flowering plants worldwide. It is a cultivated vegetable crop in Laos, Burma, and Thailand. The edible leaves have an excellent flavor and are very nutritious. No plant part is of medicinal use.


Physical Characteristics

 
Wolffia globosa is an evergreen Perennial at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10.
It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers wet soil and can grow in water.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Habitats

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves
Edible Uses:

Leaves - cooked. An excellent flavour, they taste somewhat like a sweet cabbage[183 ]. The leaves are very nutritious, containing about 20% protein, 44% carbohydrate. 5% fat and are rich in vitamins A, B2, B6, C and nicotinic acid[183 ].

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.
Vitamin C

None known

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Other Uses None known

Special Uses

Food Forest

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

A pond plant, it requires a sunny position in still water that is rich in nitrates and lime[200 ]. It over-winters in temperate areas by means of resting buds which sink to the bottom of the pond in the late autumn and rise again in the spring[200 ]. Reports for the uses of this plant are often wrongly cited under Wolffia arrhiza[301 ].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

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Propagation

Seed - we have no information on this species but, since it can spread rapidly by division, it really needs no extra help once it is in a pond.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Khai nae, Khai-nam, Kipum, Mijinko-uki-kusa, Wu gen ping,

Found In

Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available

Africa, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, North America, Pacific, Pakistan, Philippines, SE Asia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam.

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.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : Status: Least Concern

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Wolffia arrhizaLeast Duckweed, Spotless watermealPerennial0.0 6-9  LMHNWa40 

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.

 

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Author

(Roxb.) Hartog. & Plas.

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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Subject : Wolffia globosa  
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