Bark
Not applicable; stem succulent, green or purple, twining
Basella alba
Syn. Basella oleracea
IUCN Red List
Not Evaluated
(NE)
Local name
- Malabar spinach (English)
- Poi (Hindi)
Climber type
Evergreen
Deciduous
Family: Basellaceae
Indicated uses
Medicinal
Edible
Ornamental
Avenue
Other
Flowering & fruiting
Flowering
Fruiting
Key characters
Leaves
Simple, alternate, fleshy, ovate-cordate, glossy
Flower
Small, white to pink, in axillary spikes
Fruit / Seeds
Fleshy purple-black berry-like fruit; 1 seed; juice stains
Did you know?
The genus name comes from ‘Basale’, the Malabar name recorded by Rheede in Hortus Malabaricus. The purple fruit pigment (gomphrenin, a betalain) has been used as rouge, ink, food colouring and a dye for official seals.
Distribution
Tropical Asia and Africa; widely cultivated in India including Gujarat