Indian Spinach

            Basellaceae

            Indian spinach, Ceylon spinach, Malabar nightshade

            Phak plang, phak plang yai (Central), phak plang (Northern), Poleng chai (Chinese) (Phennapha Sapcharoen and Kanchana Diwiset, editors, 1999, p. 129)

            Annual or biennial climber. Stems slender, ramose angular, light green or purplish red (referred to as phak plang daeng). Leaves simple, alternate, acuminate, ovate, slightly undulating, fleshy, 2-6 cm. wide, 2.5-7.5 cm. long. Inflorescence of spikes, long pedunculate, star-like 5 petals, white. Fruit, ovoid or globose, glossy green dark and purple, fleshy; seeds round and brownish. (Agricultural Extension Department, 2007)

            100 gm. has 21 kilocalories, 93.5 gm. water, 2.7 gm carbohydrates, 2 gm. protein, 0.2 gm. fat, 0.8 gm. residue; 4 mg. calcium, 50 mg. phosphorus, 1.5 mg. iron, 9,316 IU Vitamin A, 0.07 mg Vitamin B1, 0.20 mg. Vitamin B2, 1.1 mg. niacin 26 mg. Vitamin C. Food: Leaves, shoots and young flowers are blanched and eaten with namphrik or made into a cho dish called cho phak plang.

Pulverized and put on a wound as an anti-inflammatory, and treats itchiness, it is a tonic for general health and eyes. (Phak Phuen Ban Phak Ahan Phuen Mueang, 2007, p. 58)

            All year round

            

Agricultural Extension Department. (2007). Phak Phuen Ban . Retrieved 10 June2007from http://singburi.doae.go.th/acri (in thai).

Kanchana Diwiset, et al., compilers. (2005). Phak Phuen Ban Phak Nuea. Phennapha Sapcharoen, editor. (2^nd ed.). Nonthaburi: Center for Text Development on Traditional Thai Medicine. (in thai).

. (1999). Phak Phuen Ban Phak Klang. Kanchana Diwiset, editor. Nonthaburi: Project on Development of Traditional Thai Medicine. (in thai).

Phak Phuen Ban Ahan Phuen Mueang. (2007). Bangkok: Fa Aphai Co., Ltd. (in thai).

Phennapha Sapcharoen and Kanchana Diwiset, editors. (1999). Mai Rim Rua: Samunphrai kap Wattanatham Thai. Part 2. Nonthaburi: Institute of Traditional Thai Medicine. (in thai).