Malabar Nightshade

Malabar Nightshade

 

or Malabar spinach (Basella alba), an annual or biennial climbing plant of the family Basel-laceae.

Malabar nightshade is of Indian origin. It grows 1.5–2 m tall. Its leaves and stem are succulent and fleshy. Malabar nightshade is raised in tropical and subtropical countries for its young shoots, which are boiled and used as a substitute for spinach. The juice of the fruit is used for food dyes.

REFERENCE

Ipat’ev, A. N. Ovoshchnye rasteniia zemnogo shara: Sistematika, biologiia, agrotekhnika i sortovye resursy. Minsk, 1966.