Boerhavia diffusa
Tar Vine
a perennial member of the Boerhavia genus in the family Nyctaginaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Nyctaginaceae
- Genus
- Boerhavia
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Height
- 0.1 m
- Spread
- 0.5 m
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Tender young leaves and shoots - cooked and used as a vegetable[1][3][5][10]. Root - baked[1][3][5]. Rich in carbohydrate and protein, though the flavour is bland and the texture sometimes woody[6]. Seed - cooked. It can be ground into a powder and added to cereals when making bread, cakes etc[5].
- Plant part
- Leaves
- Plant part
- Root
- Plant part
- Seed
Medicinal uses
Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
The roots are diuretic, emetic, expectorant, laxative and stomachic[2][7][8]. They are used in the treatment of asthma, oedema, anaemia, jaundice, ascites, anasarca, scanty urine and internal inflammation. They are also said to be an antidote to snake poisoning[7][8]. An alkaloid in the roots has been shown experimentally to produce a distinct and persistent rise in blood pressure plus marked diuresis[7].
- Product or use
- Antidote
- Product or use
- Diuretic
- Product or use
- Emetic
- Product or use
- Expectorant
- Product or use
- Laxative
- Product or use
- Stomachic
Environment
- Range
- Australia - New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria.
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerances
- drought
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- tolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a greenhouse in the spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it could succeed outdoors at least in the milder parts of this country. It is hardy to at least -7°c in Australian gardens[4] but this cannot be translated directly to the British climate because our summers are cooler and our winters longer, colder and wetter. If the plant is capable of surviving our winters it is likely to need a sheltered very sunny position in a well-drained soil. Most if not all members of this genus have the same edible uses[6].
References
Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-00-634436-4
Lassak. E. V. and McCarthy. T. Australian Medicinal Plants.
Ewart. A. J. Flora of Victoria.
Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. Australian Native Plants. Collins. (Australia) 1988-00-00 ISBN 0-7322-0021-0
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169
Low. T. Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson. 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-207-14383-8
Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00
Medicinal Plants of Nepal Dept. of Medicinal Plants. Nepal. 1993-00-00
Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6