Practical
Plants

Phyla nodiflora

Frogfruit

a perennial member of the Phyla genus in the family Verbenaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Phyla
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.2 m
Spread
1 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Leaves[2][5]. No more details are given. The fresh leaves are used as a tea substitute. A grassy flavour, it is nothing special[2].

Plant part
Leaves
Product or use
Tea

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 plant is anodyne, antibacterial, deobstruent, diuretic, emmenagogue, parasiticide and refrigerant[7]. It is used in the treatment of hookworm[7]. The juice of the plant is cooling and is used to relieve fevers, coughs and colds[9]. The aroma of the inhaled plant is breathed in to treat coughs and colds[9]. The juice of the root is used in the treatment of gastric troubles[9].

Product or use
Anodyne
Product or use
Antibacterial
Product or use
Deobstruent
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Emmenagogue
Product or use
Parasiticide
Product or use
Refrigerant

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A good ground cover for dry sunny banks[6], this plant has been used as a grass substitute for lawns in tropical areas, though it would probably not tolerate heavy traffic[4][6].

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Soil surface

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China to Australia - New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria. S. America.
Habitat
Near the coast in Australia[3]. A ommon weed in the warmer areas of China, where it grows along stream banks and in grassy places at elevations of 300 - 2300 metres[8].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 10+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
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 for this species but suggest sowing the seed in a greenhouse in the middle of spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in late spring or early summer. If trying to grow this plant as a perennial do not plant them out the first spring but grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in any well-drained soil in a sunny position[6]. Prefers a moderately fertile soil, but succeeds in soils of low fertility[6]. Prefers ample moisture according to one report[4], whilst another says that, once established, it is drought tolerant[6]. When grown in shade the plant makes a lot of vegetative growth but does not flower well[4]. This species is not very hardy in Britain, though it can be grown outdoors as a half-hardy annual in this country[1]. Plants tolerate temperatures down to at least -7°c in Australian gardens[4] though this cannot be translated directly to British gardens due to our cooler summers and longer colder and wetter winters.

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-00-634436-4

    ↩1↩2

  3. Ewart. A. J. Flora of Victoria.

    ↩

  4. Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. Australian Native Plants. Collins. (Australia) 1988-00-00 ISBN 0-7322-0021-0

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  5. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  6. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  7. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩1↩2

  8. Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

    ↩

  9. Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6

    ↩1↩2↩3

Edit this page