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Talinum paniculatum
Portulacaceae FAMILY

Talinum paniculatum

Talinum paniculatum

Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial
Growth—

Grows best in full sun, but plants are tolerant of some shade[1]. Prefers a well-drained, moist soil rich in organic matter[1]. Established plants are drought tolerant[1]. The plant has become a pantropical weed, and is still extending its range[2]. A first harvest can be taken about 6 weeks after planting cuttings, or 8 - 9 weeks after sowing the seed[1]. Young shoots are picked when the plants are 30cm tall and leaves are fully developed[1]. Inflorescences should be removed regularly[1]. Although plants remain productive longer, they are often removed after one year as they become woody[1]. The growing plants are found only during the rainy season, the stems withering when the rains cease[3].

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ or in a lightly shaded position in a nursery seedbed. Germination takes place within 7 days and young plants should be planted out within another 5 weeks[1]. Cuttings are taken from slightly woody stems, from which tops and leaves are removed. They require ample watering[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Talinum+paniculatum>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. — http://www.prota.org ↩︎An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
  2. [2]Flora Malesiana Series 1 — Various · Nationaal Herbarium Nederiand, Universiteit Leiden branch · http://www.archive.org ↩︎A massive treatment of the plants of the Malaysian Archipelago. Much of it has been made available to download from the Internet
  3. [3]Flora of Guatemala — Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark · 1946 - 1976 · http://www.archive.org/ ↩︎A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
  4. [4]Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants — http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 ↩︎Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
  5. [5]Cornucopia II — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications, California. · 1998 · ISBN 0-9628087-2-5 ↩︎The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
  6. [6]Medicinal Plants in Vietnam — Nguyen Van Dan & Doan Thi Nhu · World Health Organisation · 1989 · ISBN 92 9061 101 4 ↩︎An excellent book, giving information on over 200 plants, their medicinal compounds and applications.