Miscellaneous families
miscellaneous body
Basellaceae
Ceylon Spinach - (Basella rubra and/or alba) is also known as Malabar spinach. It is a climbing tender perennial. There are two types - a red stem and a white stem. The plant is native of the East Indies. The red is slightly more productive than the white in the Virgin Islands. Neither seems to be bothered by any pests. It can be trained on a trellis or planted on the flat and allowed to sprawl.
The succulent young and mature leaves and stems are eaten - usually mixed with other vegetables in a soup or stew. The white species retains its color, but the red loses much of its color in the water and is not as attractive. The flavor is very mild and almost tasteless.
Convolvulaceae
Ceylon Spinach - (Basella rubra and/or alba) is also known as Malabar spinach. It is a climbing tender perennial. There are two types - a red stem and a white stem. The plant is native of the East Indies. The red is slightly more productive than the white in the Virgin Islands. Neither seems to be bothered by any pests. It can be trained on a trellis or planted on the flat and allowed to sprawl.
The succulent young and mature leaves and stems are eaten - usually mixed with other vegetables in a soup or stew. The white species retains its color, but the red loses much of its color in the water and is not as attractive. The flavor is very mild and almost tasteless.
Tillaceae
Okra Leaf - (Corchorus olitorius): is also called bush okra, Jew's mallow, or jute mallow and is a popular fiber crop in West Africa, Malaysia, Egypt, Philippines, and Central America. Plants with small yellow flowers borne in the leaf axils can grow to more than 5' tall. The optimum planting distance was found to be 50 cm. x 20 cm. It is an upright, slightly woody herb with serrated leaves.
The edible shoot tips are cooked in stews and have a mucilaginous consistency similar to okra. In West Africa the leaves and tips are stored dry, and in India the shoots are cooked with rice.