Water morning glory (Ipomoea aquatica) is a plant species in Convolvulaceae that spreads in watery areas or soft soil, hollow stems to float, including cultivated plants for vegetables with leaves and stems as food.
I. aquatica has tubular stems, 2-3 meters long or more, hollow to float, green in color and roots in the fork. Leaves vary in shape from arrowhead to lanceolate, 5-15 cm long, 2-8 cm wide and green.
Trumpet-shaped flowers, 3-5 cm in diameter and completely white or light purple in the middle. Propagation using shoot cutting techniques that will take root along the internodes or plant seeds from flowers that produce seed pods.
Cultivated water spinach has three cultivar groups. The Lowland group grows wild in shallow swamps and abandoned rice fields. The Alba group grows on land, leaves narrower and is more adaptive to dry land. The Rubra group has red or purple leaves and flowers, the leaves are rather broad and adaptive to dry land.
Almost all young plants are edible. Old kale has coarse fiber, young shoots are more popular. Water spinach is used for animal feed as a forage feed with high nutritional value, especially the leaves as a good source of carotene. This food is given to cows, pigs, fish, ducks and chickens.
This plant is used in traditional medicine for hemorrhoids, nosebleeds, anthelmintic, high blood pressure, jaundice, nervous weakness and lowering blood sugar in diabetic patients. Plant extracts inhibit the growth of cancer cells Vero, Hep-2 and A-549 cells.
Water spinach is ideal for subtropical and tropical climates. High soil moisture is beneficial for growth. Loamy and marshy soils rich in organic matter are suitable for this plant. The pH range of 5-7 is ideal for growth. Shading proved to have a positive effect.
The species is most commonly grown in east, south and southeast Asia. It flourishes naturally in waterways,and requires little if any care. It is used extensively in Indonesian, Burmese, Thai, Lao, Cambodian, Malay, Vietnamese, Filipino and Chinese cuisine, especially in rural or kampung areas. The vegetable is also extremely popular in Taiwan.
These vegetables contain many important vitamins and minerals that are very low in calories and fat. The nutritional content in 100 grams of kale is vitamin A (6600 IU), calories (19 kcal), carbohydrates (3.14 grams), protein (2.6 grams), folate (14%), vitamin C (55 mg), niacin (0.9000 mg) , sodium (113 mg), potassium (312 mg), calcium (77 mg), iron (1.67 mg), magnesium (71 mg) and zinc (00.18 mg)
These vegetables if consumed regularly can prevent osteoporosis, iron deficiency anemia, vitamin A deficiency. In addition, consumption of kale is believed to protect the body from cardiovascular disease, colon and prostate cancer.
Water spinach has been found to be cultivated in Australia, Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, Fiji, India, Maldives, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
TAXON
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Solanales
Family: Convolvulaceae
Subfamily: Convolvuloideae
Tribe: Ipomoeeae
Genus: Ipomoea L. in Sp. Pl.: 159 (1753)
Species: Ipomoea aquatica Forssk. in Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.: 44 (1775)
Variety: Ipomoea aquatica var. aquatica, Ipomoea aquatica var. heterophylla (Hallier f.) Rendle, Ipomoea aquatica var. parviflora Trimen
PUBLICATIONS
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Fang, R.-Z. & Staples, G. (1995). Convolvulaceae. Flora of China 16: 271-325. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.
Fosberg, F.R. & Sachet, M.-H. (1987). Flora of the Gilbert Island, Kiribati, Checklist. Atoll Research Bulletin 295: 1-33.
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Hancock, I.R. & C.P. Henderson (1988). Convolvulaceae. Research Bulletin Dodo Creek Research Station 7: 131-132.
Hedberg, I., Kelbessa, E., Edwards, S., Demissew, S. & Persson, E. (eds.) (2006). Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea 5: 1-690. The National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia & The Department of Systematic Botany, Upps.
Heine, H. (1984). Fl. Nouv. Caléd. & Dépend. Convolvulaceae. Flore de la Nouvelle-Calédonie et Dépendances 13: 1-91. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris.
Heine, H. in Hutchinson, J. & Dalziel, J.M. (1963). Convolvulaceae. Flora of West Tropical Africa, second edition 2: 335-352 + 496. Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations.
Hill, A.W. & Sandwith, N. in Williams, R.O. (1953). Fl. Trinidad & Tobago Convolvs.. Flora of Trinidad and Tobago 2(4): 210-240. Government Printing Office, Port-of-Spain.
Johnson, R.W. (2012). Convolvulaceae. Australian Plant Census Council of Heads of Australian Herbaria.
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Karthigeyan, K., Pandey, R.P. & Mao, A.A. (eds.) (2023). Flora of Andaman and Nicobar Islands 2: 1-689. Botanical Survey of India. Ministry of environment, forest and climate change.
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Lejoly, J. & S. Lisowski (1992). Les genres Merremia et Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae) dans la Flore d'Afrique Centrale (Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi). Fragmenta Floristica et Geobotanica 37: 21-125.
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Liogier, H.A. & L.F. Martorell in Liogier, H.A. & Martorell, L.F. (2000). Convolvulaceae. Flora of Puerto Rico and Adjacent Islands: a Systematic Synopsis: 162-167. Editorial de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, San Juan.
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VERNACULAR NAME
Arabic سبانخ مائي
Assamese: Kalmou
Bali: Pangpung
Bengali: কুলমি - কুলমি সাগ - কালামি Kulmi, Kulmi sag, Kalami
Brunei: Kangkong
Chinese (simplified): 蕹菜 - 空心菜 - 通菜 - 瓮菜
Chinese (traditional): 蕹菜 - 空心菜 - 甕菜
Czech: Povijnice vodní
Danish: Kangkong
Dutch: Waterspinazie
English: Kangkung, Kangkong, Kalmi, Nali, Water Morning Glory, Water spinach, Swamp cabbage
Filipino: Kangkong, Galatgat
Finnish: Pinaattielämänlanka
Franch: Patate aquatique, Liseron d'eau
German: Wasserspinat
Guangdong: 蕹菜
Gujarati: Nali ni bhaji
Hebrew: לפופית המים
Hindi: कलमी - कलमी साग - नाली - कलमी - नाली Kalmi, Kalmi sag, Nali, Kalamee, Naalee
Hong Kong: 蕹菜
Indonesian: Kangkung
Japanese: ヨウサイ - エンサイ - クウシンサイ - アサガオナ
Kannada: Neeru, Bili gadde hambu, Neeru hambu, Niru hambu
Khmer: ត្រា គូអូន Tra kuôn
Konkani: Takasi vel
Korean: 공심채
Lao: ຜັກບອງ Phak bong
Lithuanian: Vandeninis sukutis
Macao: 蕹菜
Malayalam: Ballel
Malaysia: Kangkung, Kankong
Manipuri: Kolamni
Marathi: Nalachi Bhaji, Nali chi bhaji, Nalichi-bhaji, Naadi shaak
Minang: Kalajau
Oceania: Kangkong, Kango
Oria: Tutisago, Kalmi
Oriya: Kalama saga, Tutisago, Kalmi
Palauan: Kangkum
Pali: Kalamba
Pashto: کالمي Kalmi
PNG: Kangkong, kango
Polish Wilec wodny
Prakrit: Kalammia
Punjabi: Nali bel
Russian: Ипомея водяная
Sanskrit: Karemu, Kalambi, Kalambee, Kalamba, Kalambika, Naalikah
Sinhala: නලී - නාලි Nali, Nāli
Slovak: Povojník vodný
Tagalog: Kangkong
Taiwan: 蕹菜
Tamil: நளி - நாழிகம் - வல்லை - வல்லை-க்-கீரை - வரிபர்ணி - சர்க்கரைவல்லி Nali, Nalikam, Vallai, Vallai-k-kirai, Variparni, Sarkaraivalli
Telugu: Tutikura, Thutikura, Tigabaccali
Thai: ผักบุ้ง
Ukrainian: Кручені паничі водяні
Urdu: کلمی Kalmi
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