Gynura crepioides
Encyclopedia
Gynura crepioides or okinawan spinach is a sub-tropical vegetable
that forms a dense, non-vining, edible ground cover that grows well in full sun or partial shade. It is a vigorous, perennial
vegetable that is adaptable to a variety of tropical climates and requires little if any additional input. It is also an attractive potted plant - shiny green leaves above, purple underneath. It attracts butterflies and in Hawaii
, it is a host plant to the Kamehameha butterfly.
As a food, it makes a nice addition to salads, and can also be eaten when cooked. It is purported to have properties that help lower cholesterol
. It is grown commercially as a vegetable in China
.
and Hawaii.
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
that forms a dense, non-vining, edible ground cover that grows well in full sun or partial shade. It is a vigorous, perennial
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
vegetable that is adaptable to a variety of tropical climates and requires little if any additional input. It is also an attractive potted plant - shiny green leaves above, purple underneath. It attracts butterflies and in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, it is a host plant to the Kamehameha butterfly.
As a food, it makes a nice addition to salads, and can also be eaten when cooked. It is purported to have properties that help lower cholesterol
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a complex isoprenoid. Specifically, it is a waxy steroid of fat that is produced in the liver or intestines. It is used to produce hormones and cell membranes and is transported in the blood plasma of all mammals. It is an essential structural component of mammalian cell membranes...
. It is grown commercially as a vegetable in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Distribution
Sub-tropical Asia and the Pacific. In the USA, it will grow in FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and Hawaii.