Enydra fluctuans Loureiro
Family
Compositae
Synonyms
Enydra longifolia (Blume) DC., Enydra paludosa (Reinw.) DC.
Vernacular Names
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Malaysia |
Chengkeru, kangkong kerbau. |
|
English |
Buffalo spinach (En). |
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Indonesia |
Godobos (West Java), kokoha (West Java), ambur (Sumatra) |
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Philippines |
Kangkong kalabaw. |
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Cambodia |
Kanting ring. |
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Laos |
Bungz ping. |
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Thailand |
Phakbung-ruam (Central), phakbungpling (Northern), phakpaeng (Northern). |
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Vietnam |
Rau ng[oor] tr[aa]u, rau ng[oor] th[ow]m. |
Geographical Distributions
Enydra fluctuans is an old world species, possibly of Indo-Chinese origin, which occurs in tropical Asia and Africa. It is common in all countries of Southeast Asia, wild and sometimes cultivated.
Description
Enydra fluctuans is a perennial, often gregarious, erect-prostrate or free-floating, aromatic herb which can reach up to 30-100 cm long. Its stem is cylindrical, measures 0.5-1 cm in diametre, hollow, hairy, sparsely branched and rooting at the nodes.
The leaves are arranged opposite, (sub)sessile, narrowly oblong, measuring 2-10 cm x 0.5-2 cm, broadly truncate or subcordate at base, narrowly obtuse at apex, usually with dentate-serrate margins and finely gland-dotted on both surfaces.
The inflorescence is a globular head, which is up to 1 cm in diametre, sessile, solitary, terminal or pseudoaxillary (due to the development of axillary branches), heterogamous and many-flowered. The involucre is 4 foliaceous, longitudinally-veined bracts, which is longer than the flowering heads and completely encloses them. The female ray flowers are in many whorls. The petal is with long tube and 2-5-lobed limb, white or greenish-white. The ovary is covered by palea which is ciliate at top and with ultimately exserted style. The disk flowers are more or less numerous. They are bisexual or sometimes sterile. The petal is bell-shaped with 5lobed rim. The ovary is with 2 style arms as in ray flower. The stamens are connate while anthers are ultimately exserted.
The fruit is one-seeded, oblongoid, measures 3 mm long, smooth, closely clasped by the thickened palea (acting as floater) and blackish. It is without pappus.
Ecology / Cultivation
Enydra fluctuans is a herb of sunny, swampy localities. It occurs in and along ditches, water courses, margins of fish ponds and rice fields, from sea-level up to 1800 m altitude. In Java, it is more abundant above 500 m. Growing gregariously, it may sometimes clog water courses. It multiplies easily through dispersal of plant fragments, including fruits, by means of flowing water.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
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Plant Resources of South-East Asia No.8: Vegetables.
