Code
BADAL
Growth form
vine
Biological cycle
perennial
Habitat
terrestrial
🗒 Synonyms
| synonym | Basella alba var. cordifolia (Lam.) M.R.Almeida |
| synonym | Basella alba var. subcordata Hassk. |
| synonym | Basella alba var. subrotunda Moq. |
| synonym | Basella cananifolia Buch.-Ham. ex Wall. [Invalid] |
| synonym | Basella cordifolia Lam. |
| synonym | Basella crassifolia Salisb. |
| synonym | Basella japonica Burm.f. |
| synonym | Basella lucida L. |
| synonym | Basella nigra Lour. |
| synonym | Basella oleracea Alef. |
| synonym | Basella oleracea var. alba (L.) Alef. |
| synonym | Basella oleracea var. cordifolia (Lam.) Alef. |
| synonym | Basella oleracea var. japonica (Burm.fil.) Alef. |
| synonym | Basella oleracea var. nigra (Lour.) Alef. |
| synonym | Basella oleracea var. ramosa (J.Jacq. ex Spreng.) Alef. |
| synonym | Basella oleracea var. rubra (L.) Alef. |
| synonym | Basella ramosa J.Jacq. |
| synonym | Basella ramosa J.Jacq. ex Spreng. |
| synonym | Basella rubra L. |
| synonym | Basella rubra var. virescens Moq. |
| synonym | Basella volubilis Salisb. |
| synonym | Gandola nigra (Lour.) Raf. |
| synonym | Gandola rubra Rumph. ex L. |
🗒 Common Names
| Bengali |
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| Chinese |
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| Creoles and pidgins, English based |
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| Creoles and pidgins, French-based |
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| English |
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| French |
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| Gujarati |
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| Indonesian |
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| Italian |
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| Kannada |
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| Konkani |
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| Lao |
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| Malay |
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| Malayalam |
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| Marathi |
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| Nepali |
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| Other |
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| Philippine languages |
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| Portuguese |
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| Sinhala; Sinhalese |
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| Spanish; Castilian |
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| Tamil |
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| Telugu |
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| Vietnamese |
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📚 Overview
Description
Cotyledons
The cotyledons are sessile, with the lamina elliptical to broadly elliptical; 3 cm long and 1.5 to 2 cm wide, base and apex cornered and margin entire. They are fleshy, glabrous, glossy green in colour, marked by a depressed midrib.
First leaves
The first leaves are simple alternate, subsessile, becoming progressively shortly stalked. The lamina is fleshy, broadly ovate, rounded then becoming cordate at the base, and with a wide angled apex, the margin is entire. Both sides are glabrous and glossy green color. Venation consists of 3 to 5-veins, palmate at the base.
General habit
The plant is a twining, rhizomatous, fleshy vine, reaching up to 10 m long. It wraps itself on any surface.
Underground system
Tuberous rhizome
Stem
The stem is twining, cylindrical, full, fleshy and glabrous with a diameter of 4 to 8 mm. It is green or tinged with purple.
Leaves
The leaves are simple, alternate, more or less long-stalked (0.7 to 11 cm) and fleshy. The blade is oval to subcircular, 3 to 16 cm long and 1 to 12 cm wide. The apex is rounded, wide angledor acuminate, and the base is broadly cordate. The margin is entire. The two faces are glabrous and shiny pale green in color. The venations, with 5 veins, are palmate at the base and appear as a depression on the upper surface.
Inflorescence
The inflorescence consists of an axiliary erect spike, more or less pedunculate, simple or rarely branched, 2 to 18 cm long. The axis of the spike of the flower is fleshy and cylindrical.
Flower
The flowers are bisexual, sessile, small of 2.5-6 mm long and fleshy. They are white to pinkish white in color. They consist of 5 sepals fused in a tube barely opening. 5 very short stamens are fixed in the upper part of the perianth tube. The anthers do not exceed the perianth lobes. The petals are absent. The fleshy sepals are accrescents and envelop the fruit.
Fruit
The fruit is globular of4 to 7 mm long and 5 to 10 mm in diameter, formed of fleshy perianth surrounding the seed. It is initially light green, and then becomes shiny black when at maturity.
Seed
Globular seed with helicoid embryo.
Axial spherical seed embryo.
General description
Basella alba is a rhizomatous twining vine with fleshy stems and leaves. Leaves are simple, alternate, stalked. The blade is broadly ovale to subcircular, with a highly cordated base and acute or acuminate apex. The margin is entire, the two sides glabrous, smooth, and shiny. Inflorescences are arranged in linear spikes with a fleshy axis and numerous small white fleshy, sessile flowers, not opening. The fruit is a globose, black shiny and consists of fleshy perianth surrounding the seed.Cotyledons
The cotyledons are sessile, with the lamina elliptical to broadly elliptical; 3 cm long and 1.5 to 2 cm wide, base and apex cornered and margin entire. They are fleshy, glabrous, glossy green in colour, marked by a depressed midrib.
First leaves
The first leaves are simple alternate, subsessile, becoming progressively shortly stalked. The lamina is fleshy, broadly ovate, rounded then becoming cordate at the base, and with a wide angled apex, the margin is entire. Both sides are glabrous and glossy green color. Venation consists of 3 to 5-veins, palmate at the base.
General habit
The plant is a twining, rhizomatous, fleshy vine, reaching up to 10 m long. It wraps itself on any surface.
Underground system
Tuberous rhizome
Stem
The stem is twining, cylindrical, full, fleshy and glabrous with a diameter of 4 to 8 mm. It is green or tinged with purple.
Leaves
The leaves are simple, alternate, more or less long-stalked (0.7 to 11 cm) and fleshy. The blade is oval to subcircular, 3 to 16 cm long and 1 to 12 cm wide. The apex is rounded, wide angledor acuminate, and the base is broadly cordate. The margin is entire. The two faces are glabrous and shiny pale green in color. The venations, with 5 veins, are palmate at the base and appear as a depression on the upper surface.
Inflorescence
The inflorescence consists of an axiliary erect spike, more or less pedunculate, simple or rarely branched, 2 to 18 cm long. The axis of the spike of the flower is fleshy and cylindrical.
Flower
The flowers are bisexual, sessile, small of 2.5-6 mm long and fleshy. They are white to pinkish white in color. They consist of 5 sepals fused in a tube barely opening. 5 very short stamens are fixed in the upper part of the perianth tube. The anthers do not exceed the perianth lobes. The petals are absent. The fleshy sepals are accrescents and envelop the fruit.
Fruit
The fruit is globular of4 to 7 mm long and 5 to 10 mm in diameter, formed of fleshy perianth surrounding the seed. It is initially light green, and then becomes shiny black when at maturity.
Seed
Globular seed with helicoid embryo.
Axial spherical seed embryo.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
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No Data
📚 Nomenclature and Classification
No Data
📚 Natural History
Life Cycle
Life cycle
Vivacious
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
China: Basella alba flowers from May to September and bears fruit from July to October.
Mayotte: Basella alba flowers from April to August and fruits from May to September.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Cyclicity
Basella alba is a perennial plant which is propagated by fragmentation of the rhizome or stem. It also multiplies by seeds, dispersed by birds.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
Morphology
Growth form
Liana
Liana climbing structure
Liana without tendril
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Simple
Type of prefoliation
Leaf ratio medium
Broad leaves
Latex
Without latex
Stem section
Round
Root type
Rhizome tuberised
Hollow or solid stem
Solid stem
Stipule type
No stipule
Leaf attachment type
with petiole
Cotyledon type
truncate
Lamina base
rounded
cordate
Lamina margin
entire
Lamina apex
acute
acuminate
Upperface pilosity
Glabrous
Lowerface pilosity
Glabrous
Simple leaf type
Lamina elliptic
Lamina section
flat
succulent
Lamina Veination
Palmate
Flower color
White
Inflorescence type
Raceme with alternate sessile flowers
Stem pilosity
Glabrous
Life form
Broadleaf plant
Climber
Geophytic plant
Ecology
Basella alba is a species cultivated and naturalized in Mauritius and Reunion. It is encountered as a weed of sugarcane as well in secondary forest where it climbs along tree trunks. It grows in a wide range of soils, but it prefers high organic matter content moist soils, of pH 6.5 to 6.8.
French Guiana: A market garden species grown under tunnels in particular, it is not considered to be a weed.
Mauritius: B. alba was introduced as a crop but has now become naturalized and is found as a weed in sugarcane plots.
Mayotte: Basela alba is grown close to houses in villages, for its edible leaves. It is not known to occur spontaneously in natural environments or as a weed in crops.
Thailand: B. alba is found near villages, probably escaped from cultivation.
West Indies: Basela alba is cultivated here and there.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
No Data
📚 Habitat and Distribution
General Habitat
Habitat
Terrestrial
Description
Global distribution
It is naturalized in the islands of the Indian Ocean, in Africa, Central America and the Pacific (Polynesia, Fiji).
Geographical distibution
Mauritius
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Origin
Basella alba is native to the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and New Guinea.Global distribution
It is naturalized in the islands of the Indian Ocean, in Africa, Central America and the Pacific (Polynesia, Fiji).
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
No Data
📚 Occurrence
No Data
📚 Demography and Conservation
Risk Statement
Local harmfulness
Mauritius: Basella alba is sometimes a weed of sugarcane crops.
Reunion: This species is not present in crops.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
No Data
📚 Uses and Management
Uses
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Food: Basella alba is a species used as spinach.
Medicinal: Species widely used, particularly in India and China for its many medicinal properties (dysentery, diarrhea, anemia, cancer, etc.)Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
No Data
📚 Information Listing
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
Thomas Le Bourgeois
| Attributions | |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
References
- Barthelat, F. 2019. La Flore illustrée de Mayotte. Meze, Paris, France, Collection Inventaires et Biodiversité, Biotope – Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle. 487 p.
- Bosser, J., Fergusson, I.K., Soopramanien, C., Mult. an. Flore des Mascareignes. La Réunion, Maurice, Rodrigues. MSIRI, IRD, Kew.
- Roshan Adhikari, Naveen Kumar HN, Shruthi SD. 2012. A Review on Medicinal Importance of Basella alba L. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Research; 4(2): 110-114
- Plants of the World Online https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:164286-1
- EPPO https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/BADAL
- The World Flora Online https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000823202
- Flora of China http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=242307799
- CABI https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/cabicompendium.8273
- Fournet J., 2002. Flore illustrée des phanérogames de Guadeloupe et de Martinique. Montpellier, France, Cirad, Gondwana éditions.
Information Listing > References
- Barthelat, F. 2019. La Flore illustrée de Mayotte. Meze, Paris, France, Collection Inventaires et Biodiversité, Biotope – Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle. 487 p.
- Bosser, J., Fergusson, I.K., Soopramanien, C., Mult. an. Flore des Mascareignes. La Réunion, Maurice, Rodrigues. MSIRI, IRD, Kew.
- Roshan Adhikari, Naveen Kumar HN, Shruthi SD. 2012. A Review on Medicinal Importance of Basella alba L. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Research; 4(2): 110-114
- Plants of the World Online https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:164286-1
- EPPO https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/BADAL
- The World Flora Online https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000823202
- Flora of China http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=242307799
- CABI https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/cabicompendium.8273
- Fournet J., 2002. Flore illustrée des phanérogames de Guadeloupe et de Martinique. Montpellier, France, Cirad, Gondwana éditions.
Images
Herbarium pictures ReCOLNAT: https://explore.recolnat.org/search/botanique/simplequery=Basella%2520alba
Thomas Le Bourgeois
| Attributions | |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
No Data
🐾 Taxonomy
| Root | Root |
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Caryophyllales |
| Family | Basellaceae |
| Genus | Basella |
| Species | Basella alba L. |
📊 Temporal Distribution
📷 Related Observations
