A vigourous twiner, stems barely woody. This is a monocotyledon, the first that I have brought up in my blog, with no regrets as I am sure this is truly an eye-catcher - for its mysterious looking aerial tubers, (bulbils) - commonly called the air-potato.
This is not a friut! It is a tuber that grows at leaf axils up to a size of a regular pumelo. I have not seen its fruits. Perhaps it doesn't fruit!The bulbils are planted and it grows easily; in some countries it is the "poor man's" food. Elsewhere, it is considered and invasive plant - that it encroaches the space of other plants.
The flowers are tiny, white sometimes pale green. Seen here are the female spikes - up to 20 cm long, the male spikes being shorter about 4 cm.More a food than a medicine. But then, there is no disease worse than hunger!
Hi Saba, this plant i have it at home, my neighbour had given the seed. It justed started having the alien type of fruit so weird looking. I am waiting to see if the fruit turn colour so i can eat and try. My balcony looks like alien rocks hanging. Haha
ReplyDeleteI like the fact its covering up my balcony and that good. Oh i also have AVARAKAI. My mum uses it leaves for legs to cure her sore in the leg and toe mostly for diabetes. She claims is very useful. so i have them also covering my balcony.
Nita
Hi Nita,
ReplyDeleteThe kaaivalli is not a fruit but a tuber, a kizhangu. So I would not expect it to turn colour - you can boil and eat it straight-away.
The avarakkai, I will deal with it later. Meanwhile, I shall post another to quench your crave for plants.
I would love to have a tuber of this to plant in my garden in the USA. Would either of you possibly send me one (or more)? I will gladly pay postage, plus extra. It is very hard to find the edible form of this plant in this country.
ReplyDeleteHow can I get tuber this plant. Is it the same as mothavalli kalangukala.
ReplyDelete