Basella alba L.

Basella alba L.

Latin Name: Basella alba L.; Family Basellaceae.

Synonym Name: Basella rubra L.

English Name: Malabar-Nightshade, White Vinespinach, Vine Spinach, White Malabar Nightshade.

Description: Perennial twining herb. Stem stout at the base, 1.5-2.0 cm in diameter, upper branches slender, fleshy and climbing. Leaves dark green, broadly ovate, 5-13 cm long and 2.5-8 cm broad, acute or acuminate, basally cordate, cuneate or truncate; petiole 0.5-3 cm long. Inflorescence an axillary or terminal spike, 8-14 cm long; rachis stout. Flowers white, pinkish or red, subsessile, remaining closed at anthesis. Sepals 3-5 mm long, united up to the middle, lobes short, 2-3 mm broad, cucullate. Bracts scaly, small; bracteoles similar to calyx, acute. Stamens included; filament short. Anther cordate. Ovary 1-locular. Fruit black or dark purple enclosed within the persistent fleshy calyx, c. 1.0 cm long. Seed globose, indehiscent..

Part Used: leaves, or entire plant, flower and fruits.

Chinese name: leaf or entire plant: Luokui. Flower: Luokuihua. Fruits:Luokuizi.

Harvest & Processing: Leaf or entire plant: collected leaves or entire plant in summer, autumn, well washed, removed foreign matters, used fresh or sun-dried. Flower: collected flowers in spring and summer and used fresh. Fruit: collected mature fruits in June to October and sun-dried.

Chemistry: Leaves contain polysaccharide, carotene, organic acid, vitamin C, amino acid and protein….

Pharmacology: Antifebrile, anti-inflammatory, and anti-viral.

Properties & Actions: Leaf or whole plant: sweet, sour, cold. Flower: pungent, bitter, cold. Leaf or entire plant: moistening intestines and relax the bowels., clearing heat, inducing urination, cooling blood, detoxifying and activating blood circulation. Flower: cooling blood and detoxifying. Fruit: moistening skin and beautifying.

Indications & Usage: Leaves or whole grass: constipation, infrequent and very less urination, dysentery, pathopyretic ulcer, injuries from falls. Flower: smallpox, nipple disruption. Leaf or entire plant: oral administration: decocting, 10-15g, fresh used 30-60g. External: appropriate amount, fresh used, triturated for application; or extracted juice for application. Use with care in case of spleen and stomach deficiency-cold, Not use when pregnant. Flower: external: appropriate amount, fresh used, extracted juice for application. Fruit: external: appropriate amount, powdered for application, used as facial oil.

Examples:

1. Constipation: fresh malabar-nightshade leaves cooked as subsidiary food.

2. Traumatic hemorrhage: pestle fresh leaves of malabar-nightshade and crystal sugar and apply externally to affected lesions.

3. Pyretic stagnation in chest and diaphragm: fresh malabar-nightshade 60g each time, decoct thick soup, add liquor, warm up and drink.

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