Summary: Basella alba (Vinespinach) is a plant in the Basellaceae family. Verdica documents 13 traditional uses, 35 phytochemical compounds, and 22 herb-drug interactions for this species.
Malabar Spinach or Indian Spinach, Basella alba, is an annual or perennial climbing herb with red or green vines and leaves. The leaves are thick, fleshy, pointed at the tip, and arranged alternately along the vine. Flowers are white, pink, or red in short spikes and are located in the leaf axils. The fruits are round and soft, and can be red, white, or black in colour. The seeds are round and black. The roots are cooked and used against diarrhoea. Paste of the root is used as a rubefacient while paste of leaves is used externally as treatment for boils and sores. The leaves and stems are cooked as well and eaten for their laxative properties. Leaf juice is used to treat catarrh in Nepal. It is also a demulcent, diuretic, and febrifuge. The flowers are used as an antidote to poisons. The whole plant is a febrifuge and its juice is reportedly safe for pregnant women. In fact, during labour, decoction of the plant can be used to ease pain and discomfort. The red juice of the fruit is used as eye drops against conjunctivitis. Not only does the Indian spinach exhibit various medicinal properties, it also provides food through its edible plant parts. It is considered as a leaf vegetable. The leaves and stem tips are edible either raw or cooked. Infusion of the leaves is a tea substitute. Fruit sap is used as a food colouring in pastries and sweets.
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Watering | Moderate — keep soil moist |
| Soil | Well-drained, sandy, loamy |
| Hardiness Zone | USDA 9-11 |
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