Chocolate weed

Melochia corchorifolia Waltheria indicaL.

बिलपत

Native

Commonly known as Sleepy Morning.

An upright, branching herb up to about 2 metres tall, with serrated leaves and clusters of small white to pink flowers with yellow centres. It likes its feet wet, favouring moist clay soil, pond and river margins, and open, disturbed ground.

The plant

Habit Herb, Flowers

Origin Native

Flowering Summer

Edible Yes

Growing it

Sun Full sun to part shade

Soil Clay

Life it supports

A nectar plant for native butterfly populations.

The story

No cultural-significance data recorded for this species yet.

What it is used for

Young leaves are eaten as a leafy vegetable in parts of India and Southeast Asia, documented among tribal communities in eastern India and known locally as Punnakku chedi in Tamil Nadu, where boiled leaves are a common food.
Leaves and roots also treat urinary problems, abdominal swelling, dysentery, snakebites, and sores.
An aqueous leaf solution has insecticidal properties: pulses stored in treated gunny bags show fewer eggs laid by storage pests.

These uses are documented for information only and are not medical advice. Always verify the species and the plant part before use.

Where it is found

Documented across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu, as well as tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia, and Australia (introduced in tropical America).

Sources

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