Water Leaf
Flowering Water Leaf Plant [Philippine / Ceylon / Florida spinach, Surinam purslane, Fameflower, Cariru, Lagos bologi, Sweetheart, T. Talinum fruticosum syn Talinum triangulare]

Probably originating in the tropical Americas, this plant is grown as a crop in West Africa, South and Southeast Asia and in subtropical parts of North and South America. It is an important leaf vegetables in Nigeria and is also grown along the Amazon River in Brazil. Having a fairly high oxalic acid content it is similar in usage to spinach. As with other purslanes, the leaves are somewhat fleshy and mucilaginous.   Photo by Manojk distributed under license Creative Commons .

More on Purslane and Carnations.



Buying:   Since water leaf isn't much available in North America, use one of the substitutes. Purslane is available in any market serving a Mexican community. Malabar Spinach is available in most Asian markets. Lambs Letuce / Corn Salad is not at all common in North America (it is slow growing).

Subst:   Malabar Spinach (related), Common Purslane (closely related), Lamb's Lettuce (not closely related).

Cooking:   Be cautious with cooking time for Water Leaf and its substitutes, as they all tend to get slimy with long cooking.

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