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Basella alba

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-CoreEudicot Order: Caryophyllales Family: Basellaceae Genus: Basella

‘inika, ceylon spinach, malabar nightshade, malabar spinach

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Tangled twiner, glabrous.

Stems: Stems to 0.9 meters long, green or reddish.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades ovate. Apex obtuse to acute. Base cordate or truncate. Surfaces glabrous. Margins undulate. Veins pinnate. Petioles 2.5–6.3 cm long. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescence of usually long–stalked spikes. bracts 2, fused into 2-lipped cup joined to calyx. Flowers bisexual (perfect), sessile, fleshy that scarcely open at anthesis. Calyx ± urn-shaped, base sac-shaped, lobes short, erect. In fruit, calyx fleshy red, whitish, or black. Corolla white, pink, or purplish, ca. 0.5 cm long, fleshy, not opening. Stamens 5, opposite the petals; anthers dithecal. Staminal filaments erect in bud, attached near apex of calyx tube. Ovary superior, 1-celled, 3-carpellate; ovule 1, basal, ovoid; stigmas linear.

Fruit: Fruit flattened–globose; ca. 0.5 cm diameter. Seeds 1 per fruit; globose; true endosperm absent.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Warm regions.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

PROPAGATION/CULTIVATION

  • Basella alba is abundantly cultivated in Hawai‘i. The leaves and young shoots are eaten steamed, boiled, stir-fried as a potherb, or raw as a salad green, a substitute for spinach, especially during hot weather, when spinach grows poorly here.

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) Only found in cultivation
Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Birds

Vegetative Reproduction

Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 272 (1753)

Other References

Nagata 1988:80/Wagner et al. 1990:381 (O? [cult., periodically escaping]); Nagata 1995:11 (NEWNAT/O); Staples & Herbst 2005:173 (DESCR); Wagner et al. 2012:17 (Mi [observed but uncollected, likely cult. as unobserved in subsequent surveys]); Imada & Kennedy 2020:72 (K, H)

Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. p.173-174

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Basella alba Honolulu, Kaimuki Preserved_Specimen Yamaguchi, R. Oahu BISH 1936-11-27
2 Basella alba Koolauloa DISTR: Near Kahuku. Hills above Punamano Rare, in dense Leucaena thickets. Preserved_Specimen Nagata, K.M. 3948 Oahu BISH 1988-12-27
3 Basella alba unknown Preserved_Specimen Mann, H. BISH 1864-01-01
4 Basella alba Waimanalo, Koolaupoko Locally common along Mahaiula St. Climbing over Leucaena. Preserved_Specimen Flowers white with pink apex. Stems green. Nagata, K.M. 3600 Oahu BISH 1987-02-15
5 Basella alba North shore of Hanamaulu Bay On banks above high water line. Well naturalized. Preserved_Specimen Thick ground cover. Stems mostly brown-purple to purple. Leaves dark green to markedly chlorotic, flossy, especially below, succulent and leathery. Flowers white basally, becoming bright magenta at tip; fruits glossy pale green [SEE COMMENT] Hume, L. 515 Kauai BISH 1991-05-22
6 Basella alba Diamond Head Community Gardens located on the western slope of Diamond Head Trained on a trellis. Preserved_Specimen c. 5 ft. high. Mayeda, C.S. Oahu BISH 1990-11-25
7 Basella alba Puhi Camp, west of Kauai Community College Growing with Momordica on fence. Preserved_Specimen Vine; leaf shiny above and below though somewhat duller above. Sepals green. Buds white becoming pink at tip, shiny. Immature fruit shiny green, becoming shiny purplish-black at maturity. Flynn, T.W. 1649 Kauai BISH 1986-04-04
8 Basella alba Diamond Head Community Gardens located on the western slope of Diamond Head Trained on a trellis. Preserved_Specimen c. 4-5 ft. high. Mayeda, C.S. Oahu BISH 1990-11-25
9 Basella alba Honolulu; Just above corner of Nehoa St. and Pensacola Ave Abundant in thicket in vacant lot. Preserved_Specimen Clambering, tangle twiner enveloping bushes; staminate only seen. Fosberg, F.R. 42016 Oahu BISH 1961-09-02
10 Basella alba Upolu Point Population of approximately 25 on strand. Preserved_Specimen Vine twining. Caraway, V. 152 Hawaii BISH 1997-10-01
11 Basella alba Aiea, 98-851 Iliee St., residence of William and Peggy Jones Leaning on a trellis in full sun. Preserved_Specimen A scandent herb 0.9 m long, fruit initially white tipped w/reddish purple, aging to apple green. Lau, J. 2052 Oahu BISH 1986-02-24
12 Basella alba Kawaihau District. Kapaa, Goo farm on Hwy 581 (Olohana Road) Preserved_Specimen Twining perennial herb, flowers pinkish, ripe fruits dark purple. Lorence, D.H. 5257 Kauai BISH 1987-05-24
13 Basella alba Koloa District. National Tropical Botanical Garden in Lawai Valley, McBryde Gardern, Food for Thought area, west side of Lawai Stream. Preserved_Specimen Herbaceous vine, stems twining and trailing, purple; leaves dark shiny green, fleshy, midrib and veins purple below. Inflorescence rachis fleshy, purple; flower buds white, purple-tipped. Fruits green w purple tips, ripening purple black. Lorence, D.H. 10719 Kauai BISH 2017-10-31
14 Basella alba Honolulu, 42 Coelho Way Preserved_Specimen Vine with stems, peduncles, petioles red-purple; flowers white with pink tip; fruit black, 1/4+ inches in diameter. Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1945-04-15
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