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Sunday, May 25, 2014

EDIBLE WEED : PART 7

ANDEM 


Andem (Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides) is popular 'green' for Sundanese (West Java).
In Indonesia this weed is called andem, tikim, antanan leutik, pegagan gunung or pegagan embun.


This plant is usually used in traditional dish 'asinan' ( cut-up mixture fruits and vegetables  in brine) .
Whole plant is usually eaten raw or steamed with hot-spicy-sour dressing.
The taste  and smell are similar to parsley, a little bit sour.
So fresh....


Andem sometimes called  marsh penny, or thick-leaved pennywort is a perenial, aquatic or semi-aquatic plant formerly classified in the family Apiaceae.

The leaf is simple, with small leafy outgrowth at the base, kidney shaped to round. 
Leaf edges are scalloped.
The prostrate plants reproduce by seed and by sending roots from stem nodes. 
The plant can regrow from very small root fragments


They have long creeping stems that often form dense mats, often in and near ponds, lakes, rivers, and marshes.
They grow rapidly, so invasive.
It is an insignificant weed in agriculture, but can be a nuisance in ornamental lawn. 
It sometimes helpful in protecting topsoil against erosion.

Look my 'green mat'....


Here, this plant is usually  used as traditional medicinal herb.
Andem has medicinal applications  similar to pegagan (Centella asiatica) that I posted yesterday.
This plant in particular against skin diseases, lower high blood pressure, and as cough remedy.


In West Java, this plant is common sold in traditional markets, marketed locally although in small quantities.
This green is collected from nature, I have never heard that this plant was grown on the garden or farmland.

Thank you reader to follow me in this series.
I still have a lot of interesting weeds, that I will share to you all.
I will share about them on the next monthly series.
Thank you for visiting and commenting.
Enjoy your day, keep green and have a wonderful week!

14 comments:

  1. Very interesting plants.
    Thanks to you, I learned a lot.
    Greetings.
    Lucia

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Lucia.
      I'm glad you enjoy it.
      Have a nice week.

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  2. That is certainly a strong grower.

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  3. A nice carpet of the weed looks so good.

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  4. Salam Endah,

    Pegaga ni sedap di buat kerabu atau ulam :)

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  5. Tidak sangka pegaga kecil ini boleh dimakan dan mempunyai nilai perubatan yang tersendiri. Banyak tumbuh dalam pasu bunga saya. Selalunya saya buang kerana anggapnya sebagai weeds. Mmm..after this, not again. I will keep it as an edible plants.

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    Replies
    1. This plant is so beautiful, especially when it grows so dense on the pot under the main plant, covering the soil. I'm sure, you will...

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  6. Nice photographs and an interesting series too.

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  7. Endah, i have posted so many blogs but you never reply. How to kill Andem, picking out of lawn desecrates the lawn.
    Please advise

    Mike Clarke

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    Replies
    1. Oh, I'm so sorry about that. I have internet connection problem for last two months. It's not easy to upload a post, reply the comments and of course blog walking. Maybe you can try to showering the lawn with salty water, or pull out the plant carefully to avoid the stems are left, cause the stem will grow and then became new plants.

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