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!