Limnocharis flava facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Limnocharis flava |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Limnocharis
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flava
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Limnocharis flava, also known as yellow velvetleaf or sawah lettuce, is a type of water plant that has pretty yellow flowers. It originally comes from places like Mexico, Central America, and South America. But now, you can find it growing in many parts of Asia, including India, Thailand, and Indonesia.
What is Yellow Velvetleaf?
This plant usually grows in groups and can reach about 50 centimeters (20 inches) tall. It has leaves shaped like triangles and hollow stems. The plant feels smooth, without any hairs. Its bright yellow flowers are special, with three lobes, and are about 1.5 centimeters (0.6 inches) wide. After the flowers, the plant produces round fruits. Even though the plant itself doesn't float, its seeds can travel far by floating on water currents.
Where Does it Grow?
Yellow velvetleaf loves to grow in shallow, still fresh water, like in swampy areas. Sometimes, it can grow in rice fields and become a weed, which means it grows where farmers don't want it. In some parts of the world, it has become an invasive species, meaning it spreads quickly and can take over natural areas.
Yellow Velvetleaf as Food
In many parts of Asia, like Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand, this plant is an important vegetable. People use the main flower stalk and the leaves in different dishes. You can find it in soups, curries, salads, and stir-fries. Even the young flower buds are eaten!
In some places, like Isan in Thailand, people eat the leaves raw with a spicy dip called nam phrik. Because it doesn't have a strong taste, some people used to call it "poor people's food" or "emergency food." This idea was even put into a famous song called Genjer-genjer in the 1940s, written in the Banyuwangi language in Java.
Images for kids
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Yellow velvetleaf plant with flowers.
