Convolvulaceae (convolvulus, bindweed, or morning glory family) »
Ipomoea aquaticaSynonyms:
Convolvulus repens, Ipomoea repens, Ipomoea reptans
ip-oh-MEE-uh or
ip-oh-MAY-uh -- worm-like; referring to coiled flower bud
a-KWA-tee-kuh -- lives in water
commonly known as: aquatic convolvulus, Chinese spinach, creeping bindweed, swamp cabbage, swamp morning-glory, water convolvulus, water morning glory, water spinach • Assamese: কল্মৌ kalmou • Bengali: কলমি kalami • Gujarati: નળી ની ભાજી nali ni bhaji • Hindi: कलमी kalmi • Kannada: ನೀರು ಹಂಬು niru hambu • Konkani: takasi vel • Malayalam: ballel • Manipuri: কোলম্নী kolamni • Marathi: नाडी शाक naadi shaak, नळी ची भाजी nali chi bhaji • Oriya: kalama saga • Pali: कलम्बा kalamba • Prakrit: कलम्मिआ kalammia • Punjabi: ਨਾਲੀ ਬੇਲ nali bel • Sanskrit: कलम्ब kalamba, कलम्बी kalambi, कलम्बिका kalambika, नालीकः naalikah • Tamil: ஞாழி nali, நாளிகம் nalikam, வள்ளை vallai, வள்ளைக்கீரை vallai-k-kirai, வாரிபர்ணி variparni • Telugu: తీగబచ్చలి tigabaccali
Native of: China (
could actually be India, s-e Asia); widely naturalized and cultivated
Edible use (¿ WILD / CULTIVATED ?):
... leaf (as VEGETABLE)
... in South India, the leaves are finely chopped and mixed with grated coconut ... Wikipedia
... though no popular references, most of the regional names suggest it is used as leafy vegetable even in northern India