DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY
MEDICINAL PLANTS
Coleus rotundifolius (Poir.) A.Chev. & Perrot
Common Name: Chinese potato
Family –Lamiaceae
Genus: Coleus
Species: rotundifolius
Malayalam Name: Koorka
Tamil Name: Siru Kizhangu
Synonyms: Plectranthus rotundifolius, Solenostemon rotundifolius
Plant Description:
A perennial plant Cultivated for its edible tubers. It is semi-succulent, aromatic herb of up to 1 m tall that is cultivated as an annual for its tubers which resemble those of potato in appearance. It looks like Coleus ambonicus
Uses:
Food: The tubers can be eaten as an edible potato, and are often baked or fried. They can also be added to soups and stews, or cooked with other vegetables and spices. In southern Asia, they are sometimes steamed with rice and coconut milk or palm sugar.
Medicine: The leaves are used in traditional medicine to treat dysentery, blood in the urine, and eye disorders. The plant may also have anti-cancer properties.
Livestock bedding: The stems of the plant can be used as bedding material for livestock.
Landscaping: The plant can be used in thematic landscaping or in an economic garden.
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