Acmella oleracea
species of plant
Acmella oleracea is a species of flowering herb in the family Asteraceae. Common names include toothache plant, Szechuan buttons, paracress, jambu, buzz buttons, tingflowers and electric daisy. Its native distribution is unclear, but it is likely derived from a Brazilian Acmella species. A small, erect plant, it grows quickly and bears gold and red inflorescences. It is frost-sensitive but perennial in warmer climates.
Its specific epithet oleracea means "vegetable/herbal" in Latin and is a form of holeraceus (oleraceus).
Culinary uses
For culinary purposes, small amounts of shredded fresh leaves are said to add a unique flavour to salads. Cooked leaves lose their strong flavor and may be used as leafy greens; additionally, they are edible in their raw form, along with the fruit. Young branches can be cooked and eaten without concern. In Madagascar, the plant is known as anamalaho (brède mafane in Réunion Creole), and is a main ingredient in the national dish of the island, called romazava.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Acmella oleracea” as species of plant. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
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This entry incorporates text from “Acmella oleracea” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.