Subject: more tropical plants

From: "Rene and Lorraine van Raders" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1998 21:21:31 -0800

Averrhoaceae
Averrhoa bilimbi (bilimbi)...died (for pickles)...will try again one day.
Averrhoa carambola (starfruit)... great tree, great fruit.. easy to grow
(fruit fly damages fruit, but there's so much to share), would make a good
pig fodder tree... large trees produce huge crops.

Balsaminaceae
I've got plenty of Impatiens... some are edible, but which ones?

Bambusaceae
Most are edible with enough preparation ... a friend grows Nastus elatus
from New Guinea which is edible raw (tropical clumping bamboo).
We have about 6 varieties of bamboo.. mostly for bush carpentry  - trellis,
shadehouses etc.. most are still young.

Basellaceae

Basella alba (ceylon spinach), red and green stemmed varieties... wonderful
summer climbing leaf vegetable (raw or cooked).  Can propogate from seed or
cuttings... loves heat and rain.
I think I also have Anredera cordifolia (madeira vine) an edible weed much
like ceylon spinach but with a smaller edible leaf and small edible tubers.

Bignoniaceae

Spathodea campanulata (African tulip tree).. common ornamental tree (can be
a weed in rainforest in more coastal areas).  Flower buds contain a sweet
water liquid (good for drinking or using as water pistols).  Winged seeds
are said to be edible.

Bixaceae

Bixa orellana (lipstick plant)... common ornamental shrub... use for
lipstick or face painting but also colouring food.

Cheers Rene... at last past the A's