Nutritional Freshwater Life
62
Jussiaea repens (Linnaeus)
Order: Myrtales
Family: Onagraceae
Common name: Primrose willow.
Distribution: Native to United States,
Philippines, Kenya, Australia (http://
www.missouriplants.com/Yellowalt/
Jussiaea_repens_page.html).
Habitat: Wetlands, shallow still water,
muddy soil, pond margins.
Description: Stem of this species is
erect to repent. It may be on land or
floating, herbaceous, glabrous, or
sparsely pubescent, often reddish,
from fibrous roots, to about 50 cm
long. Leaves are alternate, petiolate,
glabrous, oblong to elliptic, tapering to
base, acute at apex, entire, to 12 cm long
and 2 cm broad. Inflorescence is single
axillary flowers on long peduncles.
Floral tube measures 1.2 cm in flower,
five-angled. Petals are five in number,
free, yellow, 1.7 cm long and 1.2 cm
broad, and glabrous. Shoot of this plant
is edible (http://www.missouriplants.
com/Yellowalt/Jussiaea_repens_page.
html).
Nutritional Facts
Proximate Composition of Shoot (% DM)
Fat
CHO a
Protein
1.0
11.3
13.5
a Carbohydrate.
Minerals (% or mg/100 g DM)
P
(%)
N2
(%)
K
(%)
Na
(%)
Fe
(%)
Mg
(mg)
Cu
(mg)
Zn
(mg)
0.96 2.16 0.26 0.02 0.90 2.77 0.16 1.13
Source: Data from Jain et al. (2011).