WATERLEAF

CAUTION:  This plant is high in Oxalic Acid (1-2%).  Eat sparingly or better yet, cook it first. "Consumption should be avoided or limited by those suffering from kidney disorders, gout, and rheumatoid arthritis." [2]  

EDIBLE LEAVES:  Widely grown as an edible leaf vegetable in tropical regions.  This South American native is grown & consumed along the banks of the Amazon River in Brazil, where it "is consumed mainly in the states of Pará and Amazonas.".  "The plant is often harvested from the wild for local use as a food." [5] May replace spinach in dip recipes.  Chopped into salads.  A slightly sour/bitter taste that is removed when cooked.  IN AFRICA: A widely grown potherb in western Africa. "Along with Celosia species, T. fruticosum is one of the most import leaf vegetables of Nigeria." IN ASIA: It is also cultivated in "south Asian and southeast Asia."
—NUTRITIONAL VALUE:  Rich in Vitamins A & C, iron and calcium. [2]
MEDICINAL ROOT: "A tonic is made from the fleshy root." [9] 

—NATIVE TO:  Mexico, Caribbean, Central & South America.  It grows wild in at least five scattered counties of central & southern Florida. 
—DESCRIPTION:  An herbaceous, short-lived, fleshy perennial, 12-39 inches tall, erect.  A Purslane relative.  

- STEMS: "Strongly branched." [3] Stems break easily. Succulent.
- LEAVES: Elliptic or obovate, succulent. 2 to almost 6" long. [8]
- FLOWERS: Five-petaled, pink, showy. The flowers are sometimes yellow in Hawaii. [8]
- ROOTS: Swollen, fleshy.
- FRUITS: Tiny seeds within a "pale yellow capsule." [8]
CULTURE: 
- LIGHT: Sun to shade.  Does best in half shade. 
- SOIL: It prefers moist soil. 
- PROPAGATION: Propagates easily by rooted stem cuttings placed in potting soil in the shade or by seeds.