Mesona chinensis

Ellen starts with ...
Does anyone know if this plants or seeds of Mesona chinensis are available in Australia ?

Ellen says...
I just got some of "the other kind" = the one with the finished product color green one in Vietnamese it is called Suong Sam, given by a friend in the U.S

But I am now looking for this one, didn't know it is so hard to find it here considering this part of the land is so vast, such a dissapointment .

I guess I just have to continue using the powdery form, exported from China :-(

Ellen says...
Hi Nguyet

Yes, a friend gave me some SS seeds, I was able to germinate them . They are still too young only 2cm tall.

JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE says...
Hi Ellen,

Thanks for the pictures and the recipes. I used to buy the ready made from the market stalls.

I will see if I can find them this time. If you have spare seeds of your SS in the future, can I have some?. Not in the hurry I can wait whatever it takes.

JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE says...
Hi Ellen,

Thank you so much for that. I am very much appreciated. I am so excited because I have not had it for 27 years. I saw what the leaves look like from your picture but have never seen in real life.

Are you interested in dua hoang kim? I have got some seeds available. Very easy to grow too.

Ellen says...
Here is a picture of what it looks like, Nguyet

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

Ellen says...
oh WOW, I would love some Nguyet

do you still have my address ?

Ellen says...
it would be superb if I may have all 3 Nguyet

Speedy says...
Hey Ellen,
re. Tiliacora triandra (Bai Yanang)
If you are able to get more seed , or are successful with cuttings I would really like some too if you could.

It's another plant I've been searching for.

For me, I of know of the Thai ways of using it and would like to grow it to have fresh.
It's used to cook Nor Mai Ruak , shoots of a bamboo (Thyrsostachys siamensis) from Nth Thailand.

Also used when cooking Khi-leck , leaves of Cassia siamea.

I can pay or swap for them if you like.

Ellen says...
Hi Nguyet

I just came home, & saw the package in front of my house . Thank You

gosh I am sorry been on the move these past 2 days, haven't got time to the PO yet, but definitely by Monday you should receive the seeds for the other one from me .

About La Gai, do I just soak it in a glass of water until it rooting, then planting ?



Speedy

my plants is only 2cm tall, have to wait a while for cuttings or seeds .

speedy says...
That's OK Ellen,
No rush
You look after them, get them established.

Good to know they're in the country.
Just when you've got them growing well and propagate some ,

let me know if you want to sell or trade.
I'm sure I could find something in my collection you'd like as a swap.

Speedy says...
Here's a like to see the book.
I got is about 10yrs ago in Indo, now aparently out of print.

http://www.bukabuku.com/browse/bookdetail/17344/aneka-tanaman-bahan-camcau.html

Speedy says...
Stephania and Cyclera are both vines and the Premna is obviously a shrub.
The 2 species, M.chinensis and M.palustris (may be synonyms) , mint like herbs.
those and the Yanang vine plus Melastoma polyanthum ( I'll have to investigate this one a bit more, it occurs naturally in Aust), make up seven possible species.
If I had a chance to have any or all, I would, as some of them possibly have different medicinal or other nutritional benefits.
For example the Cyclea barbata roots contain an alkaloid Curine similar in action to tubocurarine a strong muscle relaxant used in "Arrow poisons" of Amazonia , but sourced from another species of vine from the same family.
Curare was one of the first anaesthetics and still has uses in medicine today.
Cyclea peltata , a close relative is used in Ayurvedic medicine for treatment of kydney stones.
So look for all of them and get what you can.
That's my approach to it.

I could get the book photocopied.
It has 62pp.but only need 25 pages for the most important stuff.
If you have a friend who reads Bahasa Indonesia, they could translate recipes I guess.
I saw the book along with heaps of other handy books while in Indo once and bought them ,
thinking I can get translated later if i need the details and that I might not get the chance to see those books again.

Reville says...
wow
what a great thread!

if its in any way possible
may i jump on the bandwagon too

like speedy im also willing to pay for plants and or postage

i collect and use unusual tropical vegetables, so maybe we can trade

my most recent find is Okinawan spinach
(Gynura crepioides)

also have plants like the vegetable fern, Talinum triangulare,bai khaprao
etc etc

please try me if you have any unusual asian veggies or herbs to trade at reville1@gmail.com

Ellen says...
Hi Nguyet


The cuttings of la' gai you gave me, after I received it, I put it in a cup with rooting hormone liquid, but the next day the tip of branch went dried-black, my husband thought it was the kids play thing with the plant, so he chucked it out in the rubbish. Well no Christmas present for him this year, hehehe the bugger.

As for the la' ca^~m, I am confident it will take off after recovering from the shock, just a matter of time, but thanks goodness what you gave me has roots, otherwise it might have ended up like those la'gai too.

Ellen says...
GOOD NEWS Nguyet oi


My good friend from the state just gave me some more seeds of X.Xam

Would you like me to send you the seeds or the plant cuttings .?

The seeds I can send right away, as for the x.xAM cuttingS, that won't happen until after Jan as the plants are still too small.

I was amazed at how well the X.Xam young plant could handle the summer heat. Last week we had 37 degree C, even the young shoots from my a.muricata wilted but not the baby X.Xam, and it was sitting in my poly house.



Reville

what is bai khaprao ?

Speedy says...
Bai khaprao is 'sacred basil', it's a hairy leafed one.

Bai Horapa is purple stemmed , Anisey scented one. I think hung'que is this one?
Basils are a bit confusing, many years ago I thought I had them all sorted.

Ellen, If you'd like to swap some suong sam seeds,
I have some fesh Cha-om (Acacia pennata var. insuavis) seedlings I've just germinated.
I picked the seeds myself about a month ago.

Jujubes fsim, there is one set aside for you too, email me.

Speedy says...
Hi Ellen,
I dont have any photos thatI've taken,
but here are some from the net.
Cha-om is used in Thailand, Myanmar and I think Laos and Cambodia.
Often, but not always, cooked with eggs.

http://www.simply-thai.com/Thai-Market_Thai_Vegetables_Cha-Om.htm

http://www.joysthaifood.com/2007/02/thai-food-soup-gang-som-cha-om-kai/

http://vegetableinthailand.igetweb.com/index.php?mo=3&art=133404

I also have Rau Manh Bat (Coccinia grandis) if your interested.
Known in Thailand as Tamleug.
Fruits edible (ike little cucumbers) and so are the young shoots.
in India they're known as Tindora or Tindola and used in Sabzi or Sabji and vegetable curries.

If you want one I'll start some cuttings.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coccinia_grandis

http://www.tropicalfruitandveg.co.uk/images/tindora.jpg

http://www.tropicalfruitandveg.co.uk/images/tindoraflr2.jpg

Ellen says...
Nguyet oi

So sorry, went to the PO yesterday but forgotten the seeds. (That what happen when one have too many things on the DO LIST, and not enough TIME on hand). So I did picked up a couple of those priority envelopes mail, as the PO man told me those are for the next day delivery service, So I'll drop it off 1st thing Monday morning, by Tuesday you should receive it.
If you're going to plant it right away . The Talinum seeds can goes straight into the ground where ever you want it to grow .
But as for the X.Xam , you must soak the seeds in luke warm water 24 hrs before planting them in little pot. Just lightly covered it with soil, and make sure the condition on the pot always moist never dry out, it will spring up in 10 weeks . If you don't soak it in water when you plant it out it will take 13 weeks or longer.

Ellen says...
Nguyet oi

BTW, have you ever try Lemon Basil - húng xã ?

it would go great with quite a few dishes such as :
bún bò Huế
bún thịt nướng
Bún Riêu
Bún Ốc

It look exactly like Rau Quế but the stem is not purple looking colored. The scent is rất thơm hương Quế and Lemon Grass

The Laos, and Cambodians loves them, only a few Viets like them or known about them.
If you would like to try, I'll send them in the lot .

Ellen says...
No Nguyet oi it is not the same as Kinh Gioi, but better than Kinh Gioi, as Kinh Gioi is classified as one of the rau with nhiet property.

OK I'll send it too. I don't have the tan giay la for canh chua yet. Is it easy to grow?


Yesteday I've went to the market nho X.Xam qua bought one in a can, I've put it in the fridge.

This morning I've opened it, kakakkakakak it is not X.Xam as it had been labelled, it is green jelly I think they have been prepared from agar source. I wished all this manufacturer would get sue one day for false advertising.

JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE says...
Ellen Oi,

Many thanks for the instruction of the ss, I will follow your advice when growing them. I am so excited. Sorry that you had to go backward and forward to get bags to send me. Many thanks for taking time sending those seeds to me. I am very grateful for that.

BTW,tan^ da^y la is hung' chanh plectranthus amboinicus Spreng.

JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE says...
Ellen oi,

Thank for the picture. I have only noticed the hung que an pho and never know that there are some good herbs out there that I have missed out on.

I used to have rau rut' nau canh bun but too cold and they did not make it.

Do you know that Cu au exists in Australia but they are declared weeds?

JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE says...
Ellen oi,


Cu au is a water plant called Water Caltrop and in NSW it is a weed. I have never seen sold in shop but a couple of website said so.


http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/pests-weeds/weeds/profiles/water-caltrop



rau rut, Rat thom when add to canh bun or canh chua.

http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/cps/rde/dpi/hs.xsl/4790_8945_ENA_HTML.htm


Pic 1 tia to xanh
Pic 2 la gai (bare now because I removed most of the stems for propagation)
pic 3 ta^n day la'


Tia to xanh looks exactly the same in the photo but green another name is shiso, it is a Japanese variety. I have plenty of seeds. Leaves are much bigger.

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1	Picture: 2	Picture: 3

Speedy says...
Rau rut known as 'Pak kachet' in Thailand.
Last time I ate that was in Thailand in 1990.
I haven't seen it in Aust. But if I did find it I'd start eating it for sure!

I grew Que Xa many years ago I got some seed
from Thailand where it is known as 'Bai maenglak'.
Beautiful lemon scent.

Stromung says...
Hi Speedy,

Can you please forward /copy me the book? I can translate it for you in return.

Speedy says...
Ellen , no not yet but I expect it tomorrow morning , 8:00am.
I'll email you if it's here or not.

Stromung, I'll copy it for you but it might take a bit to get it organised.

photocopy and post or pdf and email,
I'll just have to work out what would be best

Ellen says...
Speedy

holy smokes, hahahaha. It's about time, a bit over due on arrival, but as you'd said you're not in the mainstream location, perhaps that is where the held up was.

Cheers