Water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) has been considered
native to Africa, Asia, and the southwestern Pacific
Islands. The herbs have been a medicinal vegetable in
southern Asia since at least A.D. 300, and perhaps since
200 B.C. People still gather plants from the wild and cultivate
them. With European arrival in these regions in the
late 1400s, they became aware of this medicinal food and
began carrying water spinach around the world. As with
other transported plants, Europeans took along some
common names and cultural uses. With the later migration
of people from Asian countries to other parts of the world,
the food was imported into new areas. Doubt persists as
to where the species was domesticated. Data from uses
as food, regions of cultivation, medicinal use, phylogenetic
studies, common names, and pathogens suggest that
water spinach was first cultivated in southeastern Asia.
The plants may have been domesticated in China and India,
but the data are equivocal. The vegetable sometimes
escapes from cultivation to become an ecologically invasive
weed
Water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) has been considerednative to Africa, Asia, and the southwestern PacificIslands. The herbs have been a medicinal vegetable insouthern Asia since at least A.D. 300, and perhaps since200 B.C. People still gather plants from the wild and cultivatethem. With European arrival in these regions in thelate 1400s, they became aware of this medicinal food andbegan carrying water spinach around the world. As withother transported plants, Europeans took along somecommon names and cultural uses. With the later migrationof people from Asian countries to other parts of the world,the food was imported into new areas. Doubt persists asto where the species was domesticated. Data from usesas food, regions of cultivation, medicinal use, phylogeneticstudies, common names, and pathogens suggest thatwater spinach was first cultivated in southeastern Asia.The plants may have been domesticated in China and India,but the data are equivocal. The vegetable sometimesescapes from cultivation to become an ecologically invasiveweed
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