Local Ginseng (Talinum Patens)

I would like to thank Khadijah and Yeong for providing me the fact sheet that enabled me to write this post.

Botanical Name: Talinum Patens
Synonym: Talinum paniculatum/Portulaca Patens L
Common Name
English: Jewels of Opar, Panicled Fameflower
Chinese: Tu Ren Shen
Malay/Indonesian: Ginseng Halus/ Som Jawa
Thai: Som Kon

Habitat: Found in South America to Continental America, widely naturalized in China and Indo-China.

Parts Used: Roots, leaves and stems.

Medicine Usage
Encyclopedia of Herbs by The Royal Horticultural Society

• Root is used in folk medicine in parts of SE Asia as a subsititute for ginseng
• Culinary usage - young leaves and stems are eaten fresh in salads, added to soups, or cooked briefly as vegetable.

Chinese Medicinal Herbs of Hong Kong - Vol 1, pg 30/31

• Preparation - Roots washed, steamed and then dried
• Characteristic - Sweet, calming, strengthens the lungs
• Indications
• Deliberation, weakness, excess sweating
• Cough
• Diarrhea inadequate lactation
• Enuresis (bed wetting), irregular menses
• Dosage - boil 30 - 60gms

Long Life Magazine Special Edition No. 2

• Plant can be used as a vegetable and for soup. It helps to boost energy and clear the lungs
• The roots can boost energy after sickness, coughs, regulate menses and urine flow (Boil roots with red dates, Tong Sam and Pak kei)
• Leaves can be used to reduce swelling (Must remove skin of roots before use)

Malaysian Herbs by Goh Kong Ling, Vol 1 pg 157

• As a tonic to strengthen the lungs, detox and used to reduce swelling
• For weakness, lethargy, incontinence, coughs, irregular mensuration and diarrhea - boil 60gms to drink
• For boils and skin disease - pound leaves into poultice and apply

CyberMed - CBN

• Roots - Sweet/neutral, strengthens lungs, tonic, aphrodisiac
• Leaves - Stomatic-improves appetite, contains saponin, flavonoids, tanin
• Roots used for weak body system, excessive sweating, dizziness, low libido, coughs, lung TB, weak lungs, diarrhea, enuresis, irregular periods, low breast milk production
• Leaves used for - breast milk production, boils and poor appetite
• Usage - Roots, dry 30-60gms, boil and drink
• For Low Libido - Slice 50gms very thinly - steep 3/4 mug of hot water and drink it warm
• Poor Appetite - Stir fry fresh leaves and eat as a vegetable
• Boils - Grind with brown sugar - paste on boils
NB: Fresh roots for medicinal or storage (drying) purposes must be steamed before hand. Using fresh roots may cause diarrhea.

This plant is very easy to grow and can be found in the wild and even on road sides.

I have some of the documentation in Mandarin and Malay/Indonesian. For those of you who would like to read in Mandarin or Malay/Indonesian, please email me.