Wild sweet potatoes are a type of food that can be used as both medicine and food. As a traditional Chinese medicine, it has the effects of dispelling wind, clearing heat, promoting blood circulation, and relieving pain. So what are the benefits of eating wild sweet potatoes? Today, let me teach you how to identify wild sweet potatoes!
Image of wild sweet potatoes
【What are the benefits of eating wild sweet potatoes?】
Wild sweet potatoes are harvested when the fruits are ripe (from June to October), and even if they are more than 20 meters away from the wild sweet potatoes, you can still smell the strong fragrance, which is refreshing and pleasant, so they are also known as "fragrance all over the ground".
Wild sweet potatoes have the characteristics of cold resistance, drought resistance, shade tolerance, poor soil tolerance, and water tolerance. Even if they are planted in sandy or rocky crevices where no grass grows, they can still grow vigorously and lushly.
The fruits of wild sweet potatoes are spherical, with a diameter of 1.5-2.5 centimeters. The young fruits are green, and when they mature, they turn pale red and emit a sweet and fragrant aroma.
They are highly nutritious, with complete nutritional components and rich in trace elements. At the same time, they contain dietary fiber that is essential for human health. Dietary fiber can promote bowel movement and help improve symptoms of indigestion and chronic constipation.
The way to eat wild sweet potatoes is actually the same as most fruits. You can peel them and eat them directly, or cut them open with a knife and use a small spoon to scoop out the flesh inside.
In addition, when we are injured and bleeding outdoors, we can also use mashed wild sweet potatoes to stop bleeding. This is especially suitable for the elderly, pregnant women, and people who are bedridden for a long time.
【How to identify wild sweet potatoes】
The sweet potato is a perennial deciduous vine with milky latex throughout. It has aerial roots that cling to trees or rocks. The stems are cylindrical or slightly flattened, brown, with many branches, and the nodes are slightly swollen.
The leaves are alternate; the leaf stalks are 1-2 centimeters long; there are 2 stipules, conical, with pointed tips and entire margins; the leaf blades are ovate, ovate-elliptic, or elliptic, about 3-6 centimeters long and 2-4 centimeters wide; the tips are blunt or pointed, with wavy serrations on the edges, and the base is round or heart-shaped. The upper side is green and has stiff hairs, while the lower side is lighter and the veins have hairs.
The flowers of wild sweet potatoes are unisexual and mostly borne within the fleshy floral bracts. The floral bracts are flattened and spherical, reddish-brown, and grow on prostrate branches, partially buried in the soil. The fruits are small. The flowering period is from April to May.
