User:ImaniH003/Persicaria odorata

Persicaria Odorata
The Persicaria odorata known as the Vietnamese Coriander, Vietnamese Cilantro and the Asian Mint, is a plant from the southeast Asian region. The plant has many other names such as Laksa plant, Rau ram ,Polygonum Odoratum and Daun Kesum locally. This herb has many different uses including southeast asian cooking for their added flavor to soups, salads etc. It adds a pungent, spicy flavor and taste like hot peppers. In Vietnam traditional dishes such as pho, the vitnames coriander is essential for taste.

Description and Habitat
The Vietnamese coriander is a herbaceous perennial plant that typically blooms from the late summer months of August to September and it can be harvested in May to October. It can grow from 6-18 inches tall. The plant best grows in tropical areas with warm and damp conditions. It has reddish-green leaves with the top of the lease being dark green and the bottom half of the leave being a reddish color. The Vietnamese coriander can be grown at home in controlled conditions which is the typical way to cultivate this plant during the colder months. The Vietnamese coriander requires moist soil with warm temperature areas but can tolerate slight colder temperatures.

Taxonomy
The Vietnamese coriander is a eukaryote in the kingdom of Plantae and family of Polygonaceae. The polygonaceae family is known as "pink weeds" or "buckwheat" family. It is of the Caryophyllales order and is of genus Persicaria and species P. odorata. It binomial name is Persicaria odorata. The Vietnamese coriander was named by Lour Soják in the year 1974.

Uses
The Vietnamese coriander is used as a herb for taste in foods like pho and other soups in the southeast asian region. This herb is also used in places like Malaysia for similar reasons, as a garnish for various foods including a soup called laksa and asam pedas. The Vietnamese coriander has a common belief that it reduces sexual desire. It is believed by many including Buddhist, that grown this plant in their homes and they eat it as a part of their daily routine believing it helps assist with celibacy for their own religious practices. The Vietnamese coriander has other uses that are not as common such as a diuretic, antipyretic, ringworms as well as an antidote for poisonous snake bites. The plant can be harvested as early 2 months old and typically is harvested every 12-15 days in more tropical areas due to its more rapid growth.