Herbs annual. Stems green or red, to 10 m, fleshy, glabrous. Petiole 1-3 cm; leaf blade ovate or rotund, 3-9 × 2-8 cm, base shallowly cordate or rotund, margin entire, apex acuminate. Spikes 3-15(-20) cm. Bracteoles oblong. Perianth red-dish or purplish, ovate-oblong, 3-4 mm, base pale, margin entire, apex blunt. Filaments white; anthers yellowish. Utricle red to dark red or black, 5-6 mm in diam., containing violet juice. Fl. May-Sep, fr. Jul-Oct.

Source: [
• 18
]. 

1. Basella alba

Por K. Sidwell.

Basella cordifolia Lam., B. lucida L., B. nigra Lour., B. ramosa Jacq., B. rubra L.

Hojas (13-)25-65(-80) × (10-)25-55(-68) mm, la base cortamente angostada a truncada o ligeramente cordata, la lámina cortamente decurrente en los pecíolos, el ápice redondeado-obtuso con una nervadura principal excurrente; pecíolo (2-)5-15(-18) mm, frecuentemente rojizo. Inflorescencias (11-)20-60(-115) mm, con flores frecuentemente agrupadas hacia el ápice; brácteas 1-2 × 0.7-1.2 mm, con la nervadura media oscura, excurrente en el ápice; bractéolas 1.4-1.6 × 0.9-1 mm, agudas. Sépalos 3-4 × 2-2.5 mm, anchamente ovado-elípticos, curvados alrededor de la corola, matizados de rosado hacia la punta; pétalos 1.9-2 mm, ovados, fusionados hacia la base, los márgenes disparejos; estambres erectos, los filamentos 1-1.2 mm, las anteras 0.8-0.9 mm; ovario 0.7-0.9 mm; estilos 0.5-0.8 mm. Fruto 3.5-5 mm de diámetro (4-7 mm de diámetro incluyendo al perianto), brillante, pardo. Vegetación secundaria, orillas de caminos, terrenos cultivados. B (Hedger 262, BM); H (Standley 52670, US); P (Burch et al. 1125, MO). 0-1500 m. (Estados Unidos, México, Mesoamérica, Colombia, Guyana, Perú, Brasil, Antillas, Europa, Asia, África.)

Basella alba es muy variable en cuanto a tamaño y forma de las hojas y con base en esto ha sido dividida en varias especies. Se piensa que esta especie se originó en el Viejo Mundo (van Steenis, 1957). Es un cultivo importante en los trópicos; se vende con el nombre de espinaca, como planta para ensaladas.

Source: [
• 19
]. 

Succulent glabrous herb becoming a slender, twining vine, the stems at first stout, to 2 cm thick, green, after several months of growth and attaining height of 15-45 cm, narrowing, sometimes abruptly and becoming slender, elongate and climbing. Leaves sessile or short petiolate, 4-7 cm long, entire, fleshy, ovate, often broadly so, the juvenile leaves often larger, apically rounded, obtuse or acute, basally cuneate, truncate, or cordate, the lateral venation somewhat obscure, ca. 5 veins on each side, minor venation obscure; petioles stout, to 8 cm long or wanting. Inflorescences axillary or subterminal spikes to 15 cm long, the rachis stout or slender depending on the maturity of the plant; flowers subsessile or pedicellate on juvenile forms, situated on the apical portion of the rachis; bract scalelike; bracteoles calyxlike, 1-2 mm long, acute. Flowers perfect, sepals white, pink, or red, 3-5 mm long, united to above the middle, urceolate to cylindrical, the 5 lobes broad, short, cucullate; stamens included, inserted at the base of the perianth lobes, the filaments short, the anthers cordate, included; ovary conical, l-locular, sometimes partitioned, the 3 styles slender, papillose pilose. Fruit a dark purple or black baccate drupe, the perianth parts enlarged, succulent and enveloping the globose seed and ovary.

Source: [
• 20
]. 

Perennial twining herb. Stem stout at the base, 1.5-2.0 cm in diameter, upper branches slender, fleshy and climbing. Leaves dark green, broadly ovate, 5-13 cm long and 2.5-8 cm broad, acute or acuminate, basally cordate, cuneate or truncate; petiole 0.5-3 cm long. Inflorescence an axillary or terminal spike, 8-14 cm long; rachis stout. Flowers white, pinkish or red, subsessile, remaining closed at anthesis. Sepals 3-5 mm long, united up to the middle, lobes short, 2-3 mm broad, cucullate. Bracts scaly, small; bracteoles similar to calyx, acute. Stamens included; filament short. Anther cordate. Ovary 1-locular. Fruit black or dark purple enclosed within the persistent fleshy calyx, c. 1.0 cm long. Seed globose, indehiscent.

Source: [
• 21
]. 

A climber, cultivated in vegetable gardens; sometimes subspontaneous.

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Leaves: lamina 2.5–15 × 2.0–12.5 cm., ovate to circular, usually acute or acuminate, sometimes rounded or emarginate at apex, usually cordate at base, entire, lateral nerves 3–4 (5) on either side; petioles 0.5–9 cm. long.

Source: [
• 16
]. 

Inflorescences axillary, long peduncled, usually unbranched spikes, 1.5–22 (30) cm. long.

Source: [
• 16
]. 

Plant 1–8 m. tall; stems much branched, sometimes sparsely leaved, sometimes reddish.

Source: [
• 16
]. 

Fruit 4–5 mm. diam., subglobose, black.

Source: [
• 16
]. 

Style with 3 linear stigmas, 0.5 mm. long.

Source: [
• 16
]. 

Ovary 0.5 mm. tall, ovoid.

Source: [
• 16
]. 

Stamens inserted near apex of tube.

Source: [
• 16
]. 

Perianth somewhat fleshy, urceolate, lobes c. one-quarter length of tube, remaining closed.

Source: [
• 16
]. 

Flowers 2.5–6 mm. long, white, pink or mauvish.

Source: [
• 16
]. 

Perianth fleshy, urceolate, somewhat saccate at the base; lobes short, ovate, about one-third the length of the tube, not opening.

Source: [
• 17
]. 

Fruits ± 0.5 cm. in diameter (4–7 × 5–10 mm. according to van Steenis), red, white or black; surface crinkly in the dry state.

Source: [
• 17
]. 

Fig. 1/1–10.

Source: [
• 17
]. 

Glabrous annual or shortly lived perennial, succulent tangled twiner; stems much branched, 2–10 m. long, sometimes almost leafless, greenish or reddish.

Source: [
• 17
]. 

Leaf-lamina ovate to suborbicular, (2–)5–15 cm. long, (l.25–)5–13.5 cm. broad, acute or acuminate (less commonly obtuse), usually widely cordate at the base; lateral nerves 4–5 on either side; petiole (1–)2.5–6.5 cm. long.

Source: [
• 17
]. 

Flowers white, rose or purplish, (3–)4–5 mm. long, in long-peduncled spikes, 2.5–15(–25) cm. long, usually unbranched (in African specimens at least) but branched in some cultivated forms.

Source: [
• 17
]. 

Herbe' vivace, glabre.' Tige' grêle peu ramifiée, atteignant plusieurs mètres de haut et 0,5 cm de diam.; entre-nœuds de 5-12 cm de long.' Feuilles' à pétiole de 3-5 cm de long; limbe un peu charnu, entier, typiquement cordé, apiculé-aigu, mais parfois (en culture?) obtus et même suborbiculaire ou ovale, de 5-12 cm de long et de 4-8 cm de large, les feuilles supérieures plus petites. Épis axillaires, pouvant atteindre 25 cm de long (fructifiés) dont 1/3 pour le pédoncule, mais ordinairement plus courts.' Fleurs' ± 20 par épi, formant en bouton, un cône dense, puis séparées, les inférieures d'abord, par des entre-nœuds de ± 1 cm de long; périgone blanc, ovoïde, de 5 mm de long.' Fruit' subsphérique, de 5-6 mm de diam., rouge violacé ou noir (les fleurs supérieures avortent souvent en culture?).' Graine à tégument brun et albumen farineux.

Source: [
• 22
]. 

Liana/volúvel/trepadeira

herb vine

Source: [
• 20
]. 

Bords des chemins en forêt, lisières, galeries, endroits frais et arborés en savanes, jusque vers 2000 m d'altitude au Ruwenzori (souvent cultivé et échappé des cultures?).

Source: [
• 22
]. 

Terrícola

La plante, qui se laisse bouturer, est souvent cultivée, ses feuilles constituant un légume apprécié tant des blancs que des indigènes; les fruits sont mangés au Ruanda en, temps de disette.

Source: [
• 22
].