The most precious wild vegetable in the south, it grows only in living springs, commonly known among the people as "water-loving willow flower"

Everyone has eaten quite a few wild vegetables, some growing in the mountains, some growing by the roadside, some as precious as wild mushrooms like matsutake and termite mushroom, and some as cheap as free dandelions and purslane. Anyway, when most people mention wild vegetables, what comes to mind are plants on land. In fact, there are quite a few tasty wild vegetables in the water too, such as lotus root shoots and cattail shoots, which grow in clean water and taste extremely fresh and delicious. Today I want to talk about another even rarer wild vegetable in the water. It only exists in the south, and its name is rather funny, called "water-loving willow flower".

The scientific name of this wild vegetable is Ottelia acuminata. Many people who travel to Yunnan have seen it, and the tour guide introduces this vegetable as "water-loving willow flower", which made many people laugh at the time. This wild vegetable grows floating on the water surface, appearing to have no roots or leaves, with only a pretty flower drifting along. Setting aside the other meaning, calling it "water-loving willow flower" is actually quite fitting. It grows only in very clean and clear living springs, and has especially high requirements for the water environment. Once the water quality where it lives becomes polluted, the Ottelia acuminata will wither and die, so this Ottelia acuminata is not commonly seen.

Ottelia acuminata grows in the water, blooming small white flowers that open on the water surface, truly extremely beautiful. This Ottelia acuminata once also existed in quite a few rivers in the south, but with river pollution and overharvesting by people, the number of Ottelia acuminata is now very small, and it has been listed as a nationally protected plant. Ottelia acuminata seen in the wild is forbidden to harvest. Only the Ottelia acuminata planted by local people in their own living springs can let people enjoy a good meal, and it is also very precious.

Growing in living springs, its taste naturally goes without saying. Besides being beautiful, the taste of Ottelia acuminata is truly crisp and leaves a lingering fragrance, letting people feel a natural fresh aroma. Not only that, Ottelia acuminata also has rich medicinal value, with effects of relieving cough and protecting the liver, so Ottelia acuminata is also loved by people. Fortunately, cultivating Ottelia acuminata is relatively easy. It can be propagated both by seeds and by rhizomes. When harvesting, the stems used for eating are cut off, and new stems will continue to grow from its roots. The annual harvest period is also relatively long, and it can be harvested from May to November.

I really never imagined there could be such a magical vegetable, growing in the water, yet with such high requirements for water quality, and the key point is that it tastes extremely delicious, and it also has such great medicinal effects. With so many benefits, how could people not love to eat it?