✿Basellaceae · Basella
Poi / Indian Spinach
Basella alba
Also known as Malabar Spinach
ClimberoutdoorMedicinal
- Habit
- Climber
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka & more
- Flowering
- Throughout the year
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Basella alba
- Genus
- Basella
- Family
- Basellaceae
- Habit
- Climber
- Native to
- Tropical Asia, Africa
- Distribution
- Tropical Asia, Africa often Cultivated
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal
- Flowering & fruiting
- Throughout the year
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Local Names
- Hindi
- Poi पोई,पोई poi
- Bengali
- Pui Shaak, পুঁই শাক
- Tamil
- Vasalakkirai, பசளி
- Telugu
- బచ్చలి కూర
- Kannada
- ಬಸಲೆ, ಬಸಳೆ Basale, ಪೋತಕಿ Potaki, ಬಸಳೆ ಸೊಪ್ಪು
- Malayalam
- Vasalaccira, വള്ളിച്ചീര, Basella alba
- Marathi
- Velbendi, मायाळू
- Sinhala
- නිවිති
About Poi
Indian spinach (Basella alba) is a climber belonging to the Basellaceae family (Basella Family). It is usually grown in outdoor settings. It is native to Tropical Asia, Africa. It flowers and fruits through much of the year. The species is valued in traditional medicine.

Botanical family
Basellaceae
Basella Family
Poi belongs to the Basellaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Basellaceae family →Snap it. Know it.
Point your camera at Poi or any plant and SASYA identifies it instantly — on-device, offline, and private.
