Mexican coriander

Mexican coriander

Mexican coriander is also known as African coriander. Mexican coriander is cultivated worldwide and is used as culinary herb. It has a much stronger taste than the usual coriander. Couple of Mexican coriander plants were brought from a relative’s house and planted in a garden pot:

This picture was taken 6 weeks later. The leaf buds seen in the initial picture have grown into full saw tooth shaped leaves, which give the plants another name of sawtooth coriander:

Mexican coriander developing inflorescence at the tip of a long stalk. Different type of leaves are seen surrounding the inflorescence:

The inflorescence was removed as I was told that if the inflorescence was kept there, it would prevent new leaves from developing in the plant. Three new leaves have sprung up beside the stump of the inflorescence! The other plant is also developing new leaves, though it is yet to develop an inflorescence:

But the Mexican coriander is developing a new inflorescence! The stalk of the previous inflorescence which was nipped off in the hope it will continue to produce more leaves is seen beside the new one. This time I retained the inflorescence to see how it progresses:

To my surprise, it developed into a large multi branched inflorescence. It stayed for several days and then withered away, leaving the plants in the previous state, continuing to grow: