Clitoria ternatea L.

Telang (Clitoria ternatea) is a climbing plant up to 3 meters tall of the Fabaceae family, originating from Latin America or Asia and now widely naturalized in tropical regions. The bright blue color of its flowers is extracted as a natural dye for food, tea drinks, and even the pharmaceutical industry thanks to its antioxidant flavonoid content. Traditionally, telang is also believed to darken hair and stimulate menstruation.

This plant prefers moist environmental conditions, loose soil, sandy or clay soil with a soil pH range of 5.5-8.9. Grows well under full sunlight, temperature range 19-28 °C, rainfall ranging between 500-900 mm/year, and is drought-tolerant. Usually found in yards, forest edges, edges of rice fields or plantations.

• Stem round, surface has small hairs. Growth direction twines, climbing up using deviating branches.
• Leaves compound oblong, pinnate venation, smooth edges, leaf surface has fine hairs.
• Flowers single, emerging from leaf axils (flos axillaris). Calyx funnel-shaped. Petals purple, 10 stamens, 5 sepals.
• Seeds green when young and turning brownish when mature.

Propagated generatively (by seed).

Peptides containing high cysteine, phenols, delphinidin, triglucoside, alkaloids, flavonoids, flavonols, kaempferol 3-rutinoside, quercetin, myricetin 3-neohesperidosides, myricetin 3-glucosides, saponins, taraxerol, anthocyanins.

Promotes urination, bronchitis remedy, darkens and strengthens hair, stimulates menstruation, treats skin diseases, ear pain, boils or skin swelling, cleanses eyes and heals red eyes, antimicrobial.

• Fully bloomed fresh telang flowers are picked in the morning.
• Sort, wash with running water, drain.
• Dry directly in the sun for ± 2 days or use an oven at 50 °C.
• Store the dried flowers in a clean, airtight container.

Teleng (Betawi).