Platostoma palustre (Blume) A.J.Paton

Cincau hitam (Platostoma palustre) is a clumping shrub up to 30-60 cm tall of the Lamiaceae family, distributed across East and Southeast Asia, with the name "cincau" derived from the Hokkien word "sienchau." In Indonesia, this plant thrives in North Sumatra, Java, and Sulawesi and is processed into refreshing black grass jelly. Cincau hitam is also believed to be hepatoprotective and to help prevent the formation of cancer cells.

This plant grows at elevations up to 2,300 m above sea level, generally found abundantly in forests and growing wild, but cincau hitam is also suitable for planting in fields, yards, and farmland, either as a monoculture or intercropped.

• Root fibrous.
• Stem jointed, finely hairy, square-shaped, many branches at the base, reddish in color.
• Leaves green, oblong, thin and limp, pointed tip, serrated base and edges, finely hairy.
• Flowers compound, purplish-white in color.
• Seeds black, very small (1 mm), oblong-round or elliptical.

• Propagated generatively (seed), vegetatively (cuttings).
• Best harvest time is 7 months after planting.
• Requires high nitrogen fertilization for abundant leaf production.

β-carotene, α-tocopherol, caffeic acid, protocatechuic acid, ρ-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid, flavonoid, tannin.

Antimutagenic, hepatoprotective (liver protector), antioxidant, immunomodulator (immunity booster) and potentially prevents carcinogenesis (cancer formation), antidiarrheal, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, vaginal discharge and stomach ache.

• Wash fresh cincau leaves with cold water.
• Dry using an oven at 50°C (18 hours) or sun-dry from 08:00 to 15:00 for three days (total 21 hours).
• Slice the dried leaves into approximately 3 cm pieces. Ready to be ground and sifted with a 0.5 mm diameter sieve. Cincau powder is ready to use.

Janggelan (Java), Camcauh (Sunda), Juju, Kepleng, Krotok, Tarawaluh, Tahulu (Malay).