Rungia Klossii - mushroom plant (herb)

This is a perennial, useful to have in the garden. It can grow to 60cm, but will be straggly if left to grow without pruning (or regular use). It has dark green, glossy succulent leaves. It may flower in spring.
I'm moving mine today from where it has been under a fruit salad tree into another garden plot where it might not have so much competition for moisture. Plenty of horse manure (thanks to local racecourse) as it likes compost and rich soil. It will still have quite a bit of shade as it doesn't like to take too much direct sun and heat in summer. I'm cutting it back and will propagate the cuttings. It can also be propogated by root division. I'm told it can be slow to strike but that once its established it can grow quite quickly. Just requires moisture and regular harvesting, which encourages leaf growth. Over winter, the plant may become dormant and straggly, so just needs a good tidy up in spring.
The leaves can be added to soups, stews, stirfries, pasta sauces and salads for a mushroom flavour. It also goes well in sandwiches. It is high in chlorophyll, a good source of protein, calcium, iron, beta-carotene, Vitamins A and C and other nutrients. The mushroom flavour increases with cooking, but leaves will lose their bright colour.