Reference:
[1].Extract from The French Kitchen, Written by Joanne Harris and Fran Warde. NSW Australia: Transworld Publishers, 2002.
[2]. From ninemsn Australian Womens Weekly

Amazon eBay: Water-spinach - This introduction from Southeast Asia is a popular cultivated green vegetable in China, India, Malaysia, Africa, Brazil, the West Indies, and Central America. Due to its aggressive growth rate, waterspinach has great potential to invade moist cultivated areas, such as rice and sugar cane fields, and wet areas such as the Everglades, natural lakes and rivers, drainage canals, and ditches. In Florida, isolated populations have been found floating and creeping horizontally along shorelines and over water for long distances, especially in canals and lakes. Why water-spinach must be managed: A single water-spinach plant can branch profusely with stems growing to over 70 feet long. This fast growth rate, approximately 4 inches per day, represents a significant threat to flood control and native plant habitats, especially in central and south Florida. Environmental damage caused by water-spinach populations: R Water-spinach creates impenetrable masses of tangled vegetation obstructing water flow in drainage and flood control canals. R Water-spinach infests lake, pond, and river shorelines, displacing native plants that are important for fish and wildlife. R Water-spinach forms dense impenetrable canopies over small ponds and retention basins creating stagnant water conditions that are ideal breeding environments for mosquitoes. Because of its aggressive growth rate, never plant water-spinach in Florida’s ponds, lakes, rivers and canals. The possession of waterspinach is prohibited without a special permit. Water-spinach is a creeping, herbaceous vine that is cultivated in some cultures as a vegetable. It is recognizable as a member of the “morning-glory” family. Distribution: Native to China, but widely cultivated and naturalized in Africa, Asia, Australia, Pacific Islands, and South America. LOOK FOR FIRST: Vine growing on or near the water’s edge Arrowhead-shaped leaves “Morning-glory” funneled flower Leaves: alternate, simple, with smooth petioles 3-14 cm (1-6 in) long; leaf blades generally arrowhead shaped but variable, smooth (rarely hairy), to 17 cm (7 in) long, with tips pointed; blades held above water when stems floating. Stems: herbaceous, trailing, with milky sap and roots at the nodes; usually to 3 m (9 ft) long but can be much longer. Flowers: showy, white, or pale pink to lilac; broadly funnel shaped, “morning-glory” like; solitary or in few-flowered clusters at leaf axils. Fruit: an oval or spherical capsule, woody at maturity, about 1 cm (1/2 in) wide, holding 1-4 grayish seeds, these often short-hairy. Spinach Crop Profile for New Jersey Production Facts ??State rank : New Jersey ranks 2nd nationally in fresh market spinach production ??New Jersey's contribution to total US production: fresh market = 15%; processing = 8% ??Yearly fresh market production: ??1998 = 180,000 lbs. ??1997 = 238,000 lbs. ??1996 = 210,000 lbs. ??1995 = 160,000 lbs. ??1994 = 162,000 lbs. ??Annual production costs ??spring crop, including growing ($749.89), and harvesting and marketing ($1464.47) = $2214.89/acre (1986 figures) ??fall crop, including growing ($879.70), and harvesting and marketing ($1674.94) = $2554.64/acre (1986 figures) ??Percent of crop for processing and fresh market: 67% processing; 33% fresh market Production Regions Southern New Jersey (area south of Trenton) Nearly all spinach, Spinacia oleracea L., is grown in the southern half of southern New Jersey. The soils in this area are coastal plain, generally light soils ranging from sand to sandy loams, but areas of heavier, clay and silt loam soil do exist. Elevations are low with most of the area less than 200 feet in elevation. The warmest, seasonal temperatures occur in the extreme southern part of the state with the Salem County area being the warmest. Cultural Practices In New Jersey, spinach is a cool season crop that is raised in the spring, fall, and overwinter. Fields are planted as a series of beds, each comprised of several narrow-width rows to enhance machine harvesting. Planting dates of beds are staggered so that not all of the spinach in a field is ready for harvest at the same time. The spring seeding typically occurs from March 12th to April 20th, placing harvest between May 20th and June 7th. This represents about 30% of the total acreage. The fall seeding typically occurs from August 10th to August 31st with harvest from September 25th to October 10th. This represents about 50% of the total crop acreage. The overwinter seeding typically occurs from October 1st to 15th, with harvest in the spring. This represents about 20% of the total crop acreage. The method of harvest and relative size of fields planted depends upon how the crop will be marketed.