Cadaba kirkii

Oliv.

Large-flowered wormbush

Capparaceae Edible: Fruit 8 iNaturalist observations

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Description

A shrub or small tree. It keeps its leaves throughout the year. It can grow up to 3.6 m high. It has weak stems and many branches. The leaves are fleshy. They are narrowly oval and 2.5 cm long by 2 cm wide. The leaf stalks are slender. The flowers are yellow or white. The petals are large. The fruit are narrow and fleshy. They contain several orange coloured seeds.

Edible Uses

The fruits are edible.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows on termite mounds in woodland. It grows in drier low altitude woodlands.

Where It Grows

Africa, East Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Notes

There are about 30 Cadaba species.

Also Known As

Nswadji

References (5)

East African Herbarium records, 1981,
Fowler, D. G., 2007, Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses. Kew. p 16
Le Houerou, H. N., (Ed.), 1980, Browse in Africa. The current state of knowledge. International Livestock Centre for Africa, Ethiopia. p 162
Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 76
Williamson, J., 2005, Useful Plants of Malawi. 3rd. Edition. Mdadzi Book Trust. p 48