Aneilema aequinoctiale
(Beauv.) Loudon
Clinging aneilema
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Summary
Source: WikipediaAneilema aequinoctiale is a flowering shrub native to much of sub-Saharan Africa. It is sometimes referred to by its English common name, clinging aneilema, and in Yoruba, a language of West Africa, it may be referred to as ẹfĩajija.
Description
A herb. The stems are soft and weak. They can be trailing. There are many hairs. The leaves have large loose sheaths 2.5 cm long. The leaves are sword shaped and 12 cm long by 4 cm wide. The flowering arrangement is loosely branched. The flowers are yellow and 15 mm long. The fruit are 8 mm long. The surface has very fine beads.
Edible Uses
The leaves are eaten raw or cooked. The tuber-like roots are boiled or roasted.
Traditional Uses
The leaves are eaten raw and also cooked. The tuber like root is boiled or roasted.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Distribution
It is a temperate plant. In Swaziland it is in the high veld only.
Where It Grows
Africa, Benin, Botswana, Central Africa, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Eswatini, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Togo, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Cultivation
It grows from seed.
References (12)
- Fowler, D. G., 2007, Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses. Kew. p 85
- Fox, F. W. & Young, M. E. N., 1982, Food from the Veld. Delta Books. p 157
- Herb., E. A., 1981,
- Latham, P. & Mbuta, A. K., 2014, Useful Plants of Bas-Congo Province, Democratic Republic of Congo. Volume 1. p 48
- Latham, P. & Mbuta, A. K., 2017, Plants of Kongo Central Province, Democratic Republic of Congo. Volume 1. 3rd ed p 52
Show all 12 references Hide references
- Long, C., 2005, Swaziland's Flora - siSwati names and Uses http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora/
- Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 14
- Plowes, N. J. & Taylor, F. W., 1997, The Processing of Indigenous Fruits and other Wildfoods of Southern Africa. in Smartt, L. & Haq. (Eds) Domestication, Production and Utilization of New Crops. ICUC p 185
- Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 45
- Swaziland's Flora Database http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora
- von Katja Rembold, 2011, Conservation status of the vascular plants in East African rain forests. Dissertation Universitat Koblenz-Landau
- Welcome, A. K. & Van Wyk, B.-E., 2019, An inventory and analysis of the food plants of southern Africa. South African Journal of Botany 122 (2019) 136–179
