Kedrostis hirtella
(Naud.) Cogn.
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Will, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Will, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Solly Modimola, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Description
A herb. It is a pumpkin family plant. It lies along the ground or is a climber. It is 2 m long. It forms a tuber at the base. It can re-grow from this. The tuber is long. The leaves are dark green and alternate. They have 3 lobes arranged like fingers. The fruit are bright red and like cucumbers. They are 4-8 cm long. They taper to the end. There are white dots on the surface. The split along their length when ripe. This is probably now a synonym of Kedrostis leloji.
Edible Uses
The bright red fruit are eaten raw, though they are bitter and are particularly enjoyed by children. The tuber is baked in hot ashes.
Traditional Uses
The fruit are eaten raw. They are bitter. The tuber is baked in hot ashes.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
Traditional uses include consuming the fruit and preparing the tuber as food.
Distribution
It is a subtropical plant. It needs well-drained soil. It can grow in stony or sandy soils. It grows between 70-1,525 m above sea level. It is rare in Swaziland. In Namibia it grows in the shade. It can grow in arid places.
Where It Grows
Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, East Africa, Eswatini, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Other Information
The fruit are especially eaten by children.
Nutrition
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roots | 77 | 321 | 77 | 3.3 | — | 4.5 | 1.1 | 0.6 |
| Fruit | 92.2 | 105 | 25 | 1.5 | — | — | 0.6 | 0.2 |
Synonyms
Also Known As
Abuth agook, Abuth diet, Haulani, Kuruerue, Malual gook, Mungu-wakuleza
References (10)
- East African Herbarium records, 1981, (As Kedrostis hirtella)
- Fowler, D. G., 2007, Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses. Kew. p 22 (As Kedrostis hirtella)
- INFOODS:FAO/INFOODS Databases (As Kedrostis hirtella)
- Leger, S., 1997, A Description of Today's Use of Plants in West Bushmanland (Namibia). German Development Service. PO Box 220035, 14061 Berlin, Germany. http://www.sigridleger.de/book/ (As Kedrostis hirtella)
- Newman, 1970, (As Kedrostis hirtella)
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- Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 101 (As Kedrostis hirtella)
- Rodin, 1985, (As Kedrostis hirtella)
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1999). Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (SEPASAL) database. Published on the Internet; http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ceb/sepasal/internet [Accessed 16th April 2011] (As Kedrostis hirtella)
- Swaziland's Flora Database http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora (As Kedrostis hirtella)
- Wehmeyer, A. S, 1986, Edible Wild Plants of Southern Africa. Data on the Nutrient Contents of over 300 species (As Kedrostis hirtella)
