Rhoicissus digitata

(L. f.) Gilg & Brandt

South African grape, Baboon grape

Vitaceae Edible: Fruit Potential hazards — see below 1,541 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Rhoicissus digitata (the baboon grape or the dune grape) is a vigorous, evergreen vine that is indigenous to southern Africa. It is increasingly popular as an ornamental creeper in gardens, and it has a wide range of uses in traditional medicine.

Description

A climber or scrambler. The stems are thin with swollen joints. The leaf stalk is slender and 1.5 cm long. There are 3 leaflets. The middle one is narrow and tapers to the base. It is 5 cm long by 1.5 cm wide. The side leaflets have unequal sides. There are only a few flowers in a small cluster.

Edible Uses

The fruit is used to make jam, jelly, and vinegar, and is also eaten fresh as a snack.

Traditional Uses

Caution: The roots are poisonous. The fruit are used for jam, jelly and vinegar. They are also eaten as a snack.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Known Hazards

The roots are poisonous.

Distribution

It is a subtropical plant.

Where It Grows

Africa, East Africa, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland,

Nutrition

Part	Moisture	kJ	kcal	Protein	Vit A	Vit C	Iron	Zinc
Fruit	81.5	251	60	0.9	—	17	0.9	0.4

References (9)

Cunningham, 1985,
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 203
Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 108
Swaziland's Flora Database http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora

Show all 9 references

van Wyk, Be., & Gericke, N., 2007, People's plants. A Guide to Useful Plants of Southern Africa. Briza. p 54
Wehmeyer, A. S, 1986, Edible Wild Plants of Southern Africa. Data on the Nutrient Contents of over 300 species
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
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew