Helinus integrifolius
(Lam.) Kuntze
Soap creeper
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(c) Athol Ferguson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Athol Ferguson
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Nick Helme, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Description
A climbing shrub. It grows 6 m tall. It has coiled tendrils. The leaves are 2-4 cm long. They are broadly oval or round. There are hairs underneath. The flowers are in groups in the axils of leaves. The fruit is an oval capsule. The seeds are 3 angled. The seed coat is shiny black.
Edible Uses
The fruit are eaten raw.
Traditional Uses
The fruit are eaten raw.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Distribution
It is a tropical plant. It grows in savanna woodland and in rocky places. It grows in sandy and loam soils. It grows from sea level to 1,980 m above sea level. It can tolerate shade. It can grow in arid places.
Where It Grows
Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Middle East, Mozambique, Namibia, Socotra, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Other Uses
The roots are rich in saponins. They are pounded, then mixed with water and used as a soap for washing clothes.
Synonyms
Also Known As
Kasese, Mulalawa, Nhapucutele, Pupuma, Ubhubhubhu
References (7)
- Flora Zambesiaca. http://apps.kew.org/efloras
- Fowler, D. G., 2007, Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses. Kew. p 53
- Fox, F. W. & Young, M. E. N., 1982, Food from the Veld. Delta Books. p 316
- Long, C., 2005, Swaziland's Flora - siSwati names and Uses http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora/
- 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 6th June 2011]
Show all 7 references Hide references
- Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 94
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
