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Endostemon tereticaulis

(Poir.) M. Ashby

Lamiaceae Edible: Leaves - flavouring 101 iNaturalist observations

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(c) linalasse, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

(c) Troos van der Merwe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

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Endostemon tereticaulis, commonly called the purpling keepsafe, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is found across much of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as the Arabian Peninsula.

Description

A low bushy herb in the Lamiaceae family growing to 30 cm high with a strong smell. It inhabits tropical arid and semi-arid regions, growing in waste sandy places and rocky soils throughout the Sahel in West Africa.

Edible Uses

The leaves are used as a flavoring when cooking meat.

Traditional Uses

The leaves are used for flavouring when cooking meat.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows in waste sandy places and rocky soils in the Sahel in West Africa. It can grow in arid places.

Where It Grows

Africa, Botswana, Burkina Faso, East Africa, Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Sahel, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Uganda, West Africa, Zimbabwe,

Synonyms

Ocimum tereticaule Poir.and others

Also Known As

Gilel dieri, Kimba, L'ehabek

References (4)

  • Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 3. Kew.
  • Seidemann J., 2005, World Spice Plants. Economic Usage, Botany, Taxonomy. Springer. p 146
  • Vanderjagt, D. J. et al, 2000, The trypsin inhibitor content of 61 wild edible foods of Niger. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. 55:335-346
  • World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

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