Ectadium virgatum
E. Mey.
Slender Ectadium
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) pietermier, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) pietermier, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Ismail Ebrahim, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Ismail Ebrahim
Description
An erect shrub. It has several stems. It has a taproot and keeps growing from year to year. It can grow 3 m high. The stems have a milky sap. The leaves are opposite and slender. The flowers tube is trumpet shaped. It is pale green to yellow. The flowers are in clusters near the end of the plant. The flowers have a scent like honey. The fruit is a capsule 4-5 cm long by 1 cm wide.
Edible Uses
The outermost layer of the fruit is roasted and ground for use as a vegetable.
Traditional Uses
The outer most layer of the fruit is used as a vegetable. It is roasted and ground.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Distribution
It is a subtropical plant. It grows in hot, arid areas where there is a marked dry season. The dry season can be 6-11 months. It grows in deep sandy and rocky soils. In southern Africa it grows between 70-200 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.
Where It Grows
Africa, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa,
Notes
Also put in the family Asclepiadaceae.
References (2)
- 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 30th March 2011]
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
