Cyphostemma uter
(Exell & Mendonca) Desc.
South west African grapes, Butter tree
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) African Parks Network, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by African Parks Network
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Octávio Mateus, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Description
A succulent plant. It grows 1.5 m tall. It has a very stout trunk. This branches to form a low tree. The trunk can be 60 cm tall. The leaves are green and fleshy and have 5 lobes. They are crowded at the ends of branches. They have teeth along the edge. The flowers are greenish yellow.
Edible Uses
The fruit are eaten, though the skin should be avoided.
Traditional Uses
Caution: The skin of the fruit cause mouth irritation presumably due to oxalates.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Known Hazards
The skin of the fruit causes mouth irritation, presumably due to oxalates.
Distribution
It is a subtropical plant.
Where It Grows
Africa, Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa,
Cultivation
It can be grown from seeds or cuttings.
Nutrition
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | 92 | 105 | 25 | — | — | — | 1.1 | 0.4 |
Synonyms
Also Known As
Kaoko kobas
References (4)
- INFOODS:FAO/INFOODS Databases
- Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 107
- 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
