Cissus cornifolia

Cissus cornifolia is a species of flowering plant in the Vitaceae family. It is an erect or semi-scandent woody shrub up to 3 meters in height, and found from sub-Saharan Africa and Tropical Africa south to Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa. It is one of more than 300 species forming the genus Cissus. Growing from a large tuberous rootstock and found up to 2000m, in open woodland and grassland, often on granite outcrops, it occasionally develops tendrils. Branch nodes are conspicuously swollen and new parts of the plant have a ferruginous, floccose covering, persisting on the bracts.

Description

A shrub up to 2 m high. The shoots are stout and rusty coloured. The nodes are swollen. The shoots arise from a woody base. It can be a scrambler. The leaves are simple and oval and 6 cm long. There are teeth along the edge. The leaves have red hairs underneath. The flowers are small and yellow. They are in stalked clusters and appear before the leaves. The clusters are 2-10 cm across. The fruit are oval and 10 mm long. They are purple black. They are juicy when ripe and contain one seed. The fruit occur in large clusters.

Edible Uses

The ripe fruit are edible and sweet, eaten especially by children. The seeds are eaten but the skin is discarded.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are edible and sweet and eaten especially by children. The seeds are eaten but the skin is discarded.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

Roots or tubers are powdered or a decoction is prepared and used to treat venereal diseases, naso-pharyngeal infections, fevers and malaria. The plant is traditionally used as a sedative. Tubers and fruits are eaten and used for flavouring in sauces.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It occurs in open woodland. It grows after fire. In Zimbabwe it grows up to 1,800 m above sea level. It grows in Miombo woodland.

Where It Grows

Africa, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown by seeds or suckers.

Propagation

Seed - Suckers

Production

The fruit are collected in the dry season from September to December in Tanzania.

Other Information

The fruit are eaten especially by children.

Notes

The roots are pounded and the juice used to coagulate milk by the Fulani. There are about 200-350 Cissus species. There are about 75 species in tropical America.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Amajambe, Asinsidhi, Cituzi, Idebelebe, Mbulunbunji, Moganza, Mpangamwaka, Mtandamwaka, Mudzambiringa, Mungingue, Mutula-mbamba, Puma-puma, Shisurudza, Sintanatora, Tchele

References (23)

• Abbiw, D.K., 1990, Useful Plants of Ghana. West African uses of wild and cultivated plants. Intermediate Technology Publications and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. p 46
• Asfaw, Z. and Tadesse, M., 2001, Prospects for Sustainable Use and Development of Wild Food Plants in Ethiopia. Economic Botany, Vol. 55, No. 1, pp. 47-62
• Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 5. Kew.
• Busson, 1965,
• Dalziel, J. M., 1937, The Useful plants of west tropical Africa. Crown Agents for the Colonies London.

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