Coccinia adoensis
(Hochst ex A. Rich.) Cogn.
Mutkuru
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) tjeerd, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) tjeerd, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) tjeerd, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Description
A pumpkin family herb. It is a slender climber. It has annual climbing stems. It grows up to 6 m long. The stems are furrowed and hairy when young. The leaves are deeply lobed and look like fingers on a hand. The edges of the leaves have shallow teeth. The leaf shape can vary on the one plant. The flowers are separately male and female on separate plants. Male flowers are yellow and in clusters. The female flowers are small, yellow and occur singly. The fruit is oblong and about 2.5-5 cm long. It is bright red when ripe.
Edible Uses
The genus Coccinia is best known for C. grandis, commonly known as "ivy gourd". Its fruits can be eaten raw when ripe or cooked when unripe. In the latter case, it is used in curries. Young leaves and shoots are also edible. All used plants are a good source of carotenoids. The tuber of Coccinia abyssinica is cooked and a source of starch for the Oromo people in Ethiopia. Local culinary uses also exist. However, many species and also populations within species can be bitter due to cucurbitacins. Coccinia grandis is also well known in ayurvedic medicine for diabetes treatment, and modern research seems to confirm that it might be of value in that application.
Traditional Uses
CAUTION: The roots are poisonous unless carefully cooked. The leaves are cooked and eaten. The fruit are eaten raw when ripe or cooked as a vegetable. The roots are eaten after processing. They need to be well cooked.
Medicinal Uses
A root-decoction, combined with leaf-sap, is used as a mouth-wash for treating tooth-abscesses. The leaves are crushed, mixed with water, and drunk as a cure for puff-adder bites. The unripe fruits contain cucurbitacin B and traces of cucurbitacin D. Cucurbitacins, which are known from many plants in the Cucumber family, as well as various other plant species, exhibit cytotoxicity (including antitumor activity), and anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities.
Distribution
A tropical plant. It occurs in medium to low rainfall areas. It grows with rainfalls of 450-800 mm. It grows from sea level to 2,140 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places. It often grows on termite mounds.
Where It Grows
Africa, Botswana, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Congo, East Africa, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Cultivation
A plant of semi-arid areas in the tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 2,300 metres. Often found in deep shade in the wild. A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.
Other Information
The fruit are eaten especially by children. The roots are a famine food.
Nutrition
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | 92.9 | 445 | 106 | 15.7 | — | 19 | 0.6 | — |
| Roots | 81 | 289 | 68 | 1 | — | 81 | 0.4 | — |
Synonyms
Also Known As
Bukalabwambwa, Chinkhaka, Fwifwi, Lukokoti, Mphwimpwi, Mugwingwi, Nleza, Nyayambo, Tambalanjoka, Thong-diit
References (32)
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- Fox, F. W. & Young, M. E. N., 1982, Food from the Veld. Delta Books. p 165
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