Crambe kilimandscharica

O. E. Schulz

Seakale

Brassicaceae Edible: Plant, Fruit

gbif· cc-by-nc-sa

MBG

gbif· cc-by-nc-sa

MBG

gbif· cc-by

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Description

A cabbage family herb. It is an annual herb. It grows 1 m high. The stems are erect and ribbed. It branches in the upper part. The lower leaves are 5-10 cm long by 3-6 cm wide. They are lyre shaped and with 2-3 pairs of side segments. The upper part of the fruit has 4 ribs. They are 3-4 mm long by 2-3 mm wide.

Edible Uses

Both the plant and fruit are edible, with children traditionally eating the small fruits (3-4 mm long by 2-3 mm wide).

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in grasslands at 1,200-1,300 m above sea level in East Africa.

Where It Grows

Africa, Central Africa, Congo DR, East Africa, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa,

Other Information

Children eat the fruit.

Notes

There are about 20 Crambe species.

References (4)

Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 54(Beibl. 119):54. 1916
Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 1. Kew.
Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 70
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew