Ballota africana
(L.) Benth.
Lamiaceae Edible: Leaves, Leaves - tea
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iNaturalist· cc0
no rights reserved
iNaturalist· cc0
no rights reserved
Description
A shrub. It grows 30-120 cm tall. The stems are erect and spreading. The leaves are round and 1.5-5 cm long by 1.5-4.5 cm wide. The flowers are in rings. They are pink to purple.
Edible Uses
The leaves are eaten fresh as a snack or vegetable, and are also used to make tea and as a flavouring.
Traditional Uses
The leaves are eaten as a snack and vegetable. They are also used for tea and flavouring.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
The leaves are traditionally used for tea.
Distribution
It is a subtropical plant.
Where It Grows
Africa, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa,
Synonyms
Beringeria africana (L.) Neck.Marrubium africanum L.Stachys africana (L.) Kuntzeand others
References (2)
- Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 69
- 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
