Raphionacme hirsuta

(E. Mey.) R. A. Dyer

Apocynaceae Edible: Tuber, Root, Fruit, Caution Potential hazards — see below 1,190 iNaturalist observations

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Description

A herb. It forms a large, flattened round tuber. Several short forked shoots develop from this. These are less than 15 cm long. They have a few pairs of leaves that have short stalks. The leaf blades are 5 cm long by 2 cm wide. The midrib is easy to see. The flowers are low down on the branches. They are purple and slightly hairy.

Edible Uses

The underground tuber is mixed with sugar and brewed to make beer, and the fruit are eaten as a snack.

Traditional Uses

The underground tuber is mixed with sugar and brewed to make beer. Caution: It may be poisonous. The fruit are eaten as a snack.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The tuber is traditionally brewed into a beverage preparation.

Known Hazards

The plant may be poisonous.

Distribution

It is a subtropical plant. In Swaziland it grows only in the highveld.

Where It Grows

Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland,

Cultivation

A plant of the subtropics, just entering into the tropics in southern Africa. Requires a very free-draining soil with plenty of moisture in the growing season and a distinct dry season when it is dormant.

Nutrition

Part	Moisture	kJ	kcal	Protein	Vit A	Vit C	Iron	Zinc
Tubers	85	203	49	1	—	10.4	0.8	0.2

Synonyms

Brachystelma hirsutum E. Mey.Raphionacme divaricata Harv,and others

Also Known As

Ghali, Indzema, Khadiwortel

References (11)

Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 168
Fox, F. W. & Young, M. E. N., 1982, Food from the Veld. Delta Books. p 292
Lee, 1979,
Long, C., 2005, Swaziland's Flora - siSwati names and Uses http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora/
Ogle & Grivetti, 1985,

Show all 11 references

Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 66
Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 27
Swaziland's Flora Database http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora
van Wyk, Be., & Gericke, N., 2007, People's plants. A Guide to Useful Plants of Southern Africa. Briza. p 110
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