Urera mannii — Edible Plant Database

What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves

The leaves are cooked and eaten as a spinach.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

A tropical plant.

Africa, Central Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, West Africa,

Countries: Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Benin, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Comoros, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

A shrubby climber. The stems are 3-6 m long. It has stinging hairs. Plants are separately male and female.

How to Grow

A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.

Medicinal Uses

A leaf-decoction is taken in Nigeria as a cure for dysentery and diarrhoea. The following reports are for the closely related U. Cordifolia. They almost certainly apply to this species also. There are numerous local medicinal uses reported for the leaf sap, leaf decoctions and dried, powdered leaves. These include in the treatment of dysentery; neuralgia; deafness and other ear affections; diarrhoea with blood; chest pain; male impotency; and furuncles. The leaves are also used as an aphrodisiac and laxative. The whole plant is used as a diuretic. The sap of crushed inflorescences is taken as a poison antidote.

Other Uses

The following report is for the closely related U. Cordifolia. It almost certainly applies to this species also. A strong fibre is obtained from the bark. It is used for making ropes and fishing lines.

Names & Synonyms

Dzaa

Scepocarpus mannii Wedd.

References (10)

Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 4. Kew.
Busson, 1965,
Dalziel, J. M., 1937, The Useful plants of west tropical Africa. Crown Agents for the Colonies London.
Ferns, K., Useful tropical Plants.
Grivetti, L. E., 1980, Agricultural development: present and potential role of edible wild plants. Part 2: Sub-Saharan Africa, Report to the Department of State Agency for International Development. p 26
Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 108
Martin, F.W. & Ruberte, R.M., 1979, Edible Leaves of the Tropics. Antillian College Press, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. p 223
Okigbo, B.N., Vegetables in Tropical Africa, in Opena, R.T. & Kyomo, M.L., 1990, Vegetable Research and development in SADCC countries. Asian Vegetable Research and development Centre. Taiwan. p 45
Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 196
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew