Astragalus atropilosulus subsp. abyssinicus
(Hochst.) Steud. ex A. Rich.
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Meise Botanic Garden
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves, Vegetable
The leaves are used as a side dish and are sometimes mixed with the leaves of Solanum nigrum. The roots are added to hot milk to help a woman having uterine pains after childbirth.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. It grows in seasonally flooded grassland and woodlands. It is sometimes on termite mounds. In southern Africa it grows between 900-2,250 m altitude and up to 3,900 m altitude in other places.
Africa, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Middle East, Mozambique, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
How to Identify
A herb or small shrub. The stems are usually erect. The leaves are 20 cm long. There are 11-51 leaflets. They are opposite. They are 3 cm long by 1.4 cm wide. They are sword shaped. There is a point at the tip. There are many flowers along 10 cm long stalks. The corolla is purple, yellow or white. The fruit is a pod 40 mm long by 7 mm wide. It is narrow at both ends. It splits into 2 halves at maturity. The seeds are 2 mm long. They are kidney shaped and dark brown.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Astragalus atropilosulus is a perennial herb in the family Fabaceae. It is native to Eastern Africa and some parts of the Arabian Peninsula. It is used as a vegetable in Malawi and Kenya.
Other Information
It is of local importantce.
Notes
There are 2,000 Astragalus species.
Names & Synonyms
References (6)
- Flora Zambesiaca. http://apps.kew.org/efloras
- 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 45 (As Astragalus abyssinicus)
- Grubben, G. J. H. and Denton, O. A. (eds), 2004, Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA, Wageningen, Netherlands. p 99
- Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 57
- Martin, F.W. & Ruberte, R.M., 1979, Edible Leaves of the Tropics. Antillian College Press, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. p 198
- Tent. fl. abyss. 1:193. 1847
