Ledebouria spp.

AsparagaceaeRootsPotential hazards — see below
Caution — Parts of this plant may be toxic or require specific preparation. Verify with multiple sources before consuming.
Ledebouria spp.
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DJ Malan
Ledebouria spp.
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DJ Malan
Ledebouria spp.
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frogglet

What to Eat

Edible parts: Bulb

The bulb is eaten.

Known Hazards

If the garden where it is kept is suburban, then it should be securely walled, so that the tortoise does not wander into the nearby streets and traffic. The property should also not have a swimming pool, as angulate tortoises cannot swim (unlike many larger tortoise species), and will drown if it falls into deep water. Domestic dogs are a threat to captive tortoises, which are often badly injured or killed after being severely chewed on. If kept in groups, females never clash, however males are fiercely territorial and will fight each other at any opportunity. Males should therefore ideally be kept separately from other males.

Where to Find It

It is a tropical plant.

Africa, Zimbabwe,

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 tropical herbaceous plant in the family Asparagaceae that grows from a bulb.

Notes

Also put in the family Hyacinthaceae.

Names & Synonyms
Scilla spp.
References (4)
  • Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 30
  • Pickering, H., & Roe, E., 2009, Wild Flowers of the Victoria Falls Area. Helen Pickering, London. p 65 (Ledebouria zambesiaca)
  • Scudder, 1962,
  • Story, 1958,

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