Ipomoea sinensis subsp. blepharosepala
(Desr.) Choisy, (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Verdc. ex A. Meeuse
(c) James Bailey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by James Bailey
(c) James Bailey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by James Bailey
(c) Riana Fourie, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Riana Fourie
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves
The leaves are eaten raw or cooked; when cooked, the water is typically changed to remove the strong sour taste.
Where to Find It
It is a tropical plant. It grows on alluvial soils, sands and loams. It can grow in seasonally waterlogged soils. It grows between 5-1,450 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.
Africa, Angola, Arabia, Botswana, Central Africa, East Africa, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Middle East, Mozambique, Namibia, Saudi Arabia, Socotra, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
How to Identify
A herb or creeper. It keeps growing from year to year. It puts up annual shoots several metres long. These are twining or trailing. The leaves are light green. They are 4 cm long by 2 cm wide. The base is deeply lobed and it tapers to the tip. The flowers are white with a pink centre. They can occur singly or in clusters.
Names & Synonyms
Ijalambu, Kokorokadee, Menhoca-nhocani, Nakatombo, Okashila konoka, Umdzandzabuka
References (2)
- Leger, S., 1997, A Description of Today's Use of Plants in West Bushmanland (Namibia). German Development Service. PO Box 220035, 14061 Berlin, Germany. http://www.sigridleger.de/book/
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1999). Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (SEPASAL) database. Published on the Internet; http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ceb/sepasal/internet [Accessed 14th April 2011]
