Eriosema rhodesicum
R. E. Fr.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
MBG
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
What to Eat
Edible parts: Root ?
The roots and tubers are eaten.
Where to Find It
It is a tropical plant. It grows in annually burnt upland grass savannah and rocky hillsides.
Africa, Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
How to Identify
An erect herb. It has several unbranched stems. It grows 30 cm high It has a woody rootstock. The roots bear tubers 1 cm across and 2-4 cm long.
How to Grow
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.
Propagation: Like many species within the family Fabaceae, once they have ripened and dried the seeds of this species may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing.
Names & Synonyms
References (1)
- Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 3. Kew.
