Orbea huillensis
(Hiern) Bruyns
(c) Robert Taylor, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Robert Taylor
(c) Robert Taylor, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Robert Taylor
What to Eat
Edible parts: Roots, Stems
Root - cooked. Roasted in ashes, the roots are often then pounded and mixed with the nuts of Schinziophyton rautanenii or the corms of Eulophia spp. A preferred food for the elderly or those with teeth problems. Stems - cooked. Roasted in ashes, the stems are often then pounded and mixed with the nuts of Schinziophyton rautanenii or the corms of Eulophia spp. A preferred food for the elderly or those with teeth problems.
Where to Find It
It is a tropical plant. In Southern Africa it grows between 900-1,300 m above sea level.
Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Southern Africa,
How to Identify
A succulent herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It does not have leaves. The stems lie along the ground and form roots.
How to Grow
The plant has a shallow root system. The flowers have a bad smell.
Names & Synonyms
References (4)
- Ferns, Useful Tropical Plants
- Spotlight on Agriculture January 2010 Traditional Uses of Selected Members of the Apocynaceae family in Namibia.
- Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 25
- Welcome, A. K. & Van Wyk, B.-E., 2019, An inventory and analysis of the food plants of southern Africa. South African Journal of Botany 122 (2019) 136–179
