Heliotropium steudneri

Vatke

BoraginaceaeFruitLeavesPotential hazards — see below

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit, Leaves

The flesh of the fruit is eaten raw. The leaves are eaten as a vegetable.

Known Hazards

No specific mention of toxicity has been seen for this species, but many members of this plant family (Boraginaceae) are known to contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids. These alkaloids have a cumulative effect upon the body and, unless concentrations in a plant are high, occasional use is generally completely safe. They are derived from amino acids including ornithine. Many pyrrolizidine alkaloids have pronounced hepatic toxicity, but the lungs and other organs may be affected as well. Mutagenic and carcinogenic activities of pyrrolizidine alkaloids have also been reported.

Where to Find It

It is a tropical plant.

Africa, Asia, Botswana, East Africa, Ethiopia, Himalayas, Nepal, South Africa, Southern Africa,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Bahrain, Burundi, Benin, Brunei, Bhutan, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, China, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Georgia, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Comoros, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Myanmar, Mongolia, Mauritania, Mauritius, Maldives, Malawi, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sudan, Singapore, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, Syria, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Taiwan, Tanzania, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

A tropical tree in the borage family (Boraginaceae) native to tropical regions.

How to Grow

Several butterfly species depend on plants to provide them with lycopsamine as a precursor of the pheromone danaidone. The flowers have a bad smell which is believed to help pollination by flies.

Medicinal Uses

The leaf juice is applied to cuts to stop bleeding and to prevent infection. The plants are dipped in boiling water and then squeezed over bruises. Drops of the leaf juice are applied to the eyes of cattle to cure conjunctivitis. The pyrrolizidine alkaloid lycopsamine has been isolated from the leaves. Since its uses are similar to those of some better studied species of the genus such as Heliotropium indicum L. And Heliotropium ovalifolium Forssk., pyrrolizidine alkaloids are probably responsible for the alleged medicinal properties of this plant.

Names & Synonyms

Gabo

References (4)

Lulekal, E., et al, 2011, Wild edible plants in Ethiopia: a review on their potential to combat food insecurity. Afrika Focus - Vol. 24, No 2. pp 71-121
Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 38
Teklehaymanot, T & Giday, M., 2010, Ethnobotanical study of wild edible plants of Kara and Kwego semi-pastoralist people in Lower Omo River Valley, Debub Omo Zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia Journ. of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 6:23
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