Acroceras amplectens
Stapf.
Jajeo
Augustin Soulard (via Wikimedia Commons)
Damon Lisch (via Wikimedia Commons)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves, Seeds, Cereal, Vegetable
The leaves, seeds, and young shoots are eaten as a cereal grain and vegetable.
Where to Find It
It is a tropical plant. It grows in marshy places and shallow water. It grows in palm groves and wet grass savannah.
Africa, Burkina Faso, Central Africa, Congo, Gambia, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, West Africa,
How to Identify
A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.
Nutrition Score: 55/100
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seeds | 10.4 | 1388 | 332 | 6.5 | — | — | 4 | — |
| Leaves | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Notes
There are 19 Acroceras species.
Names & Synonyms
Bomdium, Inhamosso, Labar, N'tchungo-blande, Quevel-faro, Quewel, Qwel
References (6)
- Food Composition Tables for use in Africa FAO http://www.fao.org/infoods/directory No. 35
- Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 1, 51
- Martin, F.W. & Ruberte, R.M., 1979, Edible Leaves of the Tropics. Antillian College Press, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. p 193
- D. Prain, Fl. trop. Afr. 9:625. 1920
- Terra, G.J.A., 1973, Tropical Vegetables. Communication 54e Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, p 18
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
