Costus dewevrei
De Wild. & T. Durand
gbif · cc-by
Meise Botanic Garden
Meise Botanic Garden
What to Eat
Edible parts: Stem sap
The stem sap is consumed, particularly by children who suck it directly from the plant.
Where to Find It
It is a tropical plant.
Africa, Central Africa, Congo DR,
Countries: Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Benin, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Comoros, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
How to Identify
A tall tropical herb in the Costaceae family growing 2-3 m high.
Other Information
The sap of the stem is especially sucked by children.
Names & Synonyms
Ilenge-lya-bakabo
References (1)
- Terashima, H., et al, 1991, Ethnobotany of the Lega in the tropical rainforest of eastern Zaire: part 1, Zone de Mwenga. African Study Monographs. Suppl. 15:1-61
