Corchorus tridens

Horne-fruited jute

MalvaceaeLeavesFlowersShootsScore: 35/100

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(c) Robert Taylor, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Robert Taylor

What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves, Shoots, Flowers, Pods, Vegetable

The leaves are cooked and eaten in vegetable dishes and soups, and can be dried for storage. The shoots and flowers are also edible. The pods are used to make a herbal drink.

Where to Find It

A tropical plant. They are widespread weeds throughout Africa. They grow on heavy darker soils and in areas with rainfall under 1000 mm. They can tolerate shade. It can grow in salty soil. It grows in hot arid areas. It grows between 30-1,400 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

Afghanistan, Africa, Angola, Asia, Australia, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central Africa, Chad, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Himalayas, India, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Middle East, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sahel, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Angola, Australia, 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 tall erect branching herb. It grows to 60 cm tall. It grows each year from seeds. The branches are angular and can have some hairs. The leaves are simple and with teeth along the edge. There are a pair of stiff hairs at the bottom of the leaf and another pair where the leaf joins the stem. The flowers are small and yellow. The fruit are long thin pods. These are divided at the top into 3 short spreading horns.

Nutrition Score: 35/100

Part	Moisture	kJ	kcal	Protein	Vit A	Vit C	Iron	Zinc
Leaves	81	296	72	4.5	—	—	—	—

How to Grow

Plants grow easily from seed.

Propagation: Seed - sown directly on well-prepared, manured beds at the beginning of the wet season, broadcast or drilled in rows spaced at 20 - 30 cm. The plants are thinned to 20 plants per m2. Germination may be poor due to seed dormancy, but a short immersion in boiling water or soaking overnight in warm water speeds up germination and makes it less erratic. The seeds retain their viability for 8 - 12 months when stored in well-sealed jars.

Medicinal Uses

The pods are used for a herbal drink.

Other Uses

Fibres obtained from the stem are used for fishing lines and rough cordage.

Production

Leaves are collected during the rainy season.

Other Information

It is an occasionally used vegetable. It is useful in dry climates. It is a cultivated food plant. It is a commonly used leaf in Mozambique. The leaves are sold in local markets.

Notes

There are about 100 Corchorus species.

Names & Synonyms

Dadi, Delele, Derere-renenje, Derere, Eiyo, Eteke, Gusha, Gwisha, Hachota, Idelele, Ifanhanyei, Isileleda, Koxolanhoun, Kibwando, Kimulikwi kidala, Koxolanhoun, Labelbada, Lalo baleo, Lalo bali, Legen, Ligusha, Maero, Malehiya, Mbodakh, Mlenda, Msafa, Namarete, Nkuse, Nop i khadji, Nzofe, Oloqloqota, Otigo-afuku, Ountcho, Phali, Quddah, Sanvoa, Senujaga, Sobo, Taxalupa, Tixante, Weakeh, Wilde jute, Zofon

Corchorus burmanii DC.Corchorus senegalensis Juss. ex Steud.Corchorus trilocularis Burm.f.

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