Cotyledon orbiculata

L.

Pig's ear

CrassulaceaePotential hazards — see below
Caution — Parts of this plant may be toxic or require specific preparation. Verify with multiple sources before consuming.
Cotyledon orbiculata
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(c) Richard Gill, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Richard Gill
Cotyledon orbiculata
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) lieselm, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Cotyledon orbiculata
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Lizelle Erasmus, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Lizelle Erasmus

What to Eat

Edible parts: Medicine

Known Hazards

Cotyledon orbiculata has a number of medicinal uses. In South Africa, the fleshy part of the leaf is applied to warts and corns. Heated leaves are used as poultices for boils and other inflammations. Single leaves may be eaten as a vermifuge and the juice has been used to treat epilepsy. However, the leaves contain a bufanolide called cotyledontoxin, which is toxic to sheep, goats, horses, cattle, poultry, and dogs, causing a condition known as cotyledonosis.

Where to Find It

It is a subtropical plant. In Hobart Botanical gardens.

Africa, Australia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Tasmania,

Countries: Angola, Australia, 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 succulent herb in the Crassulaceae family found in subtropical regions.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Cotyledon orbiculata, commonly known as pig's ear or round-leafed navel-wort, is a South African succulent plant belonging to the genus Cotyledon.

References (3)
  • Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 47
  • 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
  • World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

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