Fockea multiflora

K. Schum.

Python vine, Elephant vine

ApocynaceaeFlowersPotential hazards — see below

iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Kai Joaquin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Kai Joaquin

iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) rguinness, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Flowers

The flowers are eaten as a vegetable.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

It is a tropical plant. It grows between 500-1,200 m above sea level.

Africa, Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

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 large succulent creeper. It can be 15 m long and 60 cm wide. It has a swollen base. The leaves are 10 cm long by 8 cm wide.

How to Grow

It can be grown from seeds or stem cuttings.

Medicinal Uses

An extract of the aerial parts of the plant in brandy is rubbed on the back to treat backache.

Other Uses

A latex obtained from the plant is used to adulterate rubber.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Fockea multiflora, or python vine, is a plant of the dogbane family, Apocynaceae, native to Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, Botswana, Namibia, including the Caprivi Strip, and Malawi. It is a large semisucculent liana, growing to some 15m in length and up to 60 cm in diameter, found primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Names & Synonyms

Fockea schinzii N. E. Br.

References (2)