Zanthoxylum paracanthum
(Mildbr.) Kokwaro
RutaceaeLeaves
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Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
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MBG
MBG
gbif · cc-by-nc-sa
MBG
MBG
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves
The leaves are eaten.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. It grows in evergreen forest and can be along rivers. It grows between 100-1,500 m above sea level.
Africa, East Africa, Kenya, Tanzania,
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 shrub or small tree. It can grow 10 m tall. The branches are smooth and dull red. There are thick spines 3-11 mm long. The leaves are 15-37 cm long. They have a lemon scent. They have prickles. The leaves have 11-23 leaflets. These are 5-13 cm long by 2-4 cm wide.
Notes
It contains alkaloids that reduce some mosquito larvae.
Names & Synonyms
Mlega mguda
Fagara paracantha Mildbr.
References (3)
- Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 77 (As Fagara paracantha)
- Martin, F.W. & Ruberte, R.M., 1979, Edible Leaves of the Tropics. Antillian College Press, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. p 217 (As Fagara paracantha)
- Lyimo, M., et al, 2003, Identification and nutrient composition of indigenous vegetables of Tanzania. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. 58: 85-92
