Pachycarpus lineolatus

(Decne) Bullock

ApocynaceaeRootsPotential hazards — see below

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(c) Nicholas Wightman, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Nicholas Wightman

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(c) Samadori S. Honore Biaou, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Samadori S. Honore Biaou

What to Eat

Edible parts: Roots, Caution

The roots are powdered or dried and then boiled for consumption.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

A tropical plant. It grows in the savannah.

Africa, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Southern Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, West Africa, 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 single stemmed plant. It is erect and keeps growing from year to year. It puts up annual stems. It grows 1.5 m high. The roots are thick and spindle shaped. They have a white flesh and milky sap. The flowers are tinged purple. The fruit are made of 2 follicles. They are spindle shaped and 12 cm long by 7 cm wide.

Medicinal Uses

The plant is traditionally used as a medicine.

Notes

It is used as a medicine. This may be the same as Pachycarpus bisacculatus in Zimbabwe.

Names & Synonyms

Bafurma, Cupunco, Fiye, Mullibe

Asclepias browniana S. MooreAsclepias lineolata (Decne) Schltr.Gomphocarpus lineolatus Decne

References (6)

Abbiw, D.K., 1990, Useful Plants of Ghana. West African uses of wild and cultivated plants. Intermediate Technology Publications and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. p 31
Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 1. Kew.
Fowler, D. G., 2007, Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses. Kew. p 10
Grivetti, L. E., 1980, Agricultural development: present and potential role of edible wild plants. Part 2: Sub-Saharan Africa, Report to the Department of State Agency for International Development. p 24 (As Asclepias lineolata)
Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 18
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew