Adenia cissampeloides

Family: Passifloraceae

What it is like

A succulent plant with a swollen base. It is partly woody and a climber. It can be 25 m high.

There are 95 Adenia species. They are common in the semiarid regions of Africa.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows from sea level to 1,600 m altitude. It grows in palm groves. It is recorded at 1,800 m above sea level in Nigeria.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Southern Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

CAUTION: Most Adenia are poisonous. The leaves are cooked and eaten as a side dish. They are often cooked with potash.

Edible parts

Leaves, vegetable, fruit, caution

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Chisokololonde, Chiswalaswala, Lapo, Malape, Pouloue

Synonyms

Ophiocaulon gummifer Mast.; Adenia gracilis Harms subsp. pinnata W. J. de Wilde; Adenia guineensis W. J. de Wilde; Adenia gummifera; Adenia reticulata; Modecca cissampeloides Planch. ex Hook.;