Adenia lobata

Family: Passifloraceae

What it is like

A vigorous climber. It can be 5-45 m long. The stem has lumps along it. The stems can be round or angled and 2.5 cm across. There are tendrils in the axils of the leaves. The leaves are heart shaped and 10 cm long by 10 cm wide. The leaf stalks are 6 cm long. Male and female flowers are separate. The flowers are green. The fruit are large and yellow.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in forests, woodland and along rivers. It can be in palm groves. It can grow to 1,770 m above sea level. It can be associated with termite mounds.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central Africa, Congo DR, East Africa, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, West Africa, Zambia

How it is used for food

The fruit have been used to flavour sherberts. Caution: The fruit contain substances that cause cancer. The leaves are occasionally eaten. They are finely crushed before cooking. The liquid from the stem can be drunk.

Edible parts

Fruit - flavouring, caution, leaves, vegetable, stem sap

How it is grown

It can be grown from cuttings. It can be trained to climb over a trellis. It re-grows after fire.

Its other names

Local names

Belau, Endembessauare, Kalawanti, Mukekete, Muloa, Mupemba, Nkenkete, N'kenketi, Rabo-de-legarto, Urebau

Synonyms

Modecca lobata Jacq.: Adenia mannii; Adenia rumicifolia;