African paddle-pod
Hippocratea africana

Family: Celastraceae

What it is like

A shrub or creeper. It can be 15 m long. The young branches are green and 4 angled. The leaves are opposite and broadly oval. There can be teeth along the edge and the edge is often rolled under. The flowers are in clusters in the axils of leaves or at the ends of branches. They are green with red stigma. The fruit are paddle shaped pods. They are in groups of 1-3.

There are about 100 Hippocratea species. They grow in the tropics. The root is used for medicine. It also has anti-malarial activity.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in thickets and along rivers. It grows up to 1,250 m above sea level. It grows in savannah woodland.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Botswana, East Africa, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Southern Africa, Tanzania, West Africa, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Root - drink, fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seeds.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Loeseneriella africana (Willd.) N. Halle var. richardiana (Cambess.) N. Halle;