Anchote
Coccinia abyssinica

Family: Cucurbitaceae

What it is like

A pumpkin family herb. It is a climbing vine plant. It has a tuber and puts out annual stems. The female flowers occur singly and the male flowers in groups. The fruit are oval shaped. They are reddish-yellow. They are about 4 cm long. They contain about 150 seeds. The seeds have a slimy covering.

There are about 30 Coccinia species. They are mostly in Africa.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in areas with at least 950-1000 mm of rainfall and will grow in areas with 2400 mm rainfall. It grows at altitudes between 1,300-2,800 m. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, East Africa, Ethiopia (country/location of origin), Ghana, West Africa

How it is used for food

The tubers are used as food. They are boiled and then often fried. The young shoots are cooked and eaten as a vegetable.

It is a cultivated food plant. It is a high yielding root crop.

Edible parts

Fruit, root, tubers, leaves, vegetable

How it is grown

It is grown from seed or tubers. It requires support for its climbing habit. The seeds are sown at the beginning of wet season. 2-3 seeds are sown 2-3 cm deep in prepared holes. They are spaced about 1 m apart. Seeds germinate best with a temperature between 20°-30°C. Seedlings can be transplanted.

Tubers can weigh 5 kg after several years. Tubers are best eaten after 10-12 months. The tubers of cultivated plants are the ones that are used.

Its other names

Local names

Aamola, Anchote, Hamola, Poteta-karata

Synonyms

Cephalandra diversifolia Naudin; Coccinia diversifolia (Naudin) Cogn. var. glabrescens Cogn.; Coccinia diversifolia (Naudin) Cogn.; Bryonia abyssinica Lam.;