Anticharis senegalensis

Family: Scrophulariaceae

What it is like

A herb. It grows 30 cm high and has many branches. The leaves are narrow and 1-4 cm long by 2 mm wide. They do not have stalks. The flowers are pink or purple with a white throat. They occur singly. The fruit is an oval capsule 7-8 mm long. It has a sharp beak and splits into 4 segments. The seeds are oblong and 1 mm long. They have ridges along them.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in semi-desert in the Sahel. It can grow in arid places. In southern Africa it grows between 365-915 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Arabia, Asia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Chad, East Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, India, Mauritania, Middle East, Namibia, Niger, Sahara, Sahel, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, West Africa, Yemen, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Anticharis arabica Hochst. ex Benth. [Illegitimate]; Anticharis aschersoniana Schinz; Anticharis azurea Dinter ex Schinz; Anticharis linearis (Benth.) Hochst.; Doratanthera linearis Benth.; Doratanthera senegalensis Walp.; and others