Barter's round arum
Stylochaeton hypogaeus

Family: Araceae

What it is like

A small herb. It has a thick rootstock. It keeps growing from year to year. The leaves occur in tufts. They are simple. The leaf stalk is 8-15 cm long. The leaf sheath has horizontal purple bands. The leaves are arrowhead shape. They are 10-20 cm long by 5-10 cm wide. The lobes near the base are a narrow triangle shape. The flower spadix is 3-8 cm long. It has a spathe around it. The flowers are of one sex. Male flowers are at the top of the stalk and female flowers lower down. The fruit are round berries. They only have a few seeds. The seeds are oval and black.

There are 17 Stylochaeton species.

Where it is found

They are tropical and subtropical plants. It grows in open forest and savannah.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Sudan, Sudan, West Africa

How it is used for food

The flowers and flower stalks are cooked and eaten. They are also used as an additive to beer.

It is a minor vegetable.

Edible parts

Leaves, roots, spathe, flowers, vegetable

How it is grown

Flowers appear in the dry season.

Its other names

Local names

Bargo, Gwadaba, Ndukul mbop, Tabal, Worola, Wuula, Yafoton

Synonyms

Stylochiton barteri N. E. Br.; Stylochiton kerensis N. E. Br.; Stylochiton similis N. E. Br.;