Bead-bean
Maerua angolensis

Family: Capparaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows to 10-20 m high. Young branches are yellow but older bark is darker. The branches droop. The leaves are simple and sword shaped. They are 2.5-7 cm long by 1.3-5.5 cm wide. The tip is rounded or has a notch. They taper to the base. The leaf stalk is 3 cm long and is often swollen just above the leaf. The flowers occur singly in the axils of the upper leaves. They can be in short spikes at the ends of branches. The fruit are like long slender beans. They can be 2-16 cm long by 1 cm wide. They are constricted between the beans.

There are 50-100 Maerua species. They are mostly in Africa.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in low altitude wooded grassland. It occurs in savannah regions. It grows in the Sahel. In Ethiopia it grows from sea level to 1,000 m altitude. In Zimbabwe it grows up to 1,500 m above sea level. It is drought tolerant. It can grow in arid places. It often grows in termite mounds.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, Rwanda, Sahel, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The young leaves are boiled and eaten. They are usually mixed with beans or corn and eaten. The leaves can be bitter and are used as a sauce with other foods. The fruit is eaten as a snack. The roots are used in porridges and as a famine food.

The fruit are eaten especially by children.

Edible parts

Leaves, roots, fruit, seeds, vegetable

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed.

The leaves are harvested by climbing the trees.

Its other names

Local names

Azar, Belaya, Bele-bele, Chichiwa, Chichiwe, Ciciwa, Dunibiayito, Edioli, Fumba, Ibiswa, Kadhii, Kaikai, Kelkelo, Kurmut, Litashi, Melamissa, Moratletia, Morraita, Mtaji, Mugesi, Mureri, Pudodigo, Raneran, Rauran, Sekileli'a, Umenwayo, Umfusamvu, Umumeno, Umvitsi, Uphokophokwane, Zilgo

Synonyms

Maerua schinzii (sensu Grivetti);