Cape cabbage tree
Cussonia thyrsiflora

Family: Araliaceae

What it is like

An evergreen shrub. It has irregular branching. It grows 5 m tall. It can be scrambling and has an umbrella shaped crown. The leaves are compound with leaflets spread out like fingers on a hand. The leaflets are broadly oval and dark green and shiny above and more pale underneath. They have irregular teeth in the upper part. The flowers are in a dense spike at the top. The fruit is a small round berry.

Where it is found

It is a Mediterranean climate plant. It grows in coastal regions and on sand dunes.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, South Africa, Southern Africa

How it is used for food

The root tuber is peeled and eaten raw.

It is a famine food.

Edible parts

Roots

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Umsenge

Synonyms

Cussonia thyrsoidea Thunb.;