Gongronema angolense

Family: Apocynaceae

What it is like

A slender climber. It grows 3-4 m long. It climbs trees. It has a woody base and fleshy roots. The leaves are opposite and simple. They have soft hairs. The leaf stalk is 4 cm long. The leaves are oval and 5-14 cm long by 3-10 cm wide. The base is heart shaped and it tapers to the tip. The flowers are in a cluster, with 10-14 flowers on each branch. The flowers are tube shaped. The fruit is a pair of leathery follicles that hang down. These are cylinder shaped and 10-15 cm long by 4-8 mm wide. They have dense brown hairs.

There are 5 Gongronema species. They are in Africa. It has also been put in the family Asclepiadaceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in secondary vegetation in tropical Africa. It grows in dry locations from sea level to 1,800 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Benin, Cameroon, Central Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Togo, West Africa, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The thick fleshy roots are eaten by children.

It is eaten especially by children.

Edible parts

Root, vegetable

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Umuroondoroondo

Synonyms

Marsdenia angolensis N. E. Br.; Marsdenia gondarensis Chiov.;