Hausa potato, Sudan potato, African potato
Plectranthus rotundifolius

Family: Lamiaceae

What it is like

A small annual herb. It grows 15-30 cm high. It can lie along the ground or curve upwards. The stem is succulent. The leaves are thick and have a smell like mint. The flowers are small and pale violet. There are small, dark brown tubers in clusters at the base of the stem. They can be 20 cm long by 2 cm wide.

It possibly has anti-cancer properties.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It suits high rainfall areas with an evenly distributed rainfall and low night temperatures. It is grown as a monsoonal crop. It needs a well drained, sand loam. It cannot stand water-logging. It is grown on ridges in heavier soils. It cannot stand cold or frost. It cannot tolerate drought. The best pH is 6.5-7.0. In East Africa it grows up to 2,200 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, China, Comoros, Congo, East Africa, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Pacific, Philippines, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia

How it is used for food

The tubers are boiled and eaten. They can be added to curries, baked, or fried into chips. They are boiled and eaten with coconut milk. They can be eaten raw or baked, steamed, added to soups or stews or mashed and fried. The leaves are eaten. The leaves can be used as flavouring. Ripe fruit are eaten.

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable.

Edible parts

Tubers, root, leaves, vegetable

How it is grown

It is grown from suckers from germinating tubers. The tubers are put in a nursery bed about 4 cm deep and 10 cm apart. Tubers germinate in 10-15 days once watered. These produce a cluster of sprouts which are then transplanted after about 3 months. The earth is heaped up around the plants to encourage tubers. A spacing of 20 cm apart in rows 90 cm apart is used. It can also be grown from cuttings. Sections 10-20 cm long are used.

Crops reach maturity in about 5-6 months. This may be longer in colder places. Yields of 8-15 tonnes per hectare are average. Tubers should be harvested as soon as they are mature to avoid decay. In South Africa they are available May to August.

Its other names

Local names

Amadada, Chinese potato, Ciyobo, Fra-fra potato, Gembili, Huwa kentang, Innala, Kare, Kembili, Kemili, Kentang jawa, Ketang, Koorka, Macilu, Mobo, Omime, Piasa, Ratala, Saluga, Tamaka, Tumuku, Ubi kembili, Vatke, Zulu round potato

Synonyms

Calchas parviflorus (Benth.) P. V. Heath; Coleus dysentericus Baker; Coleus pallidiflorus A. Chev.; Coleus parviflorus Benth.; Coleus rehmannii Briq.; Coleus rotundifolius Chev. & Perrot; Coleus rotundifolius var. nigra A. Chev.; Coleus rugosus Benth.; Coleus salagensis Gurke; Coleus ternatus (Sims) A. Chev.; Coleus tuberosus (Blume) Benth.; Germanea rotundifolia Poir.; Majana tuberosa (Blume) Kuntze; Plectranthus coppinii Heckel; Plectranthus coppinii Comu; Plectranthus ternatus Sims; Plectranthus tuberosus Blume; Plectranthus rotundifolius (Poir.) Spreng.; Solenostemon rotundifolius (Poir.) J. K. Morton;