Hesperantha baurii
Family: Iridaceae
What it is like
A herb which produces a corm. It grows 30-60 cm tall. The leaves at the base are long and narrow. They are 3 mm wide. The flowers are in spikes of up to 20. They are on stalks 40 cm high. These are zigzag. The fruit is an oval, thin-walled capsule. The seeds are oval and brown.
There are about 75 Hesperantha species. They grow in Africa.
Where it is found
A tropical plant.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland
How it is used for food
The corm or bulb is eaten as a snack.
It is eaten especially by children.
Edible parts
Root, corm, vegetable
How it is grown
They can be grown from fresh seed or offsets.
Its other names
Local names
Isidwa, Khahlana, Khahlana e nyenyane, Khukhu