Ivy-grape
Cissus cornifolia

Family: Vitaceae

What it is like

A shrub up to 2 m high. The shoots are stout and rusty coloured. The nodes are swollen. The shoots arise from a woody base. It can be a scrambler. The leaves are simple and oval and 6 cm long. There are teeth along the edge. The leaves have red hairs underneath. The flowers are small and yellow. They are in stalked clusters and appear before the leaves. The clusters are 2-10 cm across. The fruit are oval and 10 mm long. They are purple black. They are juicy when ripe and contain one seed. The fruit occur in large clusters.

The roots are pounded and the juice used to coagulate milk by the Fulani. There are about 200-350 Cissus species. There are about 75 species in tropical America.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It occurs in open woodland. It grows after fire. In Zimbabwe it grows up to 1,800 m above sea level. It grows in Miombo woodland.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The fruit are edible and sweet and eaten especially by children. The seeds are eaten but the skin is discarded.

The fruit are eaten especially by children.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants can be grown by seeds or suckers.

The fruit are collected in the dry season from September to December in Tanzania.

Its other names

Local names

Amajambe, Asinsidhi, Cituzi, Idebelebe, Mbulunbunji, Moganza, Mpangamwaka, Mtandamwaka, Mudzambiringa, Mungingue, Mutula-mbamba, Puma-puma, Shisurudza, Sintanatora, Tchele

Synonyms

Cissus lonicerifolia C. A. Sm.; Cissus volkensii Gilg.; Vitis cornifolia Baker;