Kaffir potato, Hausa potato
Plectranthus esculentus

Family: Lamiaceae

What it is like

A herb or small shrub. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 60 cm high. It can lie along the ground. It loses it leaves during the year. The leaves are fleshy and opposite. They are 5-8 cm long by 1-3 cm wide. They are narrowly oval. There are rounded teeth along the edge. The stems are angular. Some of the branches near the base bend down and grow into the ground to form long tubers. They grow from a central point like fingers on a hand. The tubers grow in clusters and are large. They can be 10 cm long and 2 cm wide. The flowers are yellow. They have a faint smell of tar.

There are about 250 Plectranthus species. They are mainly in the tropics. It has good food value.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows naturally in southern tropical Africa. It grows in dry rocky and sandy soils. It grows between 600-1,900 m above sea level. It is hardy and needs frost free conditions. The best conditions for growth are 15-28°C. They need an annual rainfall of 700-1,100 mm. A soil pH of 6.5-7 is suitable. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Congo, East Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Guinea, Guinée, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The tubers are boiled and often added to other vegetables in soups. The tubers are washed then boiled in their skins. They can be dried and stored. They can also be pickled.

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. They are sold in local markets. It is a popular food. It is eaten in large amounts.

Edible parts

Tubers, roots, vegetable

How it is grown

Plants are normally grown from cuttings. It can be grown from tubers and small bulbils in the axils.

Tubers are harvested 180-200 days after planting. Yields of 2-6 tonnes per hectare have been recorded. A tuber can weigh 1.8 kg.

Its other names

Local names

African potato, Batata gitamba, Buye, Daju, Dazo, Emahlo, Ennumbu, Ibonda, Isiqwili, Itapile, Livingstone potato, Makwele e sechuana Mhlata, Mumbu, Mutada, Plectranthus, Pomme de terre d'Afrique, Rizuka, Shezha, Tapole, Tensa, Tsenga, Tsenza, Ugiloa, Ulucanqu, Uluhlaza, Umhlata, Umhlati, Ushizane

Synonyms

Coleus coppinii Heckel; Coleus dazo A. Chev.; Coleus esculentus (N. E. Br.) G. Taylor; Coleus floribundus (N. E. Br.) Robyns & Lebrun; Coleus langouassiensis A. Chev.; Coleus floribundus var. longipes; Englerastrum floribundum T. C. E. Fr.; Plectranthus floribundus (N. E. Br.) G. Tayl.; Plectranthus floribundus N. E. Br. var. longipes N. E. Br.;