Kedrostis africana

Family: Cucurbitaceae

What it is like

A herb. It is a pumpkin family plant. It is a plant with a succulent stem and tendrils which allows it to climb into trees. It can climb 6 m high. It keeps growing from year to year. The leaves have 3-5 lobes. Male and female flowers are separate on the same plant. The flowers are yellowish-green and 6 mm across. They occur as a few in a cluster in the axils of leaves. The fruit are orange red and 5-15 mm across. The seeds are 5 mm long and 3.5 mm wide.

There are about 23 Kedrostis species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in hot arid places. It grows in areas with a rainfall between 50-700 mm per year. It cannot tolerate frost. It grows in stony and sandy soils. It grows between 200-2,100 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, East Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Leaves, fruit, roots, tubers

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Coniandra africana (L.) Sond.; Coniandra digitata (Thunb.) Sond.; Coniandra glauca Schrad.; Coniandra punctulata Sond.; Kedrostis digitata (Thunb.) Cogn.; Kedrostis glauca (Schrad.) Cogn.; Kedrostis punctulata (Sond.) Cogn.; Bryonia africana L.;