Kedrostis pseudogijef
Family: Cucurbitaceae
What it is like
A climbing plant. It loses its leaves during the year. The stems are light grey and have ridges. They are rough and have tendrils. The leaves are 5 cm long and have 3 leaflets. There are teeth around the edges. Male and female flowers are separate. There are many male flowers and a few female flowers. They are born in clusters. The fruit are in clusters of 1-7. They are cone shaped and roughly hairy. They have grooves They are 2 cm long and fleshy.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. In Kenya it grows in dry rocky soil between 500-1.200 m altitude. It is in areas with a rainfall between 450-600 mm per year.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, East Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
How it is used for food
The leaves are cooked and eaten. Because it has an unpleasant smell when cooking the first water is often thrown away.
A famine food. It is grown in some places as a crop for dry areas.
Edible parts
Leaves, vegetable, fruit
How it is grown
It can be grown by cuttings. It can also probably be grown from seeds.
Its other names
Local names
Essatta, Isatta, Mukarw'u, Naja