Krauss’s cabbage tree
Cussonia krausii

Family: Araliaceae

What it is like

A small slender tree. It grows to 5.5 m tall. It has an underground tuber which is edible. The leaves have 7-9 leaflets coming from a common point. The leaf stalk is long and grooved. The tips of the leaflets are shortly pointed. They are glossy and deep green. The buds are in short spikes at the ends of branches. The flowers are cream and have stalks. The fruit are small and round.

There are 20 Cussonia species. They occur in South Africa.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in coastal dune forests.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, East Africa, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Africa

How it is used for food

The swollen roots are eaten in times of famine.

Edible parts

Roots

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

now Cussonia spicata;