Leafy-flowered ipomoea
Ipomoea crassipes
Family: Convolvulaceae
What it is like
A herb. It has tubers. It puts up annual stems. These can be erect or trailing. The leaves vary but are usual oval or sword shaped. They are 2-8 cm long by 1-3 cm wide. They are hairy and are often purple around the edge. The leaf stalk is 1 cm long. The flowers occur singly. They are funnel shaped and mauve. They have leaf like bracts around them. The fruit is a capsule that splits open. It is 1 cm across.
Where it is found
It is a subtropical plant. It grows in grassland. It grows between 120-1,400 m above sea level.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, East Africa, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
How it is used for food
The root tuber is eaten raw.
Edible parts
Root, tuber
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Vimbukhalo