Ludwigia abyssinica

Family: Onagraceae

What it is like

A stout succulent herb. It can be woody at the base. It has a taproot. It is well-branched and straggling. It grows 3 m high. The leaves are alternate. The leaf blades are 2-13 cm long and 1-4 cm wide. They taper to the base. The flowers are in clusters on short shoots in the axils of leaves. They are yellow. The fruit is a capsule 102 cm long and 1-2 mm wide. It develops a thick hard wall. There are several rows of seeds in each capsule.

There are about 75-80 Ludwigia species. They grow in the tropics.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in swampy situations in lowland and mountainous areas. It grows in hot arid areas with a marked dry season in water logged soil. It grows between sea level and 1,900 m above sea level. It can tolerate several weeks submerged in water. It is a weed or rice. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Guinée, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Togo, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The leaves are eaten as a cooked vegetable.

It is a minor vegetable.

Edible parts

Roots, leaves, vegetable

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Kogbuse, Gambroi, Goene, Kitondra, Ngumi

Synonyms

Jussiaea abyssinica (A. Rich.) Dandy et Bren.; Ludwigia jussiaeoides sensu Harv.;