Mbimbi-tongo
Alternanthera littoralis

Family: Amaranthaceae

What it is like

A creeping herb. The stems can be 10 m long. They form roots at the nodes. They are fleshy. The leaves are broadly oval and fleshy. They are 4 cm long by 2 cm wide. The flowers are silvery white. They are in clusters in the axils of leaves.

There are 200 Alternanthera species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows near the sea on coastal sands in West Africa. It can grow in soils with a high salt content.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Benin, Brazil, Central Africa, Central America, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, West Africa

How it is used for food

The leaves are cooked and eaten as a vegetable.

It is a minor vegetable.

Edible parts

Leaves, vegetable

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Kwagnan, Mbambi-tongo

Synonyms

Achyranthes maritima (A. St-Hil.) Standl.; Alternanthera maritima (Mart.) A. St.-Hil.; Buchholzia maritima Mart.; Celosia arenaria Salzm. ex Seub. (Invalid); Celosia stolonifera Lepr. ex Moq.; Telanthera maritima (Mart.) Moq.;