Nagua
Cissus palmatifida

Family: Vitaceae

What it is like

A trailing herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It has a few simple tendrils by which it can attach to objects. The leaves are alternate and have leaflets arranged like fingers on a hand. There are 3-5 lobes. The leaf blade is about 11 cm long and the stalk can be 5 cm long. There are 6-12 flowers in a cluster. The fruit is a berry 4-5 mm across. It is black and has one seed.

There are about 200-350 Cissus species. There are about 75 species in tropical America.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in savanna woodland.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Guinea, Guinée, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, West Africa

How it is used for food

The leaves are used to make a sauce. They are also used to flavour other dishes. The pulp of the ripe fruit is eaten.

A food of only local importance.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves - flavouring, vegetable

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Cissus cocciniifolia Schweinf. ex Planch.; Cissus triangularis A. Chev.; Cissus vuilletii A. Chev.; Vitis palmatifida Baker;