Odukwe
Acalypha racemosa

Family: Euphorbiaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.

There are over 450 Acalypha species. They are tropical. There are 225 in tropical America.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in the understorey at low altitudes in evergreen forest between 320-1,220 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Asia, Central Africa, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Eritrea, Kenya, India, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, SE Asia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Leaves, vegetable

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Abumu

Synonyms

Acalypha paniculata Miq.;