Rhodesian lantana
Lantana ukambensis

Family: Verbenaceae

What it is like

A woody herb or small shrub. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows about 1-2 m high. It often has several stems. The leaves are oval and in pairs of rings of three. They are 1-8 cm long. The tip is pointed and the base is narrowed. There are round teeth along the edge. The leaves are like sandpaper above and are hairy underneath. The flowers are purple but often with a yellow centre. The fruit are red or purple. They are 2-4 mm across. They have one seed.

There are about 150 Lantana species. They come from tropical and subtropical America.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in open grassland in West Africa. It grows between 760-1,670 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit are used as a dessert fruit. The leaves are used for flavouring and sauces.

The fruit are especially eaten by children.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves- flavouring, seeds

How it is grown

Plants can be grown by seed or cuttings. They can be grown as a hedge.

The fruit are collected during the rainy season.

Its other names

Local names

Efurie, Ekwanga, Liulisibi, Luhongole, Midhaan dubraa, Mpugambu, Msasakilasha, Muvisavisi, Ordenhande, Untaorayitate

Synonyms

Lantana mearnsii var. latibracteata Moldenke; Lantana milne-redheadii Moldenke; Lantana rhodesiensis Moldenke; Lantana salvifolia Jacq.; ? Lantana viburnoides var. velutina Moldenke; Lippia ukambensis Vatke;