Sepaile
Erucastrum austroafricanum

Family: Brassicaceae

What it is like

An annual herb. It is erect and branched and grows 60 cm tall. The stems have lines along them and are whitish with rough hairs. It has a long stout taproot and a ring of leaves at the base. These are large and deeply lobed. The leaves on the stems have shallow lobes or teeth. The flowers are yellow and 6-8 mm long. They are in dense clusters at the top of the plant. The fruit is long and narrow and curved. It has a beak at the end. The seeds are small and brown. They have a rough surface.

It can be a troublesome weed.

Where it is found

It is a subtropical plant. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Australia, Lesotho, South Africa, Southern Africa

How it is used for food

The young leaves are eaten as a green vegetable.

Edible parts

Leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Iqange, Isihlalakuhle, Papasane, Sepaile, Tlhako-ea-khomo, Ugange, Upangi, Usiqwashumbe

Synonyms

Brassica pachypoda Thell.; Sisymbrium thellungii O. E. Schulz;