Sierra Leone bologi
Solanecio biafrae

Family: Asteraceae

What it is like

A climbing herb. It twines clockwise. It usually branches 50 cm above the ground producing bushy growth. The leaves are succulent. They have long leaf stalks and teeth along the edge. They are almost triangle shaped. They are 5-8 cm long by 3-5 cm wide. They can be larger. The young leaves stick up and the older leaves hang down. The flowers are creamy white and at the ends of the shoots. They are in rounded clusters. The fruits are dry. There are improved cultivated varieties.

There are about 16 Solanecio species. A Yoruba proverb: "A vegetable soup prepared with worowo does not need meat."

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows well in light shade. It cannot tolerate drought. It can grow in arid places. It grows in secondary jungle in West Africa. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall of 1,500 mm. It grows from sea level to 1,300 m above sea level. It needs shade.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Benin, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Togo, Uganda, West Africa

How it is used for food

The leaves and stems are used as a vegetable. They are cooked with pepper, tomato and onion. The leaves are also used as a tea substitute.

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. A popular vegetable in Nigeria. It is marketed locally.

Edible parts

Leaves, stems, vegetable, leaves - tea

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed but are often grown from cuttings. Cuttings 25 cm long from older stems are used. Some of the leaves are removed. It is best to use a trellis for the plant to climb over. This should be 1 m high. It can grow under cacao.

About 12 pickings of leaves can give a yield of 14 kg per plant. Plants can be harvested several times in a year.

Its other names

Local names

Ota eke, Worowo, Yankonfeh

Synonyms

Crassocephalum biafrae (Oliv. & Hiern.) S. Moore; Senecio biafrae Oliv. & Hiern.;