Swamp arum
Lasimorpha senegalensis

Family: Araceae

What it is like

A large herb. It is a taro family plant. It has a large rootstock. The underground suckers lead to large clumps. It keeps growing from year to year. It has large spear shaped leaves. The leaf stalks have prickles. The leaf stalks are 1.7 m long. The leaf blade is 20-50 cm long by 15-30 cm wide. The lobes at the base taper. The flowering stalk and spathe is 4 m tall. The flowers have both sexes tightly packed on a spadix. The fruit is an irregular round berry. These are 1.5 cm long and red with 1-4 seeds.

There are 11-12 Cyrtosperma species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows on the edges of forests and near swamps in West Africa.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Congo R, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, West Africa

How it is used for food

The leaves are used as flavouring in sauces and other foods. They are also used as food wrappers. The young leaves are also eaten as a vegetable. The plant roots are burnt to ash to produce a vegetable salt. Caution: Most plants in this group can have oxalate crystals.

It is a minor food plant of local importance.

Edible parts

Leaves, leaves - flavouring, vegetable, leaf stalk

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed. Plants can also be grown by division.

Its other names

Local names

Dina, Hubam amata, Kilodi, Kityokolo, Kokoahatew, Mgbo, Nopicobo, Okuo, Owaka, Sukoko Eko

Synonyms

Cyrtosperma afzelii (Schott) Engl.; Cyrtosperma senegalense (Schott) Engl.; Lasiomorpha afzelii Schott;