Thunderbolt flower, Wild sesame
Sesamum triphyllum

Family: Pedaliaceae

What it is like

A herb. It is an annual plant. It has an unpleasant smell. It grows 2.5 m high. The leaves have 3-7 lobes. The leaves at the top can be simple. The flowers are tube shaped and divided into 5 shallowly lobed petals. They occur singly in the axils of leaves. They are pink. The fruit is a cylinder shaped capsule. It is four sided. It is 4 cm long. It has a pointy tip.

Where it is found

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in sandy and loamy soils. It grows between 150-1,670 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, East Africa, Eswatini, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The seeds are eaten and used as a snack. They also provide cooking oil.

Edible parts

Seeds, seeds - oil

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Sesamoides grandiflorum Schinz; Sesamum gibbosum Bremek. & Oberm.; Sesamum schenckii Asch.;