Warnecke's ground arum
Stylochaeton lancifolius

Family: Araceae

What it is like

A small herb. It has a short rootstock. It keeps growing from year to year.

The plant is poisonous and needs repeated boiling. There are 17 Stylochaeton species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. Kano state northern Nigeria. It grows in savannah woodland in West Africa.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, West Africa

How it is used for food

The root or corm is repeatedly washed in ashes to leach out toxic components, then cooked and eaten. The leaves are boiled to remove toxins, then cooked and eaten. The rhizome is eaten as a famine food. It requires regular cooking and washing with lye of ashes. CAUTION: It is poisonous unless properly prepared and cooked.

It is a famine food. The leaves are only occasionally eaten.

Edible parts

Roots, corm, leaves, vegetable

How it is grown

Plants are grown from the corm.

Its other names

Local names

Akwari, Banana-di-mato, E mocoray, Foro, Guadaba, Guraare, Gwandai, M'ba, Matinga, Ngurra

Synonyms

Stylochaeton chevalieri Engl.; Stylochaeton dalzielii N. E. Br.; Stylochaeton hostifolius Engl.; Stylochaeton warneckei Engl.;