TECHNICAL HANDBOOK No.

27

Edible Wild
Plants of
Tanzania

Christopher K. Ruffo
Ann Birnie
Bo Tengnäs

Regional Land Management Unit (RELMA)

RELMA Technical Handbook (TH) series
Tree nursery manual for Eritrea
Chris Palzer. 2002. TH No. 26. ISBN 9966-896-60-0

ULAMP extension approach: a guide for field extension agents

Anthony Nyakuni, Gedion Shone and Arne Eriksson. 2001. TH No. 25. ISBN 9966-896-57-0

Drip Irrigation: options for smallholder farmers in eastern and southern Africa
Isaya V. Sijali. 2001. TH No. 24. ISBN 9966-896-77-5

Water from sand rivers: a manual on site survey, design, construction, and maintenance of seven
types of water structures in riverbeds
Erik Nissen-Petersen. 2000. TH No. 23. ISBN 9966-896-53-8

Rainwater harvesting for natural resources management: a planning guide for Tanzania
Nuhu Hatibu and Henry F. Mahoo (eds.). 2000. TH No. 22. ISBN 9966-896-52-X

Agroforestry handbook for the banana-coffee zone of Uganda: farmers’ practices and experiences
I. Oluka-Akileng, J. Francis Esegu, Alice Kaudia and Alex Lwakuba. 2000. TH No. 21. ISBN 9966-896-51-1

Land resources management: a guide for extension workers in Uganda

Charles Rusoke, Anthony Nyakuni, Sandra Mwebaze, John Okorio, Frank Akena and Gathiru Kimaru. 2000.
TH No. 20. ISBN 9966-896-44-9

Wild food plants and mushrooms of Uganda

Anthony B. Katende, Paul Ssegawa, Ann Birnie, Christine Holding and Bo Tengnäs. 1999. TH No. 19.
ISBN 9966-896-40-6

Banana production in Uganda: an essential food and cash crop

Aloysius Karugaba and Gathiru Kimaru. 1999. TH No. 18. ISBN 9966-896-39-2

Agroforestry extension manual for eastern Zambia

Samuel Simute, C.L. Phiri and Bo Tengnäs. 1998. TH No. 17. ISBN 9966-896-36-8

Water harvesting: an illustrative manual for development of microcatchment techniques for crop
production in dry areas
Mwangi T. Hai. 1998. TH No. 16. ISBN 9966-896-33-3

Integrated soil fertility management on small-scale farms in Eastern Province of Zambia

Thomas Raussen (ed.). 1997. TH No. 15. ISBN 9966-896-32-5

Agroforestry manual for extension workers in Central and Lusaka provinces, Zambia
Joseph A. Banda, Penias Banda and Bo Tengnäs. 1997. TH No. 14. ISBN 9966-896-31-7

Facilitators’ manual for communication skills workshops

Pamela Baxter. 1996. TH No. 13. ISBN 9966-896-25-2

Useful trees and shrubs in Eritrea: identification, propagation and management for agricultural and
pastoral communities
Estifanos Bein, B. Habte, A. Jaber, Ann Birnie and Bo Tengnäs. 1996. TH No. 12. ISBN 9966-896-24-4

Agroforestry extension manual for northern Zambia

Henry Chilufya and Bo Tengnäs. 1996. TH No. 11. ISBN 9966-896-23-6

Useful trees and shrubs for Uganda: identification, propagation and management for agricultural
and pastoral communities
A.B. Katende, Ann Birnie and Bo Tengnäs. 1995. TH No. 10. ISBN 9966-896-22-8
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania

i
ii
Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania

CHRISTOPHER K. RUFFO
ANN BIRNIE AND BOTENGNÄS

Regional Land Management Unit/Sida

2002

iii
Published by the Regional Land Management Unit, RELMA/Sida
ICRAF House, Gigiri
P.O. Box 63403
Nairobi, Kenya

© 2002 Regional Land Management Unit (RELMA), Swedish

International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)

Editor of RELMA series of publications: Anna K. Lindqvist

Editing, layout, typesetting and production: Caroline Agola, P.O. Box
21582, Nairobi, Kenya
Cover design: RELMA
Photos: All photos by Christopher K. Ruffo except where indicated.
Cover photos:
Top: Selling fruit, including Strychnos cocculoides and Parinari curatellifolia,
Tabora market
Middle: Borassus aethiopum
Bottom: Nymphaea lotus

Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Ruffo CK, Birnie A, Tengnäs B. Edible wild plants of Tanzania. 2002. RELMA
Technical Handbook Series 27. Nairobi, Kenya: Regional Land Management Unit
(RELMA), Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). 766 p.
+ x; colour section; includes bibliography.

ISBN 9966-896-62-7

The content of this book is based on information gathered from a wide range of informants in the
field at locations throughout Tanzania and is presented in good faith. If you have any doubts,
before putting into practice any of its recommendations we advise you to verify information on
uses and preparation with knowledgeable people in your own situation and community. Neither
RELMA nor the individual authors will accept any liability for misidentification of the plants
described or any ill effects that may result from their consumption or any other form of use.

The contents of this manual may be reproduced without special permission.

However, acknowledgement of the source is requested. The photographers
and artists concerned must be contacted for reproduction of illustrations.
The views expressed in the RELMA series of publications are those of the
authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of RELMA.

Printed by English Press, P.O. Box 30127, Nairobi, Kenya

iv
Contents
Foreword ................................................................................................................... vii
Acknowledgements .................................................................................................. viii
Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1
Illustrated glossary of botanical terms ................................................................... 11
PART I
Local names .............................................................................................................. 17
PART II
The species ................................................................................................................ 67
APPENDICES
I. Summary table of parts of the plant used for food ........................................ 732
II. Workshop participants ...................................................................................... 740
Bibliography ........................................................................................................... 743
List of families and species .................................................................................... 749
Index of species ...................................................................................................... 759
Feedback form ........................................................................................................ 765

Colour plates between pages 6 and 7

Maps
1. The main physical features of Tanzania ........................................................... vi
2. The main phytogeographical regions of Tanzania ............................................ x
3. Administrative regions and main towns of Tanzania ....................................... 8
4. The main ethnic groups of Tanzania ................................................................ 18

v
Map 1. The main physical features of Tanzania

vi
Foreword
This book can be regarded as the third in a series begun in 1999 when the Na-
tional Museums of Kenya published Traditional Food Plants of Kenya with spon-
sorship and technical assistance from RELMA, among others. Later the same year
RELMA’s Wild Food Plants and Mushrooms of Uganda was launched, and now
we are very pleased to publish this volume, Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania.
In all three, it proved difficult to select the species to be included. The flora of
this region is so rich that any complete catalogue of all the wild plants that have
current or potential uses as food would result in enormously cumbersome books.
RELMA sees four good reasons for documenting this kind of information on the
edible wild plants of east and southern Africa in an easily accessible format:
• As a general principal, we should attempt to record all traditional knowledge
and wisdom that is at risk of dying out. There are still many people—often the
old people—who know how to utilize the resources of the “wild”, but this is
knowledge that nowadays is seldom passed on to the younger generation;
• During periods of crop failure and famine, wild foods are often available pro-
vided people know where to look for them, recognize them and can cook them
appropriately;
• Eating habits are changing very rapidly, both in the South and the North.
Unfortunately, however, not all these changes are nutritionally sound. Some-
times the modern staple foods relied upon in Africa are monotonous and lack
nutrients essential for a balanced diet. The addition of some wild plant foods to
such poor staple-based diets can mean the difference between a healthy child
and one whose future may be blighted by the consequences of malnutrition;
• Probably the most important edible plant species in the world have already
been identified, domesticated, propagated, developed and put to economic use.
Modern gene-modification techniques have the potential for developing new
plants in the laboratory, but I am convinced that there will always be uses for
existing but not-so-well-known “new” plants in food production. The promotion
of “functional foods”—those that are “extra healthy”, or half way to being medi-
cines—is growing rapidly. It is more than likely that among all the edible wild
plants of eastern Africa there are substances with the potential for being devel-
oped into products that could play an important economic role in the region.
Lastly, I would like to commend the main author, Christopher K. Ruffo, whose
extensive knowledge of the ethnobotany of Tanzania, resulting from decades of
botanical work in his country, forms the basis of this book. This initial information
was supplemented by further data gathered by him in the course of extensive
travels to five regions of Tanzania mainland, i.e. Kilimanjaro, Tanga, Iringa, Tabora
and Kigoma, and also Zanzibar, and interactions with local people in all those
areas. The rest of the team behind this book relied heavily on Mr Ruffo’s expertise.
Åke Barklund
Director, RELMA

vii
Acknowledgements
This book is the result of the combined efforts of a team of people facilitated by a
Sida grant through the Regional Land Management Unit, RELMA. Christine Hold-
ing and Bo Tengnäs initiated the project through RELMA, and Bo Tengnäs and
Gatheru Kimaru facilitated the field work and production throughout.
An initial text was supplemented by a great amount of data gathered in the
course of extensive travels to five Regions of Tanzania mainland, i.e. Kilimanjaro,
Tanga, Iringa, Tabora and Kigoma, and also to Zanzibar, and interaction with
local people in the areas visited.
Many organizations and individuals contributed to the successful completion of
that part of the work, and in particular the following deserve mention:
• The Commissioner of Natural Resources, Zanzibar, and his staff who guided us
to various important places and facilitated data collection on the use of wild food
plants in Zanzibar;
• The Regional Natural Resources Officer and Regional Agricultural Officer of
Tanga whose competent extension staff arranged for us to interview local farm-
ers in Tanga, Muheza, Korogwe and Lushoto Districts;
• The Project Manager of East Usambara Catchment Project, Tanga, and his staff
for their co-operation and allowing us access to their library;
• The District Agricultural Officer, Moshi, and his staff for arranging meetings
and interviews with local people. Mama Moshi, in particular, drove us tirelessly
and courageously on muddy roads to collect data in Kilimanjaro Region;
• The District Agricultural Officer and District Forest Officer, Same District, who
arranged for us to meet and interview Maasai and Pare tribesmen in Ruvu
Mferejini and Mbagga villages, respectively;
• The District Natural Resources Officer and District Agricultural Officer of Iringa,
Mafinga and Njombe Districts and their staff who arranged meetings with groups
of women, men and young people in various villages;
• The Regional Natural Resources Officer, Tabora Region, and District Agricul-
tural Officers of Tabora, Nzega and Igunga Districts who arranged for us to
meet Nyamwezi tribesmen and herbalists;
• The Director of the Agricultural Training Centre, Tumbi, Tabora, and his staff
for taking us on a field visit through the intact Tumbi Forest Reserve accompa-
nied by local people to identify and discuss their use of wild food plants;
• The Co-ordinator of Lake Tanganyika Catchment Forest and Education

viii
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

(TACARE) and the Warden in charge of the Gombe Stream National Park,
Kigoma District for their kind co-operation in the field;
• The District Natural Resources Officers of Kasulu and Kibondo Districts for ar-
ranging interviews with Ha tribesmen;
• The Co-ordinator of the Soil Erosion Control and Agroforestry Project (SECAP)
at Lushoto who arranged for us to visit local markets at Lushoto, Soni and Lukozi.
My sincere gratitude to the Director of the Tanzania Forestry Research Insti-
tute (TAFORI) at Morogoro and the Head, Botany Department, University of Dar
es Salaam and their staff who allowed us to use their herbaria for the identifica-
tion of plants collected in the field.
I owe a particular debt of gratitude to Professors Inga and Olov Hedberg, both
of the University of Uppsala, for their useful comments on the plants which have
been included in this book. I also thank Ingvar Backeus of the University of Uppsala
for arranging a study visit to that institution for Agnes Nyambo and myself in
February 2000.
I also acknowledge the important contributions made by all the participants at
the review workshop held in Iringa in November 2000 (Appendix II) and thank
them for their input. I also thank Agnes Nyambo for her good company and co-
operation during our field work.
An initial manuscript was then put together by all three authors with the help
of Yasmin Kalyan’s usual speedy and efficient data entry. Further details were
reviewed at the University of Uppsala in Sweden.
Ann Birnie, botanical consultant and artist, prepared the botanical descrip-
tions and supplemented information on the ecology and distribution of the se-
lected species. She also organized and coordinated production of the many
illustrations required, including making a few original drawings. Nicholas Muema
drew some illustrations in the field, but most drawings were made from dried speci-
mens in the East African Herbarium, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi. The
authors remain indebted to the staff of the Herbarium for their assistance in this.
Other illustrations were taken from previous RELMA/Sida publications (those in
the volumes of the Useful Trees and Shrubs series and Wild Food Plants and
Mushrooms of Uganda), and a few were original work by Mr H. P. Msanga of the
National Tree Seed Centre, Morogoro.
I am grateful to the National Museums of Kenya and the East Africa Natural
History Society for permission to use the illustrations taken from Kenya Trees,
Shrubs and Lianas by H.J. Beentje and Upland Kenya Wild Flowers by A.D.Q.
Agnew and S. Agnew, respectively. Illustrations from the published family vol-
umes of the Flora of Tropical East Africa (FTEA) are reproduced courtesy the Li-
brary, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The copyright to all the above illustrations
remains with the original publishers.
Finally, I wish to thank all the other people who contributed in one way or
another during data collection and final production of the book but are not specifi-
cally mentioned here.
Christopher K. Ruffo

ix
Map 2. The main phytogeographical regions of Tanzania

x
 INTRODUCTION

Introduction
Biodiversity and the vegetation of Tanzania
Tanzania, with an area of 945,000 km2, has the greatest diversity of plant species
of all African countries with the exception of the Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC) and South Africa. There are over 9,000 species of higher plants in Tanza-
nia, many of which are so-called endemic species, meaning that they are only
found in Tanzania. The vegetation of an area is generally classified into regions
based on the species and plant associations found there. These regions are called
phytogeographical regions, and those regions found in Tanzania are indicated
below and shown in Map 2:
• Afro-montane region
• Lake Victoria region
• Somali–Maasai region
• Zambezian region
• Zanzibar–Inhambane region.
The Afro-montane region covers the high mountain areas of Tanzania, in-
cluding Kilimanjaro, Meru, Ngorongoro, Hanang, Rungwe, Mbizi and Makale.
Afro-montane vegetation is also found in the eastern arc mountains, which in-
clude Pare, Usambara, Nguu, Nguru, Ukaguru, Malundwe, Rubeho and Mahenge.
The eastern arc mountains are known to be extremely rich in species diversity and
endemism. Over 25% of the eastern arc species are endemic, including several
species of wild coffee, e.g. Coffea mongensis and Coffea mufindiensis. This region
receives high rainfall (1,000–3,000 mm per year) and is densely populated be-
cause of the favourable conditions for agriculture.
The Lake Victoria region covers the areas around Lake Victoria and the
northern part of Lake Tanganyika. The rainfall is relatively high (1,500–2,000
mm per year) in this region too. Most of the luxuriant forests around these lakes
have been cleared for agriculture, with the exception of the forest at Minziro,
which is rich in species, including some Afro-montane species such as Podocarpus
falcatus.
The Somali–Maasai region is in the central and northern parts of Tanza-
nia. Thickets, woodlands and grasslands dominate in this region. Acacia and
Commiphora are common. There are also many endemic species of plants, e.g.

1
 INTRODUCTION

Acacia tanganyikensis and Cordyla densiflora. The rainfall is low (300–700 mm

per year) and these areas are economically important for wildlife and livestock
rearing.
The Zambezian region covers much of western and southern Tanzania
and occupies about 40% of the country’s total land area. A large proportion
of this zone is covered with miombo or Brachystegia woodland with many
species of Brachystegia, Julbernardia and Isoberlinia. Many edible plants and
timber species are found in the miombo woodlands.
The Zanzibar–Inhambane region covers mainly the eastern parts of Tan-
zania. The vegetation in this region consists mostly of coastal forests, woodlands,
bushlands and thickets. About 40% of the species found are endemic, e.g. Milletia
puguensis and Philippia mafiensis. However, most of the coastal forests, wood-
lands and thickets have been cleared, mainly for agricultural purposes. The indig-
enous forest remains in only a few areas such as Pugu, Zeraninge, Ngezi and
Jozani.
All these areas, but especially the Zambezian and Zanzibar–Inhambane
regions, are sources of wild foods, medicine and other products such as tim-
ber, poles and firewood. All these are essential for the livelihood of local peo-
ple.

Wild plants as sources of food

Wild food plants are those plants with edible parts which are found growing natu-
rally on farms, fallow or on uncultivated land. For example, many of the leafy
vegetables described in this book are found as weeds on farmland, fallow or aban-
doned farmlands, while other food plants are only found in natural forests. Most
of the 326 plants described in this book are indigenous, though a few were exotic
in origin.
Several types of food can be obtained from wild plants. Leaves, either fresh or
dried, frequently accompany staple grain dishes. Seeds and nuts are also used in
various side dishes and sauces. Fruit are a seasonal food supply and are often
eaten as snacks or made into juices. In some cases, fruit may form a very substan-
tial part of the diet, e.g. bananas. Roots and tubers provide carbohydrates and
minerals and are especially valuable dry-season and famine-period foods. Some
may be eaten raw as snacks, while others require complicated processing and thus
are only used in times of food scarcity. Some Acacia species such as Acacia senegal
yield edible gum, and the sap from other trees is used in various ways. The bark
of some trees can be eaten or used as a spice. All these types of food provide essen-
tial elements in the human diet. Some of these uses of the plants covered in this
book are summarized in Table 1.

2
 INTRODUCTION

Table 1. Some wild food plants and their role in the diet

Oil seeds
Allanblackia Allanblackia spp. Oil
Desert date Balanites aegyptiaca Oil
Wild kapok Bombax rhodognaphalon
var. tomentosum Oil, snack, famine food
Cork-wood tree Ricinodendron heudelotii
subsp. africanum Oil famine food
Cape mahogany Trichilia emetica Oil
Cereals
Crow-foot grass Dactyloctenium aegypticum Famine-period staple
Crow-foot grass Dactyloctenium giganteum Famine-period staple
Wild sorghum Sorghum purpureo-sericeum Staple
Beverages
Baobab Adansonia digitata Drink, snack, famine food
Wild coffee Coffea spp. Drink
Tamarind Tamarindus indica Drink, snack
Marula plum Sclerocarya birrea Snack, drink, famine food
Wild loquat Uapaca spp. Snack, drink, famine food
Fruit
Wild custard apple Annona senegalensis Mainly snacks
African ebony Diospyros mespiliformis Mainly snacks, famine food
Indian plum Flacourtia indica Mainly snacks, jam
Mobola plum Parinari curatellifolia Snacks, drink, famine food
Wild medlar Vangueria spp. Mainly snacks, drink, famine
food
Leafy vegetables
Amaranth Amaranthus spinosus Sauce, vegetable
Wild simsim Sesamum calycinum var. angustifolium Sauce, vegetable
Common purselane Portulaca oleracea Sauce, vegetable
Hibiscus Hibiscus spp. Sauce, vegetable
Roots and tubers
Yams Dioscorea spp. Staple and famine food
Spices, flavourings
Wild cardamom Aframomum angustifolium Improve palatability and
taste
Ashanti pepper Piper guineense Improve palatability
and taste

Food categories
The culinary culture and dishes of the various communities in Tanzania, as in
most of Africa, are, of course, different from those in the West. As a result, in
many cases there are no exactly equivalent English words for African dishes
or components of a meal.

Staple
A staple food is the major or dominant food, usually high in carbohydrate, that
forms the most important component of a meal, e.g. sweet potatoes, millet, rice,
maize or cassava. Relatively few staples are collected from the wild, but most

3
 INTRODUCTION

communities know of “emergency staples” that can be relied upon during famine,
for example Dactyloctenium spp.
The main staples eaten in Tanzania are either boiled or steamed (e.g.
potatoes, green bananas, rice), or ground into flour (e.g. maize, millet, cas-
sava). The flour is cooked with water into a stiff dough-like “porridge“, gener-
ally eaten with the various vegetable dishes or “sauces” described in this
book. There is no exact equivalent for this stiff “porridge” in the English lan-
guage or Western cuisine, either in its consistency (somewhat similar to dry
mashed potatoes) or its dominating role as the basic component of the meal.
Therefore, in this book we have used the Swahili word ugali, unless a local
Tanzania name is specified. We use the word “porridge” to mean a much
thinner gruel-type food (called uji in Swahili) that can be drunk from a bowl
or cup. Often this thin porridge is made from the same flours as the staple
ugali of the area with the addition of various plant juices and flavourings, or
in more urban situations, milk, sugar or lemon juice.

Vegetable or sauce
These terms are used for the dishes that are the main accompaniment to the sta-
ple, usually vegetables, including the wild leafy plants described in this book.
The are often cooked with a base of fried onions and tomatoes or the addition
of legumes and pulses, e.g. pounded groundnuts or simsim, and coconut
milk. Depending on affordability and availability, meat, whether from do-
mestic animals or wild game, as well as fish (fresh, dried or smoked) and
insects, e.g. grasshoppers and termites, may be used in varying proportions.

Snacks
Any relatively small amount of food eaten between main meals, e.g. fruit, nuts, a
drink, roasted seeds or root crops, is regarded as a snack. Snacks increase the
variety of foods eaten and improve the individual’s nutrition. This is crucial in
Tanzania because, for example, traditionally fruits and nuts many not often be
part of a main meal.
Snack foods are especially important for children since children need to eat
more frequently than adults, and wild fruits and nuts are good sources of the
micronutrients that may be deficient in the common cereal-based diets. Among
pastoral peoples in the semi-arid areas of Tanzania, or more widely during
famine, some of these so-called “snack” foods may become the only food avail-
able and consequently at such times fulfil a much more substantial role in
the daily diet.

Oil foods
These are foods from which oil can be obtained either by extraction or direct con-
sumption, e.g. groundnuts, sesame seeds (simsim), wild kapok seeds, oil palm ker-
nels and sunflower seed. Oils provide concentrated energy in the diet and
enhance palatability.

4
 INTRODUCTION

Spices and flavourings

These are foods, often strongly flavoured, and therefore used in small amounts,
which are added as seasoning to improve the taste of dishes and enhance the
appetite.

Tenderizers
Many of the plants are used as tenderizing agents. The leaves may be cooked
together with other leafy vegetables to soften them during cooking. Alterna-
tively, other parts of the plants are burnt to obtain ash which is also used to
tenderize other vegetables, to hasten the cooking of dry pulses or as a sub-
stitute for common salt.

Juices
As a snack the juice is sucked from many fruit picked in the wild. Also the
pulp of many ripe fruit may be soaked in water, squeezed or mashed, filtered
and sugar added to make larger quantities of juice for consumption in the
home or for sale. These juices supply vitamin C and energy.

Famine food
Many of the plants in this book are listed as famine foods. In these cases, leaves,
roots or tubers, for example, may all be eaten on occasions but the term implies
that they are only used when other more favoured alternatives are unavailable.

The nutritional value of wild food plants

Malnutrition is prevalent in Tanzania, as evidenced by the fact that 27% of chil-
dren are underweight, and micronutrient malnutrition affects a large proportion
of the population of Tanzania. Some 2,000–4,000 children go blind each year due
to lack of vitamin A in the diet. It has been estimated that 40% of the people live in
iodine-deficient areas and about 1.6% have severe deficiency and therefore suffer
from goitre. Prevalence of anaemia due to iron deficiency is 86% in children and
85% in pregnant women (FAO 1990, Kavishe 1993, UNICEF 1990).
The major cause of malnutrition is inadequate intake of nutrients. In ad-
dition, there is insufficient information and knowledge on the foods that are
rich in nutrients, and especially micronutrients, vitamins and minerals. In
Tanzania, therefore, wild plants that could supply these important nutrients
are important since many people cannot afford to buy the variety of foods
otherwise needed for an adequate diet.
Few Tanzanian wild food plants have been analysed for their nutritional
content, but available data indicate that many local vegetables and fruits
have a higher nutritive value than exotic vegetables commonly sold in mar-
kets. For example, Amaranthus spinosus, Bidens pilosa and Sesamum angolense
are among the local vegetables which are high in protein, fat and minerals
(calcium and iron). Other local vegetables have calcium contents 1.5–3.2
times higher than those of the cabbage-family species whose calcium con-

5
 INTRODUCTION

tent is the highest of all the exotic vegetables. Some wild fruits such as Adansonia
digitata, Annona senegalensis and Parinari curatellifolia are high in protein and
fat. Furthermore, the fruit of Adansonia digitata and Ximenia caffra have a higher
vitamin C content than mango (Mangifera indica) or orange (Citrus sinensis).

The role of wild food plants for food security in Tanzania

In humid areas of Tanzania, wild food plants, especially vegetables such as
Amaranthus spinosus and Bidens pilosa, are available throughout the year. But
others are only available seasonally. For example, in dry areas of Tanzania veg-
etables are most abundant between December and June, while fruits are abun-
dant from April to June. Some of the wild food plants, e.g. Ceratotheca sesamoides,
Adansonia digitata and Azanza garckeana, are collected during the peak season
and preserved for use during the off-season. Some fruits such as Adansonia digitata
and Tamarindus indica are dried in the sun and stored. Other fruits, for example
Azanza garckeana and Vangueria infausta, may be steamed before being dried
and stored. Vegetables are usually collected in large amounts, dried in the sun
before or after being steamed and stored. Leafy vegetables are often dried, pounded
and stored in powder form. Other wild foods such as roots and tubers of Ritchiea
albersii and Dioscorea spp. are important sources of food during periods of food
scarcity.
In addition to making significant additions to individual family food supplies,
wild food plants can contribute to household food security in other ways.
Income and employment can be obtained from sale or exchange of fruit, nuts
and vegetables. Juices and local alcoholic drinks are made from Adansonia
digitata, Tamarindus indica, Sclerocarya birrea and Uapaca kirkiana.

Promotion of the use and domestication of wild food plants

However, although many wild food plants are used by the majority of rural
Tanzanians, they are still not as much appreciated or valued as some of the
introduced food plants such as mango, orange, cabbage or Chinese cabbage.
To a certain extent these wild food plants are still regarded as inferior and
only appropriate for the poor. There is also a widespread decline in knowl-
edge about wild food plants, especially among young people and those who
live in urban areas.
As noted earlier, however, many wild food plants are both nutritious and im-
portant for food security. Many tasty dishes can be prepared from such plants. In
addition, the indigenous species are adapted to the local environment and
therefore propagate and grow easily with few requirements for external input
such as fertilizers and pesticides. Thus they can be easily integrated into
sustainable farming systems.
The aim of this book, therefore, is to encourage more people to learn about and
promote the use of wild food plants found in their areas. It is hoped, for example,

6
 INTRODUCTION

that extension officers, village leaders, district and group leaders may use it to
help them take an active role in the promotion and use of wild food plants and
dissemination of information about them to their communities. Moreover, it is hoped
that this book will prove useful to students, foresters, horticulturists, botanists,
primary and secondary school teachers, college and university lectures and re-
searchers.

Conservation of natural resources including food plants

However, it is not simply enough to encourage the use of these plants without
conserving them and the environment that will ensure their survival. With in-
creasing deforestation, exploitation and changes in land use, the diversity of natural
vegetation in Tanzania is declining and many of these wild foods and fruits are no
longer readily available. Some of the important wild food plants have already
disappeared or are becoming very rare. Examples are the orchids (Habenaria and
Satyrium spp.) covered in this publication, which are amongst many orchid spe-
cies that have become endangered because of recent massive collecting, harvest-
ing or trading for food purposes, particularly in the Southern Highlands. They are
still included in this book because of their local importance as food plants and their
potential for future domestication, but unsustainable harvesting of all rare or threat-
ened species should be discouraged.
There is, therefore, a great need for some of these indigenous wild plants to be
domesticated, starting with those that have a high nutritive value and are easy to
propagate. They also need genetic improvement and further development of meth-
ods for storage, processing and cooking.
There are numerous programmes, projects and activities in Tanzania aimed at
the conservation of the country’s natural resources. The main sectors involved are
agriculture, forestry, fisheries, wildlife, water and lands. Most programmes aim at
capacity building, restoration or rehabilitation, creation of awareness and facilita-
tion or enhancement of sustainable utilization of natural resources. Such efforts
are supported by Government policies such as the National Environmental Policy
and the National Environmental Action Plan. The establishment of the National
Environment Management Council (NEMC) has also been important.
Research and training institutions also play a crucial role in conserving Tan-
zania’s rich natural resources. Tertiary training institutions include three univer-
sities, the College of African Wildlife, the Tanzania Fisheries Training Institute,
the Tanzania Forestry Training Institute, the Beekeeping Training Institute and
the Ministry of Agriculture training institutes in agriculture, livestock and horti-
culture. Research institutions are co-ordinated by the Commission of Science and
Technology (COSTECH), and research is carried out by universities, the Tanza-
nia Forestry Research Institute (TAFORI), the Tanzania Fisheries Research Insti-
tute (TAFIRI), several agricultural and livestock research stations, the Serengeti
Wildlife Research Institute, and the Tanzania Pesticide Research Institute (TPRI).
There are also a number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that have

7
 INTRODUCTION

Map 3. The administrative regions and main towns of Tanzania

8
 INTRODUCTION

contributed substantially in the conservation of natural resources in Tanzania.

Examples are the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the
Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Wildlife Conservation Society of Tan-
zania.

Suggested activities
The workshop held in Iringa in November 2000 to review the draft of this book
was attended by many resource persons representing various disciplines (Appen-
dix II). The participants made the following recommendations for the promotion of
wild food plants in Tanzania:
• More exploration and studies of edible and medicinal plants should be carried
out throughout Tanzania and documented;
• Propagation and domestication of wild food plants and medicinal plants should
be started through efforts of the government, NGOs and women’s groups;
• Knowledge about wild food and medicinal plants should be taught in villages,
schools, colleges and universities;
• Pamphlets, booklets and newspapers on food plants should be produced so that
people can be more exposed to current local knowledge;
• Wild food plants that provide food during periods of food scarcity or famine
should be particularly promoted for planting in farmlands in order to improve
household food security;
• More research should be carried out on the nutritional and medicinal properties
of wild plants;
• People should be encouraged to protect and conserve wild food plants in their
farmlands;
• People should be encouraged to retain some natural vegetation during land
preparation (in situ conservation).
• Information about wild food and medicinal plants should also be disseminated
through the media and at workshops, seminars and exhibitions;
• Valued traditional foods from the wild, for example those eaten during special
occasions, should be studied and their continued use encouraged.

How to use this book

The main part of this book consists of descriptions and information about the wild
food plant species (each with an illustration), arranged alphabetically by scientific
name. This main section is preceded by list of the local (vernacular) names of these
plants in the main languages of Tanzania, again arranged alphabetically within
each language category (this section is printed on coloured paper).
If you wish to find information about a particular plant but only know its
name in your own language:
1. Look for the language you want in the list of local names. Languages are also
organized alphabetically.
2. Find the name you are looking for in that list.

9
 INTRODUCTION

3. Check the botanical (scientific) name that is listed next to it.

4. Look up the page for that plant in its alphabetical place in the main section of
the book.
At the end of the book there is a list of the species covered according to the
taxonomic families they belong to, and a separate alphabetical index of all the
species.
We have also included a feedback form at the end of the book where interested
readers can give us their views on any of the material in this book and make
suggestions for additions or corrections to be included in any future edition.

Medicinal use of wild plants

Some 60% of the plants described in this book are also known to be used as medi-
cine for treating different human diseases.
Wild plants provide the only medicines cheaply and readily available to the
vast majority of the rural population of Tanzania, as is the case in many other
developing countries in the world. They are also a source of some of the active
ingredients in modern pharmaceuticals.
However, the active compounds, proper methods of preparation, dosages, ef-
fectiveness and side effects of medicines prepared from these plants have not yet
been studied extensively. More research is needed before they can be used with
absolute safety and effectiveness. Therefore, people who may wish to use any of
these plants for medicinal purposes should take great care, seek expert advice
where possible, and be aware that any such use is made at their own risk.

10
 GLOSSARY

Illustrated glossary of botanical terms

(A. Birnie)

11
GLOSSARY

12
GLOSSARY

13
GLOSSARY

14
GLOSSARY

15
GLOSSARY

16
 LOCAL NAMES

PART I

LOCAL NAMES

17
 LOCAL NAMES

Map 4. The main ethnic groups of Tanzania

18
 LOCAL NAMES

Local names

Arusha
Emotoo Azanza garckeana Olpiroo Phoenix reclinata
Emusigiloi Rhus longipes Oluisuki Zanthoxylum chalybeum
Engirusha Opilia amentacea var. chalybeum
Engokiki Ormocarpum kirkii Orimigomi Pappea capensis
Engumi Vangueria infausta subsp. Ormisigiyoi Rhus natalensis
rotundata Oseki Cordia monoica
Engumi Vangueria Osilalei Commiphora africana
madagascariensis Ositeti Grewia mollis
Engumi Vangueria volkensii
Eravande Lannea schweinfurthii var. Barabaig
stuhlmannii
Aantsi Ficus sycomorus
Loshoro Vangueria infausta subsp.
Babaxchet Vangueria infausta subsp.
rotundata
rotundata
Loshoro Vangueria
Babaxchet Vangueria
madagascariensis
madagascariensis
Masera Adansonia digitata
Barangu Vangueria infausta subsp.
Mesera Adansonia digitata
rotundata
Oldadai Abutilon mauritianum
Barangu Vangueria
Oldaoboi Kigelia africana
madagascariensis
Olkilili Ficus stuhlmannii
Ganyamda Balanites aegyptiaca
Olkloriti Acacia nilotica
Geta-da-qwal Syzygium guineense
Olmadanyi Vangueria infausta subsp.
Getakhubay Osyris lanceolata
rotundata
Hawi Balanites aegyptiaca
Olmadanyi Vangueria
Maanyangu Ximenia caffra
madagascariensis
Mahhahhari Dovyalis abyssinica
Olmadanyi Vangueria volkensii
Malharimo Vangueria infausta subsp.
Olmang’wai Sclerocarya birrea subsp.
rotundata
caffra
Malharimog Vangueria infausta subsp.
Olmangulai Grewia villosa
rotundata
Olmangulai-
Malharimog Vangueria
oloingoni Grewia platyclada
madagascariensis
Olmasambrai Tamarindus indica
Millan Phoenix reclinata
Olmkoma Grewia similis
Naamo Commiphora africana
Olngaboli Ficus sycomorus
Qach Carissa edulis
Olngoswa Balanites aegyptiaca
Segedid Myrsine africana
Oloilali Ziziphus mucronata
Sirong Rhus longipes
subsp. mucronata

19
 LOCAL NAMES

Barabaig (contd) Msaula Parinari curatellifolia

Sonari Syzygium guineense subsp. curatellifolia
Udageshade Abutilon mauritianum Msawulwa Parinari curatellifolia
Wapkan Zanthoxylum chalybeum subsp. curatellifolia
var. chalybeum Mtono Commiphora africana
Yudek Acacia senegal Mtowo Azanza garckeana
Muhanjahanja Senna singueana
Bena Musaulwa Parinari curatellifolia
subsp. curatellifolia
Findokoli Tapiphyllum burnettii
Muwewe Multidentia crassa
Ki’tononganga Acacia senegal
Mvanga ng’oma Balanites rotundifolia
Kikande Habenaria walleri
Ndyavadimi Acalypha bipartita
Kikande Satyrium macrophyllum
Ndyavadimi Acalypha fruticosa
Kikande Satyrium neglectum var.
Ng’owo Eriosema burkei var.
neglectum
burkei
Lidunula Osyris lanceolata
Ngulukila Achyranthes aspera
Lidzadzi Rhus vulgaris
Nyahedja Bidens schimperi
Lifilafila Garcinia kingäensis
Nyahedza Bidens schimperi
Likolovega Commelina africana
Nyalenge Oxygonum sinuatum
Lilinga Lannea humilis
Nyamachebele Satyrium macrophyllum
Lilungulungu Zanthoxylum chalybeum
Nyamachebele Satyrium neglectum var.
var. chalybeum
neglectum
Lingulukila, Achyranthes aspera
Nyamasebele Satyrium macrophyllum
Linyominyomi Leonotis nepetifolia
Nyausako Cleome hirta
Linyowa Strychnos cocculoides
Nyava Dactyloctenium aegyptium
Lisapi Cucumis dipsaceus
Nyava Dactyloctenium giganteum
Lisuka Emilia coccinea
Tambalanjoka Coccinia adoensis
Litangadasi Strychnos pungens
Livangala Ensete ventricosum
Lombo Nymphaea lotus Bende
Lukalifya Caylusea abyssinica Bunkundu Strychnos innocua
Mbigili Oxygonum sinuatum Kagobole Ziziphus mucronata subsp.
Mbwegele Sclerocarya birrea subsp. mucronata
caffra Kajibajiba Syzygium owariense
Mdoda Rumex abyssinicus Kashira-nguruwe Pseudospondias
Mdoda Rumex usambarensis microcarpa
Mduma Garcinia smeathmannii Kasiamongo Syzygium owariense
Mdunula Osyris lanceolata Kilindila Aerva leucura
Mdzombe Ficus sur Kuti Pouteria adolfi-friedericii
Mfilafila Garcinia kingäensis subsp. australis
Mfudu Vitex doniana Mbula Parinari curatellifolia
Mfumbi Kigelia africana subsp. curatellifolia
Mfwifwi Psorospermum febrifugum Mfila Annona senegalensis
Mgola Flacourtia indica Mfulu-legea Vitex madiensis subsp.
Mguhu Uapaca kirkiana milanjiensis
Mkalifya Caylusea abyssinica Mfumbe Piliostigma thonningii
Mkole Grewia bicolor Mfungu Aerva leucura
Mng’ulung’ulu Strychnos innocua Mhugambu Lantana trifolia
Mpelemehe Grewia mollis Mkole Grewia bicolor
Mpingipingi Ximenia americana Mkole-dume Grewia hexamita
Mpingipingi Ximenia caffra Mkusu Uapaca kirkiana
Mpugopugo Garcinia livingstonei Mnsakansaka Piliostigma thonningii
Msasati Vitex mombassae Msantu Ximenia americana

20
 LOCAL NAMES

Msantu Ximenia caffra Mgama Mimusops kummel

Msekela Antidesma venosum Mgama Mimusops somaliensis
Mselala Antidesma venosum Mgambo Mimusops bagshawei
Msepa Parkia filicoidea Mgambo Mimusops kummel
Mshishi Tamarindus indica Mgambo Mimusops obtusifolia
Msinde Diospyros mespiliformis Mgobe Vitex doniana
Msisi Tamarindus indica Mgobe Vitex ferruginea
Msunga Flacourtia indica Mgobe Vitex mombassae
Mtobo Azanza garckeana Mhetele Dialium orientale
Mugogolo Multidentia crassa Mhuuga Lantana trifolia
Mulalambo Syzygium guineense Mkaafuu Pouzolzia mixta
Mulambo Syzygium guineense Mkanye Allanblackia stuhlmanii
Muzingilizi Sorindeia Mkanye Allanblackia ulugurensis
madagascariensis Mkonde Myrianthus arboreus
Mwenza Aerva leucura Mkonga Balanites wilsoniana
Mweza Aerva leucura Mkwakwa Strychnos innocua
Nsanda Bidens pilosa Mkwanga Zanha africana
Siponda Commiphora africana Mkwazu Tamarindus indica
Tambwe Ensete ventricosum Mkwingwina Sorindeia
Tebwa Celosia schweinfurthiana madagascariensis
Mlegea Kigelia africana
Bondei Mlenda Ceratotheca sesamoides
Mlungulungu Zanthoxylum chalybeum
Buuza Amaranthus spinosus
var. chalybeum
Bwache Amaranthus spinosus
Mnangu Grewia similis
Bwache-katonge Amaranthus spinosus
Mng’ongo Sclerocarya birrea subsp.
Danga-danga Portulaca oleracea
caffra
Funga-msanga Celosia trigyna
Mnyembeuwe Erythrococca kirkii
Fyofyokoe Abutilon angulatum
Msamaka Aframomum albiflorum
Fyofyokoe Abutilon mauritianum
Msamaka Aframomum angustifolium
Fyofyokoe Triumfetta cordifolia var.
Msamaka Cola scheffleri
tomentosa
Mshaa Rubus apetalus
Hombo-kisogo Rourea orientalis
Mshaa Rubus rigidus
Hombo-kiumbu Ormocarpum kirkii
Msosokolwe Triumfetta cordifolia var.
Kibaazi-mzitu Eriosema ukingense
tomentosa
Kibwabwa Nicandra physaloides
Mtambakuzimu Deinbollia kilimandscharicavar.
Kibwando Corchorus fascicularis
kilimandscharica
Kibwando Corchorus tridens
Mtonga Strychnos innocua
Kibwando Corchorus trilocularis
Mtonga Strychnos spinosa subsp.
Kisogo Rourea orientalis
lokua
Kisugu Platostoma africanum
Mtonkwe Annona senegalensis
Kiteguzi Dracaena mannii
Mugobe Vitex ferruginea
Komanguku Senna occidentalis
Mvilu Vangueria infausta subsp.
Langa Tacca leontopetaloides
rotundata
Lumaka Hibiscus acetosella
Mviu Vangueria infausta subsp.
Mamata Pupalia lappacea var.
rotundata
velutina
Mvuma Borassus aethiopum
Mbigii Tribulus terrestris
Mwanga Tacca leontopetaloides
Mbokwe Annona senegalensis
Mwiza Bridelia micrantha
Mbuyu Adansonia digitata
Ndiga Dioscorea dumetorum
Mdudu Thylachium africanum
Njujui Solanum anguivii
Mfulwe Acalypha ornata
Njujui Solanum schumannianum
Mfune Sterculia africana

21
 LOCAL NAMES

Bondei (contd) Kiwiru Landolphia kilimanjarica

Nkongo Commelina imberbis Kiya Dioscorea odoratissima
Nkongo Commelina latifolia Kiyana kya mburu Amaranthus spinosus
Nywanywa Rumex abyssinicus Lama Ximenia americana
Nywanywa Rumex usambarensis Machame Carissa edulis
Pupu Laportea ovalifolia Mang’we Sclerocarya birrea subsp.
Sambae Lobelia fervens subsp. caffra
fervens Mango Sclerocarya birrea subsp.
Sesemlanda Trichodesma zeylanicum caffra
Sosokolwe Triumfetta cordifolia var. Manka Carissa edulis
tomentosa Marie Bridelia micrantha
Tako-da-hasani Portulaca oleracea Masdi Syzygium guineense
Tambuu Piper guineense Mbachanga Cordyla africana
Tambwe Ensete ventricosum Mberegesa Osyris lanceolata
Tebwa Aerva lanata Mbiinu Oxygonum sinuatum
Tikini Asystasia gangetica Mbindiyo Trichilia emetica
Tikini Asystasia mysorensis Mbowe Vangueria infausta subsp.
Tonge Talinum portulacifolium rotundata
Tugu Dioscorea dumetorum Mchengo Trichilia emetica
Twanguo Bidens pilosa Mchunga Sonchus luxurians
Ukakaka Rubia cordifolia Mdara Oncoba spinosa
Unkobo Justicia heterocarpa Mdowo Vangueria apiculata
Utambaa-ngoswei Hewittia sublobata Mdulu-ndugu Englerophytum natalense
Zuma Myrsine africana Mgoda Sorindeia
madagascariensis
Chagga Mgweda Sorindeia
madagascariensis
Efurie Lantana ukambensis
Mkadi Diospyros mespiliformis
Efurie Lippia kituiensis
Mkakyi Tamarindus indica
Ichawele Annona senegalensis
Mkole Commelina africana
Ikengera Commelina africana
Mkondikondo Vangueria apiculata
Ikengera Commelina benghalensis
Mkongoni Trichilia emetica
Ikengera Commelina imberbis
Mkuare Diospyros mespiliformis
Imbar’a Bidens pilosa
Mkuu Adansonia digitata
Iratune Aloe nutii
Mkuu Ficus sansibarica
Isale Dracaena mannii
Mkuu Ficus sur
Isangaruhu Ensete ventricosum
Mkuu Ficus sycomorus
Ishishina Lannea schweinfurthii var.
Mlela Grewia similis
stuhlmannii
Mlenda Malva parviflora
Iwasha Trichodesma zeylanicum
Mmango Dovyalis abyssinica
Iwero Rubus apetalus
Mmasai Syzygium guineense
Iwero Rubus rigidus
Mmbindio Trichilia emetica
Kaworo Vangueria apiculata
Mndaraho Sorindeia
Kaworo Vangueria infausta subsp.
madagascariensis
rotundata
Mng’wang’wa Sorindeia
Kaworo Vangueria
madagascariensis
madagascariensis
Mohoromo Balanites aegyptiaca
Kaworo Vangueria volkensii
Mokiki Momordica foetida
Kichangoru Rubia cordifolia
Monde Bridelia micrantha
Kitariche Rubia cordifolia
Moya Tamarindus indica
Kiviroe Vangueria apiculata
Mpachama Cordyla africana
Kiweriweri Rumex abyssinicus
Mporori Cussonia spicata
Kiweriweri Rumex usambarensis

22
 LOCAL NAMES

Mpungulu Rhus natalensis Kitazi Ormocarpum kirkii

Mpungulu Rhus vulgaris Kitoria Landolphia kirkii
Mrisirisi Annona senegalensis Kungala Hibiscus calyphyllus
Mroma Cordyla africana Libugu Landolphia kirkii
Mrowe Celosia trigyna Madungatundu Flacourtia indica
Mrua Trilepisium Makindu Phoenix reclinata
madagascariense Mbara Diospyros mespiliformis
Msambochi Flacourtia indica Mbokwe Annona senegalensis
Msanbachi Flacourtia indica Mbooya Ancylobotrys petersiana
Msinde Diospyros mespiliformis Mbuyu Adansonia digitata
Mtomoko Annona senegalensis Mbwananyahi Rhus natalensis
Mtutu, Trichilia emetica Mbwananyahi Rhus vulgaris
Mwaru Bridelia micrantha Mchindu Phoenix reclinata
Mwavai Trichilia emetica Mdungu Zanthoxylum chalybeum
Ndawiro Vangueria apiculata var. chalybeum
Ndawiro Vangueria infausta subsp. Mfudukoma Vitex mombassae
rotundata Mfungatanzu Garcinia livingstonei
Ndawiro Vangueria Mgorodo Ziziphus mucronata
madagascariensis subsp. mucronata
Ndawiro Vangueria volkensii Mgwanyahi Rhus natalensis
Ndowo Vangueria infausta subsp. Mjirambiri Synaptolepis kirkii
rotundata Mkoma Hyphaene compressa
Ndowo Vangueria Mkoma lume Hyphaene compressa
madagascariensis Mkoma lume Hyphaene coriacea
Ndowo Vangueria volkensii Mkonga Balanites rotundifolia
Ngapillo Englerophytum natalense Mkonga Balanites wilsoniana
Ngapilo Englerophytum natalense Mkulu Diospyros mespiliformis
Ngetsi Embelia schimperi Mkunguma Sorindeia
Ngolowo Vigna pubescens madagascariensis
Ngombo Cardamine trichocarpa Mkuta-manena Phyllanthus engleri
Ngomighaa Sorindeia Mkwadzu Tamarindus indica
madagascariensis Mkwaju Tamarindus indica
Nyungu Rhus vulgaris Mkwakwa Strychnos innocua
Sale Dracaena afromontana Mng’ongo Sclerocarya birrea subsp.
Ukiko Drymaria cordata caffra
Mngongo Sclerocarya birrea subsp.
Digo caffra
Mnyondoiya Flacourtia indica
Chikura Antidesma venosum
Mpira Landolphia kirkii
Chimvuno Hygrophila auriculata
Mpwakapwaka Chytranthus obliquinervis
Chitadzi Ormocarpum kirkii
Mrungurungu Zanthoxylum chalybeum
Chivwa kuku Aerva lanata
var. chalybeum
Duruma Flacourtia indica
Msezi Manilkara sulcata
Dzadza Commelina africana
Mtonga Strychnos innocua
Dzadza Commelina benghalensis
Mtonga Strychnos spinosa subsp.
Dzova Borassus aethiopum
lokua
Fudumadzi Vitex mombassae
Mtsekeshe Piliostigma thonningii
Futsure Asystasia gangetica
Mtserere Hoslundia opposita
Futswe Asystasia gangetica
Mtundakula Ximenia
Kihuro Antidesma venosum
americana
Kikwata Acacia senegal
Mtute Ormocarpum kirkii
Kisambwe Garcinia livingstonei
Kisogo Rourea orientalis

23
 LOCAL NAMES

Digo (contd) African sandalwood Osyris lanceolata

Mudhungu Zanthoxylum chalybeum African star chestnut Sterculia africana
var. chalybeum African tragacanth Sterculia tragacantha
Mudzala Uvaria acuminata Arrow-poison plant Acokanthera schimperi
Mudzala Uvaria lucida subsp. Arrow-poison tree Acokanthera
lucida oppositifolia
Mugiaki Syzygium guineense Ashanti pepper Piper guineense
Mugugune Ziziphus mucronata Babul Acacia nilotica
subsp. mucronata Baobab Adansonia digitata
Muhonga Strychnos Bastard dwaba-berry Friesodielsia obovata
madagascariensis Bastard fig Trilepisium
Mumbweni Uvaria acuminata madagascariense
Mung’ambo Manilkara sansibarensis Bird plum Berchemia discolor
Munjirembiri Synaptolepis kirkii Black plum Vitex doniana
Munua-nyoka Adenia gummifera Black plum Vitex payos var. payos
Mupwanga Dracaena mannii Blackjack Bidens pilosa
Musikiro Strychnos Blue commelina Commelina
madagascariensis benghalensis
Mutseketse Piliostigma thonningii Blue lotus of Egypt Nymphaea nouchali
Muvuma Vangueria apiculata var. caerulea
Muzanira-kuzimu Synaptolepis kirkii Borassus palm Borassus aethiopum
Muziahi Syzygium cordatum Border plant Alternanthera tenella
Muziahi Syzygium guineense var. bettzickiana
Muziyahe Syzygium guineense Brown ivory Berchemia discolor
Mviru Vangueria infausta subsp. Buffalo thorn Ziziphus mucronata
rotundata subsp. mucronata
Mvumo Borassus aethiopum Cabbage tree Cussonia spicata
Mwalavi Hibiscus surattensis Cactus Opuntia vulgaris
Mwambangoma Balanites aegyptiaca Caltrops Tribulus terrestris
Mwawawu Hibiscus surattensis Camel’s foot tree Piliostigma thonningii
Mzangatchango Antidesma venosum Cape mahogany Trichilia emetica
Mzezi Manilkara sulcata Cape myrtle Myrsine africana
Mzihae Syzygium cordatum Careless weed Amaranthus spinosus
Ngolokolo Borassus aethiopum Catch thorn Ziziphus abyssinica
Nzezi Manilkara sulcata Ceylon borage Trichodesma
Tako-la-hasani Portulaca oleracea zeylanicum
Tala-kushe Asystasia gangetica Chinese date Ziziphus mauritiana
Tebwe Aerva lanata Chocolate berry Vitex payos var. payos
Toro Nymphaea lotus Christmas berry Psorospermum
Vibooya Ancylobotrys petersiana febrifugum
Vitoria Ancylobotrys petersiana Cider tree Sclerocarya birrea
subsp. caffra
English Cluster yam Dioscorea dumetorum
Common poison bush Acokanthera schimperi
African arrowroot Tacca leontopetaloides
Common purselane Portulaca oleracea
African bitter yam Dioscorea dumetorum
Common wild medlar Vangueria
African bread fruit Treculia africana
madagascariensis
African canarium Canarium
Cork-wood tree Ricinodendron
schweinfurthii
heudelotii subsp.
African ebony Diospyros
africanum
mespiliformis
Corky bark strychnos Strychnos cocculoides
African fan palm Borassus aethiopum
African mangosteen Garcinia livingstonei

24
 LOCAL NAMES

Crooked false medlar Vangueriopsis Ivy gourd Coccinia grandis

lanciflora Jackal berry Diospyros
Crow-foot grass Dactyloctenium mespiliformis
aegyptium Joseph’s coat Alternanthera tenella
Debeb palm Borassus aethiopum var. bettzickiana
Desert date Balanites aegyptiaca Jujube Ziziphus mauritiana
Donkey berry Grewia bicolor Kei apple Dovyalis caffra
Doum palm Hyphaene compressa Knobwood Zanthoxylum
Doum palm Hyphaene coriacea chalybeum var.
Doum palm Hyphaene petersiana chalybeum
Dull-leaved strychnos Strychnos innocua Large caterpillar pod Ormocarpum
Dune myrtle Eugenia capensis trichocarpum
subsp. nyassensis Large cluster pear Uvaria lucida subsp.
Dwarf medlar Pygmaeothamnus lucida
zeyheri Large sourplum Ximenia caffra
East African cotton Bombax Large-flowered
tree rhodognaphalon var. yellow grewia Grewia hexamita
tomentosum Large-leaved star
East African chestnut Sterculia quinqueloba
sandalwood Osyris lanceolata Large-leaved sterculia Sterculia quinqueloba
Egyptian plane tree Sterculia quinqueloba Long-leaved dragon
Egyptian thorn Acacia nilotica tree Dracaena mannii
Elephant toothbrush Cussonia spicata Maasai stinging
False fig Trilepisium nettle Urtica massaica
madagascariense Mallow Malva parviflora
False marula Lannea schweinfurthii Mallow Malva verticillata
var. stuhlmannii Mastic tree Pistacia aethiopica
False medlar Vangueria infausta Milk apple Dictyophleba lucida
subsp. rotundata Milk berry Manilkara mochisia
False sandalwood Ximenia americana Mobola plum Parinari curatellifolia
Fan palm Hyphaene petersiana subsp. curatellifolia
Fig Ficus sansibarica Monkey fingers Friesodielsia obovata
Fig Ficus vallis-choudae Monkey orange Strychnos cocculoides
Fish-poison bean Tylosema fassoglense Monkey rope Adenia gummifera
Forest mahogany Trichilia dregeana Monkeybread Piliostigma thonningii
Forest milkberry Manilkara discolor Marula Sclerocarya birrea
Forest mobola plum Parinari excelsa subsp. caffra
Geb Ziziphus mauritiana Marula plum Sclerocarya birrea
Giant aroid Typhonodorum subsp. caffra
lindleyanum Mottled-bark
Giant yellow mulberry Myrianthus holstii canthium Canthium burttii
Glossy flat-bean Dalbergia nitidula Multidentia Multidentia fanshawei
Governor’s plum Flacourtia indica Mustard tree Salvadora persica
Granite garcinia Garcinia buchananii Myrianthus Myrianthus holstii
Grey-leaved cordia Cordia sinensis Myrsine Myrsine africana
Grey-leaved saucer Natal mahogany Trichilia emetica
berry Cordia sinensis Natal milk plum Englerophytum
Gum arabic tree Acacia nilotica natalense
Gum arabic tree Acacia senegal Northern African Xylotheca tettensis var.
Indian jujube Ziziphus mauritiana dog-rose kirkii
Indian plum Flacourtia indica Northern dwaba-berry Friesodielsia obovata
Indian plum Ziziphus mauritiana

25
 LOCAL NAMES

English (contd) Soap berry Deinbollia borbonica

Northern forest Soap berry Deinbollia kilimandscharica
garcinia Garcinia kingäensis var. kilimandscharica
Northern wild myrtle Eugenia capensis Soft-leaved Commiphora
subsp. nyassensis commiphora mossambicensis
Old man’s gold Abutilon mauritianum Sorrel Rumex usambarensis
Orange-milk tree Harungana Southern ilala palm Hyphaene petersiana
madagascariensis Spineless monkey Strychnos
Palmyra palm Borassus aethiopum orange madagascariensis
Parasol tree Sterculia tragacantha Spiny amaranth Amaranthus spinosus
Pink diospyros Diospyros kirkii Spiny monkey orange Strychnos spinosa
Poison-arrow tree Acokanthera schimperi subsp. lokua
Poison-grub Spiny-leaved monkey
commiphora Commiphora africana orange Strychnos pungens
Poor man’s gold Abutilon mauritianum Sprawling bauhinia Tylosema fassoglense
Prickly amaranth Amaranthus spinosus Stem fruit Englerophytum
Prickly pear Opuntia vulgaris magalismontanum
Puncture vine Tribulus terrestris Stinking weed Senna occidentalis
Purplewood dalbergia Dalbergia nitidula Sudan gum arabic Acacia senegal
Purslane Portulaca oleracea Sycamore fig Ficus sycomorus
River litchi Lecaniodiscus Tall sterculia Sterculia
fraxinifolius subsp. appendiculata
vaughanii Tallow nut Ximenia americana
Rough chaff flower Achyranthes aspera
Round-fruited red Tamarind Tamarindus indica
milkwood Mimusops obtusifolia Tangle-flowered wild
Round-leaved Chenopodium medlar Vangueria apiculata
goosefoot opulifolium Tassel berry Antidesma venosum
Rubber vine Landolphia kirkii Teasel gourd Cucumis dipsaceus
Rubber vine Landolphia parvifolia Thicket combretum Combretum padoides
Sage brush Lantana trifolia Thorn pear Scolopia zeyheri
Sage brush Lantana ukambensis Three-leaved yam Dioscorea dumetorum
Sandpaper tree Cordia monoica Three-thorned acacia Acacia senegal
Sausage tree Kigelia africana Tick tree Sterculia africana
Scarlet gourd Coccinia grandis Toothbrush bush Salvadora persica
Scented-pod acacia Acacia nilotica Toothbrush tree Salvadora persica
Sea purslane Sesuvium Tree hibiscus Azanza garckeana
portulacastrum Tuck-berry Lantana camara
Sedge plant Lippia kituiensis Uapaca Uapaca kirkiana
Senegal date Phoenix reclinata Velvet-fruited zanha Zanha africana
Sesame bush Sesamothamnus Waterberry Syzygium owariense
busseanus Water lettuce Pistia stratiotes
Shakama plum Hexalobus Water lily Nymphaea nouchali
monopetalus var. caerulea
Simple-spined carissa Carissa edulis Water pear Syzygium guineense
Small caterpillar pod Ormocarpum kirkii Waterberry tree Syzygium cordatum
Small sourplum Ximenia americana Waterberry Syzygium guineense
Small-fruited Syzygium masukuense White lotus Nymphaea lotus
waterberry subsp. masukuense Wild almond Berchemia discolor
Smelly-berry vitex Vitex mombassae Wild banana Ensete ventricosum
Snot apple Azanza garckeana Wild cardamom Aframomum
Snowberry tree Flueggea virosa albiflorum

26
 LOCAL NAMES

Wild cardamom Aframomum Fipa

angustifolium
Binika Habenaria epipactidea
Wild coffee Coffea mufindiensis
Kiputu Vitex doniana
Wild custard apple Annona senegalensis
Kiputu Vitex ferruginea
Wild date palm Phoenix reclinata
Kiputu Vitex fischeri
Wild fig Ficus sur
Kiputu Vitex madiensis subsp.
Wild grape Cissus cornifolia
milanjiensis
Wild grape Lannea rivae
Kiputu Vitex mombassae
Wild grenadilla Adenia gummifera
Kiputu Vitex payos var. payos
Wild jackfruit Treculia africana
Kivuzi Ficus sycomorus
Wild kapok tree Bombax
Mbululu Alsodeiopsis schumannii
rhodognaphalon var.
Mchinka Vitex doniana
tomentosum
Mchinka Vitex mombassae
Wild loquat Uapaca kirkiana
Mfulu Vitex mombassae
Wild mango Cordyla africana
Mfumbe Piliostigma thonningii
Wild medlar Vangueria infausta
Mfuru Vitex doniana
subsp. rotundata
Mkaisya Osyris lanceolata
Wild medlar Vangueria
Mkiinka Vitex mombassae
madagascariensis
Mkinka Vitex mombassae
Wild medlar Vangueria volkensii
Mkungulanga Sterculia quinqueloba
Wild plum Ximenia americana
Mlalambo Syzygium guineense
Wild simsim Sesamum calycinum
Mlangali Bridelia micrantha
var. angustifolium
Mpelemusi Sterculia quinqueloba
Wild sorghum Sorghum purpureo-
Msada Vangueria
sericeum
madagascariensis
Wild tea Lippia kituiensis
Msaguye Sterculia quinqueloba
Wild vine Cyphostemma
Msanda Canthium oligocarpum
bullatum
subsp. oligocarpum
Wild vine Cyphostemma njegerre
Msanda Vangueria infausta subsp.
Wild yam Dioscorea
rotundata
sansibarensis
Msangula Rhus natalensis
Winter cassia Senna singueana
Msindamboga Piliostigma thonningii
Winter lotus Nymphaea lotus
Msu Syzygium cordatum
Y-thorned carissa Carissa bispinosa
Msu Syzygium guineense
Msuuku Carissa edulis
Fiome Mtonga Strychnos spinosa subsp.
Ahntsi Opuntia vulgaris lokua
Amafughun Strychnos spinosa subsp. Mufita Vitex doniana
lokua Munyamaji Bridelia micrantha
Baghalmo-lambi Cordia sinensis Musu Syzygium cordatum
Booami Fadogia ancylantha Musu Syzygium guineense
Booami Fadogia elskensii var. Mwanga Flacourtia indica
elskensii Mwengele Pouteria adolfi-friedericii
Galapi Piliostigma thonningii subsp. australis
Kuyu Ficus sycomorus Mwikalatulo Pappea capensis
Lomo Grewia villosa Mwula Parinari curatellifolia
Maendahakhai Phyllanthus engleri subsp. curatellifolia
Mjirya Balanites aegyptiaca Mwunza Pappea capensis
Morungi Zanthoxylum chalybeum Nakalondo Fadogia elskensii var.
var. chalybeum elskensii
Nakalondo Fadogia stenophylla
Nakifumbe Piliostigma thonningii

27
 LOCAL NAMES

Fipa (contd) Mkuyu Ficus vallis-choudae

Nzungwa Kigelia africana Mkwata Cordyla africana
Popwe Zanthoxylum chalybeum Mkwata Cordyla densiflora
var. chalybeum Mlala Hyphaene compressa
Tochi Ensete ventricosum Mlala Hyphaene coriacea
Unku Ficus sur Mlungulungu Zanthoxylum chalybeum
Yunga Syzygium owariense var. chalybeum
Mluze Sterculia africana
Gogo Mlyang’ungu Sesamothamnus
busseanus
Gole Adenia racemosa
Mmumbulu Manilkara obovata
Ihoma-ng’ombe Hygrophila auriculata
Mnangwe Ziziphus mucronata
Ilendi-lya-
subsp. mucronata
mhonjela Sesamum angolense
Mnghanangha Lannea humilis
Ilimi-lya-ng’ombe Trichodesma zeylanicum
Mnhulwa Strychnos innocua
Itembwe Aloe nutii
Mnhulwa Strychnos
Kidingulio Aloe nutii
madagascariensis
Kisalasala Momordica foetida
Mnyangwe Ziziphus mucronata
Kisesetya Grewia similis
subsp. mucronata
Lyungulyungu Coccinia grandis
Mnyangwe-mwaha Ziziphus mucronata
Mbahuza mtwe Canthium burttii
subsp. mucronata
Mbwanhubwanhu Canthium burttii
Mnzuyuyu Dovyalis abyssinica
Mbwejele Sclerocarya birrea subsp.
Mpakapaka Canthium burttii
caffra
Mpakapaka Feretia apodanthera
Mdawi Cordia monoica
subsp. tanzaniensis
Mdawi Cordia sinensis
Mpela Adansonia digitata
Mdawi-sogwe Cordia sinensis
Mpelemehe Grewia platyclada
Mduguyu Balanites aegyptiaca
Mrumba Ficus sycomorus
Mfuko Acacia nilotica
Msabi Lannea fulva
Mfuku Acacia nilotica
Msada Vangueria infausta subsp.
Mfulu Vitex doniana
rotundata
Mfulu Vitex ferruginea
Msada Vangueria
Mfulu Vitex payos var. payos
madagascariensis
Mfungulo Chenopodium opulifolium
Msakasaka Maerua decumbens
Mgandu Berchemia discolor
Msechela Psydrax parviflora subsp.
Mgukwe Grewia hexamita
rubrocostata
Mgwelu Grewia fallax
Msele Delonix elata
Mgwelu Grewia hexamita
Msenha Cordia monoica
Mhafuta Grewia hexamita
Msilale Commiphora africana
Mhangalale Bidens pilosa
Msisi Tamarindus indica
Mhilile Cleome hirta
Msomvugo Commiphora africana
Mhunungu Zanthoxylum chalybeum
Mswaga Senna singueana
var. chalybeum
Mtafuta Grewia bicolor
Mjiha Dalbergia nitidula
Mtafuta Grewia similis
Mjingu Ximenia caffra
Mtori Pappea capensis
Mkole Grewia bicolor
Mtoyo Azanza garckeana
Mkole Grewia mollis
Mtulu Opilia amentacea
Mkonze Manilkara mochisia
Mtundwe Ximenia americana
Mkuju Ficus vallis-choudae
Mtundwe Ximenia caffra
Mkunghuni Salvadora persica
Muanga Pappea capensis
Mkunungu Zanthoxylum chalybeum
Mubefu Bussea massaiensis
var. chalybeum
Mufuku Acacia nilotica
Mkuyu Ficus sycomorus

28
 LOCAL NAMES

Mugama Mimusops kummel Furudou Strychnos innocua

Muhulo Syzygium cordatum Galapi Piliostigma thonningii
Muhulo Syzygium guineense Getakhubay Pappea capensis
Muhulo Syzygium sclerophyllum Ghal-landi Ziziphus mucronata
Muhumba Senna singueana subsp. mucronata
Muhuu Syzygium cordatum Ghalmi Bidens pilosa
Muhuu Syzygium guineense Gulgurchandi Sclerocarya birrea subsp.
Muhuu Syzygium sclerophyllum caffra
Mulala Hyphaene petersiana Hanarmo Cordia sinensis
Mulumba Ficus glumosa var. Hawi Balanites aegyptiaca
glaberrina Ijiraombe Syzygium cordatum
Mulumba Ficus ingens Indakhakha Phyllanthus engleri
Muluze Sterculia africana Intsanti Phoenix reclinata
Muluze Sterculia mhosya Itiwi Lannea fulva
Muluze Sterculia quinqueloba Khkokhoi Strychnos spinosa subsp.
Mulyanhungu Sesamothamnus lokua
busseanus Kwantzi Achyranthes aspera
Mumbulu Manilkara obovata Lomo Grewia bicolor
Muwaha Lantana camara Lomo Grewia mollis
Muwinganzoka Senna occidentalis Lomo-peh Grewia platyclada
Muwumbu Lannea rivae Lomodu-aawak Grewia fallax
Muwumbu Lannea schweinfurthii var. Maanyangu Ximenia caffra
stuhlmannii Maayangumo Ximenia caffra
Muwumbu Maerua decumbens Mahheli Myrsine africana
Muwurubu Lannea fulva Mathar Hoslundia opposita
Mwambangoma Balanites aegyptiaca Matlarimo Hoslundia opposita
Mwimachigulu Thylachium africanum Matsalmo Hoslundia opposita
Myembe-mwitu Trichilia emetica Mithingiti Tamarindus indica
Mzasa Acacia senegal Mnughumo Zanha africana
Mzuyuyu Dovyalis macrocalyx Morungi Zanthoxylum chalybeum
Njelula Duosperma crenatum var. chalybeum
Nyembemwitu Trichilia emetica Msaki Salvadora persica
Utumbu Cucumis dipsaceus Msugwe Sorindeia
madagascariensis
Gorowa Mummui Dovyalis abyssinica
Natsiayi Ormocarpum kirkii
Aambalangw Rhus longipes
Niimo Commiphora africana
Aantsi Ficus sycomorus
Nunuhay Achyranthes aspera
Aarmo-desu Delonix elata
Oroondi Momordica foetida
Amafa-aa Parinari curatellifolia
Orrolmo Vitex doniana
subsp. curatellifolia
Saski Grewia similis
Awartu Syzygium cordatum
Siginyanyi Osyris lanceolata
Bagharimo Cordia monoica
Tarantu Ximenia americana
Baryomodi Acacia nilotica
Thaki Trichodesma zeylanicum
Da-aahugmo Psorospermum febrifugum
Thati Hyphaene petersiana
Dakaumo Adansonia digitata
Thogi Azanza garckeana
Dalaagi Senna singueana
Titiwi Carissa edulis
Datei Rhus longipes
Tlaghay Azanza garckeana
Dati Kigelia africana
Tlambau Vitex mombassae
Datlaii Rhus vulgaris
Tsalmi Lannea fulva
Datlii Rhus longipes
Tsapenai Flacourtia indica
Firaakwi Grewia platyclada
Fraaki Canthium lactescens

29
 LOCAL NAMES

Ha Entare yeirungo Zanthoxylum chalybeum

Buliga-kubwa Dioscorea schimperiana var. chalybeum
Bulyankende Monanthotaxis poggei Makindu Phoenix reclinata
Ingege Lannea rivae Mbafu Canarium schweinfurthii
Intabali Lannea rivae Mbungu Treculia africana
Intulakigina Lannea rivae Mchwezi Syzygium guineense
Itiguligwa Dioscorea odoratissima Mgugunwa Vangueria volkensii
Ituguligwa Dioscorea quartiniana var. Mkomakoma Grewia bicolor
quartiniana Mkunya Manilkara mochisia
Ituguligwa Dioscorea schimperiana Mkunya Manilkara obovata
Itungulu Aframomum Mkunya Manilkara sansibarensis
angustifolium Moyonzaki Carissa edulis
Luzu Synsepalum ceraciferum Msagara Rhus natalensis
Mabungo madogo Dictyophleba lucida Msali Mimusops bagshawei
Mbogonte Syzygium guineense Msamina Oldfieldia dactylophylla
Mgugunwa Vangueria apiculata Msangati Canthium lactescens
Mgusu Uapaca kirkiana Mshamako Bridelia micrantha
Mgwiza Pseudospondias Mshangati Psydrax parviflora subsp.
microcarpa rubrocostata
Mhandehande Uapaca nitida Mshumako Bridelia micrantha
Mkavu Salacia leptoclada Mtabagira Canthium oligocarpum
Mnyongayonga Trichilia dregeana subsp. oligocarpum
Msivia Syzygium cordatum Mtindambogo Piliostigma thonningii
Mtandaruka Trichilia emetica Mubafu Canarium schweinfurthii
Umubhungo Saba comorensis Muchwesi Syzygium guineense
Umubhungo Salacia leptoclada Mugege Syzygium cordatum
Umufe Myrianthus arboreus Muhunge Raphia farinifera
Umugugunwa Vangueria apiculata Mukuaya Manilkara obovata
Umugusu Uapaca kirkiana Mukuwe Bridelia micrantha
Umuhandehande Uapaca nitida Mulamula Dracaena mannii
Umuhongo Strychnos Munanzi Parinari curatellifolia
madagascariensis subsp. curatellifolia
Umuhongo kome Strychnos innocua Munazi Parinari curatellifolia
Umukakili Zanha africana subsp. curatellifolia
Umukanda Annona senegalensis Mushamako Bridelia micrantha
Umukeri Rhus vulgaris Musivya Antidesma venosum
Umunazi Parinari curatellifolia Mutendere Dracaena mannii
subsp. curatellifolia Muyanza Carissa edulis
Umunyinya Osyris lanceolata Muyonza Carissa edulis
Umupapa Vitex madiensis subsp. Muziru Pseudospondias
milanjiensis microcarpa
Umusalasi Garcinia buchananii Mzungute Kigelia africana
Umusalasi Garcinia smeathmannii Omubolu Pseudospondias
Umushamgumu Grewia mollis microcarpa
Umushindwi Anisophyllea boehmii Omufuru Vitex ferruginea
Umushindwi Anisophyllea pomifera Omukanaga Scolopia rhamniphylla
Umutobho Uapaca sansibarica Omukangali Dovyalis macrocalyx
Umuvyiru Vitex madiensis subsp. Omukanse Vitex ferruginea
milanjiensis Omukuwe Bridelia micrantha
Umuyonza Carissa edulis Omunyinya Osyris lanceolata
Umuziaziga Antidesma venosum Omusha mako Bridelia micrantha
Uvyiru Vitex madiensis subsp.
milanjiensis

30
 LOCAL NAMES

Omushaasha Aframomum Kitimbwi kidala Ormocarpum kirkii

angustifolium Kitimbwi kigosi Ormocarpum
Omusheshe Rhus natalensis trichocarpum
Omutura Solanum schumannianum Kitokoli Fadogia ancylantha
Umondo Raphia farinifera Kitokoli Fadogia cienkowskii var.
Umubalu Pseudospondias cienkowskii
microcarpa Kitokoli Fadogia elskensii var.
Umukoma Grewia similis elskensii
Umusagara Rhus vulgaris Kitokoli Fadogia homblei
Umusivya Antidesma venosum Kitokoli Fadogia stenophylla
Umutoketoke Antidesma venosum Kitokoli Fadogia tetraquerta var.
grandiflora
Hehe Kitokoli Fadogia triphylla var.
gorgii
Chambata Ceratotheca sesamoides
Kitokoli Leptactina benguelensis
Chamilang’uku Amaranthus spinosus
Kitokoli Pygmaeothamnus zeyheri
Chung’ungu Sesamothamnus
Kitokoli Tapiphyllum cinerascens
busseanus
var. cinerascens
Fitokoli Tapiphyllum burnettii
Kitokoli Tapiphyllum discolor
Ilolompya Mollugo cerviana
Kitokoli Tapiphyllum obtusifolium
Isanyanga Hygrophila auriculata
Kivengi Eugenia capensis subsp.
Kaganza ka
nyassensis
mwana Aerva lanata
Kivengi Eugenia malangensis
Kahawa-msitu Coffea mufindiensis
Lichamilang’uku Amaranthus spinosus
Kibogaboga. Mollugo cerviana
Lidung’o Rubus apetalus
Kihogolo Hyphaene compressa
Lidung’o Rubus rigidus
Kihomolwa Lycium europaeum
Lifweni Aerva leucura
Kikande Satyrium macrophyllum
Lifweni Amaranthus spinosus
Kilya-vahunzi Cyphostemma njegerre
Lifweni likomi Celosia trigyna
Kimulikwi kidala Corchorus tridens
Lihana Triumfetta cordifolia var.
Kimulikwi kigosi Corchorus
tomentosa
pseudocapsularis
Likidindi Opuntia vulgaris
Kimulikwi-jike Corchorus tridens
Likolowoga Commelina africana
Kimulkwi Corchorus
Likolowoga Commelina benghalensis
pseudocapsularis
Likombe Corchorus trilocularis
Kindokoli Fadogia ancylantha
Likweta Hyphaene compressa
Kindokoli Fadogia cienkowskii var.
Lilendi Sesamum angolense
cienkowskii
Lilendi mtali Sesamum calycinum var.
Kindokoli Fadogia elskensii var.
angustifolium
elskensii
Lilimbili Ensete ventricosum
Kindokoli Fadogia homblei
Limwapembe Satyrium neglectum var.
Kindokoli Fadogia stenophylla
neglectum
Kindokoli Fadogia tetraquerta var.
Linyimbili Rumex usambarensis
grandiflora
Lipembapemba Rumex abyssinicus
Kindokoli Fadogia triphylla var.
Lisanzauki Leonotis nepetifolia
gorgii
Litambalanzoka Momordica rostrata
Kindokoli Leptactina benguelensis
Litembwetembwe Aloe nutii
Kindokoli Pygmaeothamnus zeyheri
Livanivani Bidens pilosa
Kindokoli Tapiphyllum burnettii
Liwungowungo Landolphia kilimanjarica
Kindokoli Tapiphyllum cinerascens
Liwungowungo Landolphia kirkii
var. cinerascens
Liwungowungo Landolphia parvifolia
Kindokoli Tapiphyllum discolor
Liyenzi Rourea orientalis
Kindokoli Tapiphyllum obtusifolium

31
 LOCAL NAMES

Hehe (contd) Mgola Scolopia stolzii

Lizwana Saba comorensis Mgola Scolopia theifolia
Lubehe Nymphaea lotus Mgola Scolopia zeyheri
Lugeni Achyranthes aspera Mguhu Uapaca kirkiana
Lugeni Laportea ovalifolia Mgulumo Lannea fulva
Luhongole Lantana camara Mhamamala Canthium oligocarpum
Luhongole Lantana trifolia subsp. oligocarpum
Luhongole Lantana ukambensis Mhang’ana Hibiscus diversifolius
Luhongole Lippia kituiensis Mhilili Cleome hirta
Lukalifya Caylusea abyssinica Mhomang’ambako Canthium oligocarpum
Lukokonza Opilia amentacea subsp. oligocarpum
Lulyamindi Pupalia lappacea var. Mhomanga Canthium oligocarpum
velutina subsp. oligocarpum
Lumwino Rubus apetalus Mhungulu Pappea capensis
Lupebeta Lantana camara Mingi Ximenia americana
Lutini Erythrococca kirkii Mkaapu Grewia fallax
Mbaya Strychnos innocua Mkahawa-musitu Coffea mufindiensis
Mbaya Strychnos pungens Mkalifya Caylusea abyssinica
Mbigili Tribulus terrestris Mkanzaula Parinari excelsa
Mbugavugoo Eugenia malangensis Mkingiligiti Phyllanthus engleri
Mbwegele Sclerocarya birrea subsp. Mkoga Vitex payos var. payos
caffra Mkole Grewia bicolor
Mbwewe Multidentia crassa Mkole Grewia hexamita
Mdawi Cordia sinensis Mkole Grewia mollis
Mdegege Multidentia fanshawei Mkole Grewia platyclada
Mditsi Dovyalis abyssinica Mkole Grewia similis
Mduguya Balanites aegyptiaca Mkombalwiko Piliostigma thonningii
Mduguya Friesodielsia obovata Mkondo Adansonia digitata
Mduma Garcinia buchananii Mkongela Sesamum angolense
Mdung’o Rubus apetalus Mkumba Rothmannia engleriana
Mdunula Osyris lanceolata Mkung’uni Salvadora persica
Mfilafila Garcinia buchananii Mkusu Uapaca kirkiana
Mfilafila Garcinia smeathmannii Mkwaliti Myrianthus holstii
Mfilafila Trilepisium Mkwaliti Syzygium sclerophyllum
madagascariense Mkwata Cordyla africana
Mfiwi Hexalobus monopetalus Mkwata Cordyla densiflora
Mftsa Myrianthus holstii Mkwelangedege Sterculia quinqueloba
Mfudu Vitex ferruginea Mlala Hyphaene coriacea
Mfudululenga Vitex mombassae Mlenda mtali Sesamum calycinum var.
Mfulu Vitex payos var. payos angustifolium
Mfumbi Kigelia africana Mlenda mtali Sesamum angolense
Mfumbwe Carissa edulis Mlinga Lannea humilis
Mfutsa Myrianthus arboreus Mlingalinga Lannea humilis
Mfutsa Myrianthus holstii Mlyangola Deinbollia borbonica
Mfyuwi Hexalobus monopetalus Mlyangola Deinbollia
Mgambata Ceratotheca sesamoides kilimandscharica var.
Mgandu Berchemia discolor kilimandscharica
Mgola Dovyalis abyssinica Mlyasungura Hoslundia opposita
Mgola Dovyalis macrocalyx Mnanyeza Feretia apodanthera
Mgola Dovyalis xanthocarpa subsp. tanzaniensis
Mgola Flacourtia indica Mnyali Tamarindus indica
Mgola Scolopia rhamniphylla Mnyonzi Cussonia spicata

32
 LOCAL NAMES

Mnywewa Strychnos cocculoides Muhehefu Rhus vulgaris

Mnzuyuyu Dovyalis macrocalyx Munyali Tamarindus indica
Mpacha Coffea mufindiensis Muungo Saba comorensis
Mpalang’anga, Bridelia micrantha Muvalambe Alsodeiopsis schumannii
Mpelemehe Grewia bicolor Muvengi Syzygium cordatum
Mpelemehe Grewia mollis Muvengi Syzygium guineense
Mpelemehe Grewia platyclada Muvengi Syzygium masukuense
Mpelemehe Grewia similis subsp. masukuense
Mpepete Garcinia livingstonei Muvengi Syzygium sclerophyllum
Mpilipili Sorindeia Muvengi lulenga Syzygium cordatum
madagascariensis Muvengi lutanana Syzygium guineense
Mpukopuko Garcinia livingstonei Muvulambe Alsodeiopsis schumannii
Mpumba Rothmannia engleriana Muwewe Multidentia crassa
Msada Vangueria infausta subsp. Muwulagavega Acacia nilotica
rotundata Muwumbu Lannea rivae
Msadasada Multidentia fanshawei Mvalambi Myrianthus holstii
Msambalawe Vangueria apiculata Mvambandusi Balanites rotundifolia
Msambalawe Vangueria infausta subsp. Mvambandusi Carissa edulis
rotundata Mvambangoma Piliostigma thonningii
Msambalawe Vangueria Mwesa Bridelia micrantha
madagascariensis Mzuyuyu Dovyalis xanthocarpa
Msambalawe Vangueria volkensii Nandalamwani Dolichos trilobus
Msambalawe Ngorowoga Commelina benghalensis
lulenga Vangueriopsis lanciflora Nyakaganza ka
Msasati Vitex mombassae mwana Aerva lanata
Msaula Parinari curatellifolia Nyakamage Cleome monophylla
subsp. curatellifolia Nyakapulikilo Convolvulus farinosus
Msaula Parinari excelsa Nyakapulikilo Ipomoea cairica var.
Mseele Delonix elata cairica
Msena Cordia monoica Nyakapulikilo Ipomoea pres-caprae
Msesetya Grewia bicolor Nyakibiki Acanthopale laxiflora
Msombe Ficus glumosa var. Nyakibiki Erythrococca kirkii
glaberrina Nyakigoma Acanthopale laxiflora
Msombe Ficus ingens Nyakisesetya Grewia similis
Msombe Ficus sur Nyakisumbi Polygonum pulchrum
Msombe Ficus sycomorus Nyalufungulo Abutilon angulatum
Msowowi Cordia monoica Nyalufungulo Chenopodium opulifolium
Msungu Acokanthera schimperi Nyaluhanga Corchorus fascicularis
Mtangadasi Strychnos pungens Nyalulimi Heliotropium
Mtangadasi Strychnos spinosa subsp. lwisenga zeylanicum
lokua Nyaluvafya Laportea ovalifolia
Mtema Bauhinia kalantha Nyaluvafya Tragia insuarvis
Mtowo Azanza garckeana Nyamabumu Abutilon angulatum
Mtundwa Ximenia caffra Nyamabumu Abutilon longicuspe
Mtundwahavi Ximenia americana Nyamabumu Abutilon mauritianum
Mtunumbi Rhus natalensis Nyamaganga Senna occidentalis
Mtwaki Pouzolzia mixta Nyamayingiya Pistia stratiotes
Mtweve Aframomum Nyambede Cucumis aculeatus
angustifolium Nyambede Cucumis figarei
Mufutsa Myrianthus holstii Nyambigili Oxygonum sinuatum
Mugama Mimusops kummel Nyamkole Grewia bicolor
Muhanza Senna singueana Nyamkole Grewia similis

33
 LOCAL NAMES

Hehe (contd) Hiiti Mimusops kummel

Nyamtitu Dicliptera laxata Hotlimo Balanites aegyptiaca
Nyamtulo Erythrococca kirkii Indakhakha Phyllanthus engleri
Nyamtulo Opilia amentacea Intiwi Commiphora
Nyanandala Dolichos trilobus mossambicensis
Nyanandala Vigna pubescens Intsalmo Bridelia micrantha
Nyandanga Kedrostis leloja Irakwtu Vangueria
Nyang’oleko Adenia racemosa madagascariensis
Nyangasi Crotalaria natalitia var. Isalmo Bridelia micrantha
natalitia Kantzi Acacia nilotica
Nyangelula. Duosperma crenatum Kipaa-atu Osyris lanceolata
Nyangogo Hygrophila auriculata Kipatina Osyris lanceolata
Nyangomba Sesuvium portulacastrum Lagaang-aawak Grewia bicolor
Nyangulunga Oldenlandia corymbosa Lagagir-daat Grewia mollis
var. corymbosa Lagangwi Grewia fallax
Nyapali Convolvulus farinosus Maanyangu Ximenia caffra
Nyasalasala Momordica foetida Mahhahamo Dovyalis abyssinica
Nyasongwe Nicandra physaloides Maneneh Cussonia spicata
Nyatwanga Bidens schimperi Mangafi Kigelia africana
Nyausako Cleome hirta Mgombaryandi Grewia similis
Nyautitili Acalypha bipartita Mstunga Rhus natalensis
Nyautitili Acalypha fruticosa Muhuhuoi Cyathula orthacantha
Nyava Dactyloctenium aegyptium Mumuhai Pupalia lappacea var.
Nyawolo Justicia pinguior velutina
Nyayambo Coccinia adoensis Mutuhu Ximenia americana
Somwambisi Cyathula orthacantha Natsiimo Ormocarpum kirkii
Niimo Commiphora africana
Iraqw Nuguhway Hoslundia opposita
Orbochandi Lannea schweinfurthii var.
Aantsi Ficus sycomorus
stuhlmannii
Aare-desu Delonix elata
Oroondi Momordica foetida
Amafa-aa Parinari curatellifolia
Pohi-aawak Cussonia spicata
subsp. curatellifolia
Pombosimo Ficus stuhlmannii
Ambalaki Rhus longipes
Quach Carissa edulis
Ambalaki Rhus longipes
Sansuli Dracaena mannii
Amu Grewia villosa
Saski Grewia similis
Backchandi Commiphora africana
Sirongi Rhus natalensis
Bagalimo, Cordia sinensis
Sokhaimo Flacourtia indica
Bagalmo Cordia monoica
Taewi Trichilia emetica
Baryomodi Acacia nilotica
Tahhamanto Ximenia americana
Da-aaslsmo Psorospermum febrifugum
Tambaragi Lannea schweinfurthii var.
Datei Rhus natalensis
stuhlmannii
Datlaii Rhus vulgaris
Tarantu Ximenia americana
Dawo Abutilon mauritianum
Thanthi Hyphaene petersiana
Erakwtu Vangueria
Thiaanthii Phoenix reclinata
madagascariensis
Thigi Lannea schweinfurthii var.
Funidang Cordia sinensis
stuhlmannii
Furudou Grewia similis
Thigii Lannea schweinfurthii var.
Galapi Piliostigma thonningii
stuhlmannii
Gendaryandi Adansonia digitata
Thobi Malva parviflora
Hararmo Cordia sinensis
Tiita Ficus stuhlmannii
Hawi Balanites aegyptiaca
Titiyo Carissa edulis

34
 LOCAL NAMES

Tlambau Vitex mombassae Mnyamaji Lannea humilis

Tlambi Deinbollia borbonica Mseaka Ximenia caffra
Tlambi Deinbollia kilimandscharica var. Msebeye Oncoba spinosa
kilimandscharica Msungwa Vitex mombassae
Tlerghw Canthium lactescens Mtokitoki Antidesma venosum
Tsagayand Acacia nilotica Muebe Psydrax parviflora subsp.
Uduboguta Grewia platyclada rubrocostata
Ufani Lippia kituiensis Mufitanda Vangueria infausta subsp.
Xaslaamo Lantana camara rotundata
Yudek Acacia senegal Muhasi Parinari curatellifolia
subsp. curatellifolia
Isanzu Mukoronto Vitex doniana
Munazi Parinari curatellifolia
Mbulagankuku Rhus vulgaris
subsp. curatellifolia
Mfulu Vitex doniana
Murangarara Lannea fulva
Msalati Vitex mombassae
Musheshe Rhus natalensis
Mtundwi Ximenia caffra
Ntokitoki Antidesma venosum
Mudugunga Balanites aegyptiaca
Mukuma Grewia similis
Mukungulusuli Vangueria infausta subsp. Kimbu
rotundata Kasasalya Momordica foetida
Mulunzi Kigelia africana Mduvi Oncoba spinosa
Mungongampembe Syzygium cordatum Mnumbulu Englerophytum natalense
Muyuyu Zanha africana Msavala Sterculia quinqueloba
Muzuhu Commiphora africana Msuungwi Vitex mombassae
Mugambo Manilkara discolor
Kaguru Mutogo Azanza garckeana
Mbwegele Sclerocarya birrea subsp.
caffra Kinga
Mbwimbwi Talinum portulacifolium Chikande Habenaria walleri
Mfuza Myrianthus holstii Chikande Satyrium neglectum var.
Mgola Dovyalis xanthocarpa neglectum
Mgolemazi Trichilia emetica Imivengi Syzygium cordatum
Mkowekowe Garcinia kingäensis Kikande Habenaria epipactidea
Mkwata Cordyla densiflora Kisongwe Garcinia kingäensis
Moza Sterculia africana Mabagala Myrianthus holstii
Mseseza Grewia similis
Mugama Mimusops kummel
Kuria
Muhembeti Sterculia quinqueloba
Muhumba Senna singueana Bagharimo Cordia monoica
Mzuyuyu Dovyalis xanthocarpa Maitanyoka Senna occidentalis
Michame Acacia nilotica
Kerewe Mkomakoma Grewia mollis
Momange Pappea capensis
Issassa Syzygium guineense Msangura Rhus natalensis
Issassa Syzygium sclerophyllum Msarakanga Ziziphus mucronata
Mfitanda Vangueria subsp. mucronata
madagascariensis Msege Strychnos innocua
Mkanga onza Carissa edulis Mtegeti Saba comorensis
Mkangayonza Carissa edulis Muitinina Pseudospondias
Mkome Psydrax parviflora subsp. microcarpa
rubrocostata

35
 LOCAL NAMES

Kuria (contd) Mhumba Senna singueana

Mumendo Lannea schweinfurthii var. Mhunungu Zanthoxylum chalybeum
stuhlmannii var. chalybeum
Munyore Carissa edulis Mjagengo Trichilia emetica
Mushenhu Cordia monoica Mjaya Treculia africana
Mushiro Pseudospondias Mkani Allanblackia stuhlmanii
microcarpa Mkani Allanblackia ulugurensis
Omongwe Sclerocarya birrea subsp. Mkenene Polyceratocarpus scheffleri
caffra Mkoga Vitex doniana
Omosaruwa Lannea schweinfurthii var. Mkoko Diospyros mespiliformis
stuhlmannii Mkole Grewia goetzeana
Rinyore Carissa edulis Mkonero-wa-
nyikani Cussonia spicata
Luguru Mkongo Balanites aegyptiaca
Mkululu Diospyros mespiliformis
Bwasi Achyranthes aspera
Mkumbulu Synsepalum ceraciferum
Ezeya Treculia africana
Mkumbulu Synsepalum msolo
Gobeni Aframomum
Mkungunolo Ricinodendron heudelotii
angustifolium
subsp. africanum
Gole Adenia gummifera
Mkungwina Sorindeia
Hunduhundu Cucumis dipsaceus
madagascariensis
Kigonzo Dioscorea odoratissima
Mkuyu Ficus sur
Kologwe Commiphora africana
Mkuyu Ficus vallis-choudae
Kongokowe Aloe nutii
Mkwayaga Myrianthus arboreus
Koza Ensete ventricosum
Mkwayaga Myrianthus holstii
Malagala-mkole Ziziphus mucronata
Mlagala Ziziphus mucronata
subsp. mucronata
subsp. mucronata
Mangwe Bidens schimperi
Mlembelembe Englerophytum
Mbalawala Tylosema fassoglense
magalismontanum
Mbangwe Bidens schimperi
Mlenda Sesamum angolense
Mbungo Saba comorensis
Mlende Opilia amentacea
Mdai Tamarindus indica
Mlowelowe Myrianthus arboreus
Mdaula Zanha africana
Mlowelowe Myrianthus holstii
Mdewerere Myrianthus arboreus
Mmoyomoyo Deinbollia borbonica
Mdewerere Myrianthus holstii
Mmoyomoyo Deinbollia kilimandscharica var.
Mduru-mweupe Lepisanthes senegalensis
kilimandscharica
Mfulu Vitex ferruginea
Mngalangala Balanites wilsoniana
Mfune Sterculia appendiculata
Moza Sterculia africana
Mfuru Vitex doniana
Mpela Adansonia digitata
Mfuru Vitex ferruginea
Mpitimbi Vitex payos var. payos
Mfuru Vitex payos var. payos
Mpupu Laportea ovalifolia
Mfuza Myrianthus arboreus
Msada Psydrax parviflora subsp.
Mfyonzefyonze Leptactina benguelensis
rubrocostata
Mgolemazi Trichilia emetica
Msada Vangueria infausta subsp.
Mgombogombo Pouteria alnifolia
rotundata
Mgora Flacourtia indica
Msalazi Syzygium guineense
Mgude Sterculia appendiculata
Msambia Synsepalum ceraciferum
Mgura Flacourtia indica
Msambwa Synsepalum brevipes
Mgwata Cordyla africana
Msambwa Synsepalum msolo
Mhembeti Sterculia quinqueloba
Msanyanzale Synsepalum msolo
Mhengere Dialium holtzii
Msekaseka Xylotheca tettensis var.
Mhilihili Sorindeia
kirkii
madagascariensis

36
 LOCAL NAMES

Msindanguruwe Diospyros mespiliformis Maasai

Msindde Diospyros mespiliformis Echunge Oxygonum sinuatum
Msofu Uvaria acuminata Ediati-ormwaate Aerva lanata
Msofu Uvaria kirkii Eirii Grewia similis
Msona Scolopia zeyheri Eleturot Aerva lanata
Msukulilo Trichilia emetica Elkoroshi Trichilia emetica
Msumba Bridelia micrantha Emangulai Grewia villosa
Mtakule Ficus sur Emankulai Grewia villosa
Mtengotengo Trichilia emetica Embaingu Flueggea virosa
Mtitu Diospyros mespiliformis Embokwe Dactyloctenium aegyptium
Muenene Polyceratocarpus scheffleri Emoloo Azanza garckeana
Muhembeti Sterculia quinqueloba Emorogi Dovyalis abyssinica
Muhingilo Lannea schweinfurthii var. Empokui Dactyloctenium aegyptium
stuhlmannii Emungushi Rhus vulgaris
Muula Parinari excelsa Endamejoi Urtica massaica
Mwegea Kigelia africana Enderemet Sesamum angolense
Mwiza Bridelia micrantha Enderkesi Acacia senegal
Myegea Kigelia africana Endugai Strychnos innocua
Mzindanguruwe Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius Endungui Lannea alata
subsp. vaughanii Eng’alayioi-naju Cucumis dipsaceus
Mzugo Trilepisium Engaboli Ficus sansibarica
madagascariense Engaboli Ficus sur
Ngoni Vitex payos var. payos Engaboli Ficus sycomorus
Nyahumbu Berchemia discolor Engai-pulsan Senna singueana
Nyaweza Bidens pilosa Engaiyagut Portulaca oleracea
Nyaweza Bidens schimperi Engamai Ximenia americana
Songoro-malidadi Celosia argentea Engarachi Rhus vulgaris
Songoro-malidadi Celosia schweinfurthiana Engirushai Opilia amentacea
Songoro-malidadi Celosia trigyna Engokia Lycium europaeum
Sunga Emilia coccinea Engumi Vangueria apiculata
Sunga Sonchus luxurians Engumi Vangueria infausta subsp.
rotundata
Luo Engumi Vangueria
Anduong’o Hygrophila auriculata madagascariensis
Anyulo Sesamum calycinum var. Engumi Vangueria volkensii
angustifolium Engumi-etari Vangueria infausta subsp.
Kenu Sesamum calycinum var. rotundata
angustifolium Engumieker Vangueria apiculata
Nyamnina Guizotia scabra Enkaiserariai Coccinia grandis
Olalwait Mimusops bagshawei Enkaisijoi Oxygonum sinuatum
Olukenu Sesamum calycinum var. Enkaisijoi Rumex usambarensis
angustifolium Enkaiswishoi Rumex usambarensis
Onina Guizotia scabra Enkaiteteyiai Commelina benghalensis
Onyulo Sesamum calycinum var. Enkampa Dactyloctenium aegyptium
angustifolium Enkamposhi Momordica rostrata
Riangata Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius Enkoshopini Dovyalis macrocalyx
subsp. vaughanii Enkosida Asystasia gangetica
Yunga Nymphaea lotus Enkurma-onkayiok Lantana trifolia
Enongeperen Garcinia livingstonei
Entameijoi Urtica massaica
Erkunyi Hydnora abyssinica
Eseki Cordia monoica

37
 LOCAL NAMES

Maasai (contd) Oldarpoi Kigelia africana

Esekilianjoi Ormocarpum kirkii Oldelemet Sesamum calycinum var.
Esikilianjoi Ormocarpum angustifolium
trichocarpum Olderkesi Acacia senegal
Esinkarua Tylosema fassoglense Oldimaroi Cussonia spicata
Esitete Grewia bicolor Oldimigomi Pappea capensis
Eswaili Senna occidentalis Oldongurgurwo Flacourtia indica
Gosida Asystasia gangetica Oldongururwo Flacourtia indica
Ilama Ximenia americana Oldorko Cordia sinensis
Ilgum Vangueria apiculata Oldurgo Cordia sinensis
Ilmang’ua Sclerocarya birrea subsp. Oleleloi Scolopia theifolia
caffra Olemoran Hoslundia opposita
Ilmankula Grewia villosa Olemwadeni Malva parviflora
Ilmisigiyo Rhus natalensis Olenaran Hoslundia opposita
Ilmisigyio Rhus vulgaris Oleragai Lepisanthes senegalensis
Ilokwa Balanites aegyptiaca Oleragi Syzygium guineense
Ilsagararam Piliostigma thonningii Olerubat Achyranthes aspera
Ilseki Cordia monoica Oleylalei Ziziphus mucronata
Iltorel Pistacia aethiopica subsp. mucronata
Inderepenyi Bidens pilosa Olgnangboli Ficus sycomorus
Ingoomba Cardamine trichocarpa Olgumi Vangueria apiculata
Intameijo Urtica massaica Olgumi Vangueria infausta subsp.
Interkes Acacia senegal rotundata
Iremito Salvadora persica Olgumi Vangueria
Isek Cordia monoica madagascariensis
Isinon Lippia kituiensis Olgumi Vangueria volkensii
Lama Ximenia americana Oljumaroi Cussonia spicata
Lama Ximenia caffra Olkiage Maerua decumbens
Lasamarai Pistacia aethiopica Olkifulwa Garcinia livingstonei
Leliat Mimusops bagshawei Olkirenyi Mimusops kummel
Ilmorok Dovyalis abyssinica Olkiroriti Acacia nilotica
Lukurman- Olkolili Ficus stuhlmannii
oonkayiok Lantana trifolia Olkumi Canthium lactescens
Masamburai Tamarindus indica Olkwai Balanites rotundifolia
Msigwe Rhus vulgaris Olmadanyi Vangueria infausta subsp.
Ndegegeya Coccinia grandis rotundata
Ngayakuji Rubus apetalus Olmadanyi Vangueria
Norkipiren Garcinia buchananii madagascariensis
Oladarrara Scolopia theifolia Olmadanyi Vangueria volkensii
Olaimurunyai Dovyalis macrocalyx Olmagirigiriani Lantana trifolia
Olairagai Syzygium guineense Olmang’uai Sclerocarya birrea subsp.
Olama Ximenia americana caffra
Olamai Ximenia americana Olmangisai Sclerocarya birrea subsp.
Olamposhi Coccinia grandis caffra
Olamposhi Momordica rostrata Olmangulai Ficus sycomorus
Olamuriaki Carissa edulis Olmangulai Grewia villosa
Olbida Acacia senegal Olmangulai-
Olboldoli Oncoba spinosa oloing’oni Grewia platyclada
Oldaboi Kigelia africana Olmankulai Grewia villosa
Oldadai Abutilon mauritianum Olmarogi Dovyalis abyssinica
Oldangudwa, Pistacia aethiopica Olmasambrai Tamarindus indica
Oldarboi Kigelia africana Olmasumoei Tamarindus indica

38
 LOCAL NAMES

Olmatakuroi Parinari curatellifolia Oremit Salvadora persica

subsp. curatellifolia Ormisigiyoi Rhus natalensis
Olmatawayu Azanza garckeana Ormisigiyoi Rhus vulgaris
Olmbasa Urtica massaica Orng’aboli Ficus sycomorus
Olmesera Adansonia digitata Orng’alayoi-loo-
Olmesigie Rhus natalensis sirkon Cucumis dipsaceus
Olmisigiyioi Rhus vulgaris Ortarboi Kigelia africana
Olmisigiyoi Rhus natalensis Os sangararam Piliostigma thonningii
Olmorijoi Acokanthera schimperi Osaragi Balanites aegyptiaca
Olmorogi Dovyalis abyssinica Oseki Cordia monoica
Olmorokwet Hyphaene compressa Osiminde Grewia bicolor
Olmorokwet Hyphaene coriacea Osinoni Lippia kituiensis
Olmotoo Azanza garckeana Ositeti Grewia bicolor
Olmunishui Acacia senegal Ositeti Grewia mollis
Olnanboli Ficus sycomorus Porori aja Dactyloctenium aegyptium
Olng’oswa Balanites aegyptiaca Sajagi Grewia similis
Olngoswa Balanites rotundifolia Shaiti Acalypha fruticosa
Olnyal Urtica massaica Umududu Thylachium africanum
Oloibarebare Dioscorea dumetorum
Oloilale Ziziphus mucronata Makonde
subsp. mucronata
Mpegele Syzygium guineense
Oloilalei Ziziphus abyssinica
Muongo Sclerocarya birrea subsp.
Oloilalei Ziziphus mauritiana
caffra
Oloilalei Ziziphus mucronata
Navele Zanthoxylum chalybeum
subsp. mucronata
var. chalybeum
Oloiragai Syzygium cordatum
Ndebela Ficus ingens
Oloireroi Flacourtia indica
Ndola Ficus ingens
Oloishimi Commiphora africana
Nguluka Syzygium guineense
Oloisijoi Tamarindus indica
Ntwanguo Bidens pilosa
Oloisuki Zanthoxylum chalybeum
Undola Ficus sansibarica
var. chalybeum
Olokwai Balanites aegyptiaca
Ololfot Cordia sinensis Matengo
Ololgot Cordia sinensis Chanima Habenaria walleri
Olongoronok Pistacia aethiopica Chichala Habenaria epipactidea
Oloyesyyai Osyris lanceolata Chikande Satyrium neglectum var.
Olperetini Ziziphus mucronata neglectum
subsp. mucronata Chimanyi Zanha africana
Olpiroo Phoenix reclinata Chitembe Piliostigma thonningii
Olpuri Vitex mombassae Chitimbe Piliostigma thonningii
Olremit Salvadora persica Fudwe Vitex doniana
Olsagararami Piliostigma thonningii Hekela Uapaca kirkiana
Olsanangururi Oncoba spinosa Ihugu Syzygium owariense
Olsegetit Myrsine africana Inyule Bidens pilosa
Olsesyani Osyris lanceolata Inzihuluumbi Eriosema burkei var.
Olsinoni Lippia kituiensis burkei
Olsiteti Grewia bicolor Inzihuluumbi Eriosema ukingense
Oltiaska Cordia monoica Jitimbo Piliostigma thonningii
Oltukai Phoenix reclinata Kanakalayi Myrsine africana
Olyamliyak Carissa bispinosa Kibundu Landolphia parvifolia
Olyamliyak Carissa edulis Kibungu Landolphia kirkii
Olyamliyak Carissa tetramera Kihibihibi Psorospermum febrifugum

39
 LOCAL NAMES

Matengo (contd) Matungula Aframomum

Kihivahivi Psorospermum febrifugum angustifolium
Kikande chanima Habenaria epipactidea Maya Treculia africana
Kikande chichala Habenaria epipactidea Mayenda Bridelia micrantha
Kikande jike Habenaria epipactidea Mbilipili Flacourtia indica
Kikande maka Habenaria epipactidea Mbonani Sesamum calycinum var.
Kikande mgosi Habenaria epipactidea angustifolium
Kikande-mangonji- Mbora Parinari curatellifolia
matali Satyrium neglectum var. subsp. curatellifolia
neglectum Mbula Parinari curatellifolia
Kilangati Osyris lanceolata subsp. curatellifolia
Kimbalapala Flueggea virosa Mbungu Saba comorensis
Kisosoki Bidens pilosa Mbuni Parinari curatellifolia
Libonongo Celosia trigyna subsp. curatellifolia
Libungu Landolphia kirkii Mbura Parinari curatellifolia
Libungu Landolphia parvifolia subsp. curatellifolia
Lidelele-mgunda Sesamum calycinum var. Mbuwa Syzygium owariense
angustifolium Mbwegele Sclerocarya birrea subsp.
Lidonga kikumba Strychnos spinosa subsp. caffra
lokua Mchendeka Polygonum salicifolium
Lidongansanga Strychnos cocculoides Mdonga Strychnos cocculoides
Limbua Strychnos spinosa subsp. Mdonga Strychnos innocua
lokua Mdonga Strychnos spinosa subsp.
Linambatata Ipomoea eriocarpa lokua
Lindiame Achyranthes aspera Mfudu Vitex doniana
Lindikiti Vangueria infausta subsp. Mholoholo Garcinia buchananii
rotundata Mhugu Syzygium cordatum
Lindikiti Vangueria Mhuku Uapaca nitida
madagascariensis Mhungu Syzygium owariense
Linyolo Drymaria cordata Mhunsa Myrianthus arboreus
Lipekepeke Hibiscus ludwigii Milola Ficus sur
Litimbatimba Isoglossa lactea Mjaya Treculia africana
Litongawai Strychnos cocculoides Mkaranga mti Bombax rhodognaphalon
Lugulanguha Strychnos innocua var. tomentosum
Lukolowa Commelina imberbis Mkenekene Rhus vulgaris
Maboya Pygmaeothamnus zeyheri Mkenikeni Rhus longipes
Madonga Strychnos innocua Mkowosi Syzygium guineense
Madunguli Fadogia elskensii var. Mkwachu Manilkara mochisia
elskensii Mlenda-mgunda Sesamum calycinum var.
Mahusa Myrianthus holstii angustifolium
Mandikiti Multidentia crassa Mng’unga Flacourtia indica
Mandopi Annona senegalensis Mngulaka Diospyros kirkii
Manduguli Fadogia ancylantha Mnyenda Bridelia micrantha
Mandungu Pygmaeothamnus zeyheri Mnyonyo Syzygium cordatum
Mandunguli Fadogia ancylantha Mpeta Dioscorea cochlaeri-
Mangurungundu Strychnos innocua apiculata
Manjorosa Habenaria epipactidea Mpeta Dioscorea dumetorum
Manyonyoli Bidens pilosa Mpingipingi Ximenia caffra
Mapendo Canthium lactescens Mpiripiri Ziziphus abyssinica
Mapendo Vangueria infausta subsp. Mpitimbi Vitex doniana
rotundata Mptimbwi Vitex doniana
Masada Vangueria infausta subsp. Mpumba Rothmannia engleriana
rotundata

40
 LOCAL NAMES

Msada Vitex mombassae Monterere Delonix elata

Msendeka Polygonum salicifolium Monyangu Sclerocarya birrea subsp.
Msigisi Sorindeia caffra
madagascariensis Mosinko Tamarindus indica
Msuku Uapaca kirkiana Mosofwa Kigelia africana
Mtakalu Uapaca nitida Motoasi-mweremaCordia monoica
Mtatanku Uapaca sansibarica Motoo Grewia villosa
Mtondoko Sclerocarya birrea subsp. Musuna-nu-kuu Grewia bicolor
caffra Mutogo Azanza garckeana
Mtongawali Strychnos cocculoides Muwiye Adansonia digitata
Mtopetope Annona senegalensis Muzisunde Ormocarpum kirkii
Muhusa Myrianthus holstii Mwangwa Hyphaene petersiana
Muhuwahuwi Syzygium owariense Mwerema Cordia monoica
Mungulungu Strychnos spinosa subsp. Mwiwiye Adansonia digitata
lokua Mwuwiye Adansonia digitata
Mvenge Syzygium cordatum Olamai Ximenia
Mwaya Treculia africana americana
Myenda Bridelia micrantha Tarantu Ximenia
Mzio Syzygium cordatum americana
Ndelamwana Lannea schweinfurthii var. Tundulu Commiphora africana
stuhlmannii
Ndewele Celosia trigyna Meru
Ndilia Commelina africana
Ikuu Ficus vallis-choudae
Nhungu Syzygium owariense
Imumua Vangueria
Njerenje Berchemia discolor
madagascariensis
Nkolo Syzygium guineense
Imumua Vangueria infausta subsp.
Nsakala Diospyros kirkii
rotundata
Nsakala-wa-
Imumua Vangueria
mwana Diospyros mespiliformis
madagascariensis
Nsoku Vitex mombassae
Mukobo Ensete ventricosum
Ntongotongo-lya-
Omemuta Psydrax parviflora subsp.
huluka Synaptolepis alternifolia
rubrocostata
Nungunungu Bidens pilosa
Nzukumbi Synaptolepis alternifolia
Orokutuno Syzygium cordatum Mwera
Titimbo Piliostigma thonningii Chigombo Salvadora persica
Ufuru Ziziphus abyssinica Mchemka Xylotheca tettensis var.
Ukwezu Tamarindus indica kirkii
Utongonya Rubus apetalus Mfuru Vitex ferruginea
Utongonya Rubus steudneri Mguena Lepisanthes senegalensis
Vikoko ndumbila Fadogia cienkowskii var. Mgulungulu Strychnos innocua
cienkowskii Mguwauwa Piliostigma thonningii
Vikoko-ndumbila Fadogia homblei Mgwena Lepisanthes senegalensis
Mjale Sterculia appendiculata
Mbugwe Mkangaula Ricinodendron heudelotii
subsp. africanum
Barabonyoda Acacia nilotica
Mkongolo Carpodiptera africana
Letakaiko Trichilia emetica
Mkungue Dialium holtzii
Mochocho Cordia sinensis
Mmera Balanites wilsoniana
Modee Salvadora persica
Mmilambutuka Carpodiptera africana
Modori Balanites aegyptiaca
Mng’akora Diospyros kirkii
Molongo Zanthoxylum chalybeum
Mng’uma Bombax rhodognaphalon
var. chalybeum
var. tomentosum

41
 LOCAL NAMES

Mwera (contd) Mchendeka Polygonum salicifolium

Mngeshelo Uapaca nitida Mfudu Vitex doniana
Mpepeta Dialium holtzii Mgwilu Syzygium cordatum
Mpindimbi Vitex doniana Mhuruhuru Syzygium guineense
Mpitimbi Vitex payos var. payos Mkohozi Syzygium guineense
Mpungamaoka Deinbollia borbonica Mlenda-mgunda Sesamum calycinum var.
Mpupi Lannea schweinfurthii var. angustifolium
stuhlmannii Mlombelombe Annona senegalensis
Msofu Manilkara sulcata Mlopelope Annona senegalensis
Mtandi Kigelia africana Mpingipingi Ximenia caffra
Mtaswa Flacourtia indica Mpitimbi Vitex doniana
Mtawa Flacourtia indica Msendeka Polygonum salicifolium
Mtetemu Dracaena mannii Umbura Parinari curatellifolia
Mtondo Cordyla africana subsp. curatellifolia
Mtondole Englerophytum
magalismontanum Ngindo
Mungamaoka Deinbollia borbonica
Bwala bwaya Jacquemontia tamnifolia
Nandele Talinum portulacifolium
Kalijenge Psorospermum febrifugum
Ng’ewe Oncoba spinosa
Kiaga Dactyloctenium aegyptium
Njaunabonde Xylotheca tettensis var.
Kibungo Landolphia kirkii
kirkii
Kigoje Ormocarpum kirkii
Ntondo Cordyla africana
Kikochongo Vigna pubescens
Kiluma Acacia senegal
Ndendeule King’ala Nymphaea lotus
Fudwe Vitex doniana Kinjacha Acacia nilotica
Kikande chanimaHabenaria epipactidea Kipalapala bonde Flueggea virosa
Kikande chichala
Habenaria epipactidea Kiruma Acacia senegal
Kikande jike Habenaria epipactidea Lukubi wa msitu Synaptolepis kirkii
Kikande maka Habenaria epipactidea Mahanga Landolphia kirkii
Kikande mgosi Habenaria epipactidea Mahekela Uapaca nitida
Kinywegerere Bidens pilosa Mbigili ng’ombe Tribulus terrestris
Lidelele-mgundaSesamum calycinum var. Mfulu bonde Vitex doniana
angustifolium Mjuju Zanha africana
Mahuko Uapaca kirkiana Mkalakawa-bonde Diospyros kirkii
Makowozi Syzygium guineense Mkelienge Berchemia discolor
Mambuha Strychnos innocua Mkindu Phoenix reclinata
Mambuha Strychnos spinosa subsp. Mkonjiganga Uvaria kirkii
lokua Mkunda hobi Antidesma venosum
Mandikiti Multidentia crassa Mkundekunde Senna singueana
Manjorosa Habenaria epipactidea Mkungu mwali Hexalobus monopetalus
Matunda Syzygium guineense Mkunya Sterculia appendiculata
Mavilo makubwa Vangueria infausta subsp. Mkuyu Ficus sur
rotundata Mkuyu Ficus sycomorus
Mbingembinge Ximenia caffra Mkwaju Tamarindus indica
Mbonani Sesamum calycinum var. Mkwichimbe Manilkara discolor
angustifolium Mlimia mbopo Xylotheca tettensis var.
Mbora Parinari curatellifolia kirkii
subsp. curatellifolia Mlungu Zanthoxylum chalybeum
Mbuni Parinari curatellifolia var. chalybeum
subsp. curatellifolia Mmula Parinari curatellifolia
Mbura Parinari curatellifolia subsp. curatellifolia
subsp. curatellifolia

42
 LOCAL NAMES

Mndundu Cordyla africana Kikande mgosi Habenaria epipactidea

Mng’ongo Sclerocarya birrea subsp. Kikande-mangonji-
caffra matali Satyrium neglectum var.
Mnuwili Balanites aegyptiaca neglectum
Mnuwili-msitu Balanites wilsoniana Kisosoki Bidens pilosa
Mpengele Ziziphus abyssinica Libonongo Celosia trigyna
Mpengele-bonde Ziziphus mucronata Lidelele-mgunda Sesamum calycinum var.
subsp. mucronata angustifolium
Mpilipili Sorindeia Lungatungu Dolichos trilobus
madagascariensis Madonga Strychnos spinosa subsp.
Mpingi Ximenia caffra lokua
Mpoloto Ficus sansibarica Madonga choyo Strychnos innocua
Mpondopondo Ficus sansibarica Makohozi Syzygium guineense
Mpuga mahoka Deinbollia borbonica Makowozi Syzygium guineense
Mpunju Annona senegalensis Manjorosa Habenaria epipactidea
Mpwipwi Lannea schweinfurthii var. Manyonyoli Bidens pilosa
stuhlmannii Mapohora Tamarindus indica
Msama Manilkara mochisia Masuku Uapaca kirkiana
Msegese Piliostigma thonningii Matunda Syzygium guineense
Msufi pori Bombax rhodognaphalon Mavilo makubwa Vangueria infausta subsp.
var. tomentosum rotundata
Mswaki Salvadora persica Maya Treculia africana
Mtaba Flacourtia indica Mbingimbingi Ximenia caffra
Mtandi Kigelia africana Mbonani Sesamum calycinum var.
Mtetakana Flueggea virosa angustifolium
Mtetema Dracaena mannii Mbora Parinari curatellifolia
Mtiko Garcinia livingstonei subsp. curatellifolia
Mtobo Azanza garckeana Mbula Parinari curatellifolia
Mtongatonga Strychnos cocculoides subsp. curatellifolia
Mtumbwi Sterculia africana Mbuni Parinari curatellifolia
Muhamba Manilkara sulcata subsp. curatellifolia
Muhekela Uapaca nitida Mbura Parinari curatellifolia
Muhou Uvaria acuminata subsp. curatellifolia
Muhukuliro Trichilia emetica Mchendeka Polygonum salicifolium
Muhuluhuti Syzygium guineense Mchenga Strychnos innocua
Mvumo Borassus aethiopum Mfudu Vitex doniana
Nduguyu Balanites aegyptiaca Mgwilu Syzygium cordatum
Nnjunju Ricinodendron heudelotii Mhuani Uvaria acuminata
subsp. africanum Milola Ficus sur
Utondo Tacca leontopetaloides Mkohozi Syzygium guineense
Mlenda-mgunda Sesamum calycinum var.
Ngoni angustifolium
Mlombelombe Annona senegalensis
Bwaka Ipomoea eriocarpa
Mlopelope Annona senegalensis
Chikumba Strychnos spinosa subsp.
Mpingipingi Ximenia caffra
lokua
Mpitimbi Vitex doniana
Delele Sesamum angolense
Msendeka Polygonum salicifolium
Fudwe Vitex doniana
Msuku Uapaca kirkiana
Kikande Habenaria epipactidea
Mtalilo Ipomoea eriocarpa
Kikande chanima Habenaria epipactidea
Mtengula Flueggea virosa
Kikande chichala Habenaria epipactidea
Mtepura Senna singueana
Kikande jike Habenaria epipactidea
Ndewele Celosia trigyna
Kikande maka Habenaria epipactidea

43
 LOCAL NAMES

Ngoni (contd) Msengele Syzygium guineense

Nungunungu Bidens pilosa Mskisya Myrianthus holstii
Umbura Parinari curatellifolia Msuisya Myrianthus holstii
subsp. curatellifolia Mswiza Myrianthus holstii
Nguu Msyavala Bombax rhodognaphalon
var. tomentosum
Mawejameno Antidesma venosum
Mtulutulu Ficus sansibarica
Mdulu Englerophytum natalense
Muhu Syzygium guineense
Mfune Sterculia appendiculata
Mwisya Bridelia micrantha
Mgagawe Ziziphus mucronata
Ndabelobe Englerophytum natalense
subsp. mucronata
Ndobilobe Synsepalum brevipes
Mgobwe Vitex doniana
Ndobilobe Synsepalum msolo
Mgolimazi Trichilia emetica
Nguluka Syzygium sclerophyllum
Mgude Sterculia appendiculata
Nsangisa Uapaca nitida
Mguoguo Pouteria alnifolia
Nsangisa Uapaca sansibarica
Mgwejameno Antidesma venosum
Umbula Parinari curatellifolia
Mhuga Dalbergia nitidula
subsp. curatellifolia
Mkolakole Bridelia micrantha
Unsongwa Garcinia buchananii
Mkonde Myrianthus holstii
Mkonga Balanites aegyptiaca
Mkumbaku Carissa edulis Nyamwezi
Mkundi Parkia filicoidea Googo Cucumis dipsaceus
Mkwazuperere Dialium holtzii Googo Cucumis figarei
Mng’ong’o Sclerocarya birrea subsp. Ibungobugo Landolphia kilimanjarica
caffra Ibungobungo Landolphia parvifolia
Mnyohoyo Synsepalum msolo Ibungobungo Saba comorensis
Msambia Synsepalum brevipes Ikumbusya Cyphostemma bullatum
Msambia Synsepalum msolo Ilamata Cyathula orthacantha
Msungunde Syzygium cordatum Ilamata Pupalia lappacea var.
Mtondoro Ricinodendron heudelotii velutina
subsp. africanum Ilando-ipolu Ipomoea cairica var.
Muguguni Ziziphus mucronata cairica
subsp. mucronata Ileve Pistia stratiotes
Mvungwe Kigelia africana Itembwe Aloe nutii
Mwale Bombax rhodognaphalon Itugu Dioscorea cochlaeri-
var. tomentosum apiculata
Itugu Dioscorea dumetorum
Nyakyusa Itugu Dioscorea odoratissima
Itugu Dioscorea quartiniana var.
Ingulungulu Multidentia crassa
quartiniana
Kakuchu Uapaca sansibarica
Itugu Dioscorea schimperiana
Kalemela Opilia amentacea
Ivungovungo Landolphia kilimanjarica
Mabangala Ensete ventricosum
Kaala Corchorus
Mbula Parinari curatellifolia
pseudocapsularis
subsp. curatellifolia
Kaala Corchorus tridens
Mbula Parinari excelsa
Kafinulambasa Dalbergia nitidula
Mkuhu Uapaca kirkiana
Kaganza ka mwana Aerva lanata
Mkuju Ficus vallis-choudae
Kagowole Ziziphus abyssinica
Mnyamsimbi Uapaca nitida
Kagowole Ziziphus mauritiana
Mpegele Syzygium cordatum
Kagowole Ziziphus mucronata
Mpombo Cussonia spicata
subsp. mucronata
Msaibi Oncoba spinosa
Kaguha Opilia amentacea
Msanguti Trichilia emetica
Kakunguni Cleome hirta

44
 LOCAL NAMES

Kala Corchorus fascicularis Kilumbu Dioscorea schimperiana

Kala Corchorus trilocularis Kitemba Bauhinia kalantha
Kalembo Ziziphus mucronata Lekalamata Bidens pilosa
subsp. mucronata Limbizu Pseudeminia comosa
Kambolambola Fadogia cienkowskii var. Lugemela Hygrophila auriculata
cienkowskii Luvisu Opilia amentacea
Kambolambola Fadogia homblei Lyungu-lya-nzoka Coccinia grandis
Kambolambola Fadogia stenophylla Lyungu-lya-nzoka Momordica rostrata
Kambolambola Fadogia tetraquerta var. M’milwa Strychnos cocculoides
grandiflora Maleve Nymphaea lotus
Kambolambola Fadogia triphylla var. Maleve Nymphaea nouchali var.
gorgii caerulea
Kambolambola Tapiphyllum burnettii Mavolo-ga-ntumbili Leptactina benguelensis
Kambolambola Tapiphyllum cinerascens Mavya-ga-ntumbili Leptactina benguelensis
var. cinerascens Mbetu Bussea massaiensis
Kambolambola Tapiphyllum discolor Mbigili Oxygonum sinuatum
Kambolambola Tapiphyllum obtusifolium Mbigili Tribulus terrestris
Kamfyonfyo Fadogia triphylla var. Mbula Parinari curatellifolia
gorgii subsp. curatellifolia
Kanala Garcinia livingstonei Mchekecheke Crotalaria natalitia var.
Kapande Eriosema burkei var. natalitia
burkei Mdati Grewia conocarpoides
Kapokole Amaranthus spinosus Mdimwambuli Senna singueana
Kapondolampasa Dalbergia nitidula Mdubilo Acacia nilotica
Kasasalya Cucumis aculeatus Mduguyu Balanites aegyptiaca
Kasasalya Cucumis dipsaceus Mdungwa Kigelia africana
Kasasalya Cucumis figarei Mduvi Oncoba spinosa
Kasasalya Momordica foetida Mfila Annona senegalensis
Kasesanhanga Asparagus africanus Mfila Annona stenophylla
Kasesanhanga Asparagus flagellaris Mfulu Vitex doniana
Kashamongo Syzygium guineense Mfulu Vitex ferruginea
Kasolanhanga Asparagus africanus Mfulu Vitex payos var. payos
Kasolanhanga Asparagus flagellaris Mfulu-genge Vitex payos var. payos
Kasya mongo Eugenia capensis subsp. Mfulu-legea Vitex madiensis subsp.
nyassensis milanjiensis
Kasyamongo Syzygium cordatum Mfulugenge Vitex ferruginea
Kasyamongo Syzygium guineense Mfululegea Vitex doniana
Kasyamongo Syzygium masukuense Mfumbeli Carissa bispinosa
subsp. masukuense Mfumbeli Carissa edulis
Kasyamongo Syzygium owariense Mfunfu Dalbergia nitidula
Katahila Acacia senegal Mfuzu Vitex doniana
Katanga Cucumis dipsaceus Mfuzu Vitex fischeri
Katanga Cucumis figarei Mfyomfyo Leonotis nepetifolia
Katatula Acacia senegal Mgelelya Vangueriopsis lanciflora
Katita Acacia senegal Mginya Feretia apodanthera
Kilindila Aerva leucura subsp. tanzaniensis
Kilumbu Dioscorea cochlaeri- Mgogondi Phyllanthus engleri
apiculata Mgubalu Canthium burttii
Kilumbu Dioscorea dumetorum Mgugunu Ziziphus abyssinica
Kilumbu Dioscorea odoratissima Mgugunu Ziziphus mauritiana
Kilumbu Dioscorea quartiniana var. Mgugunwa Ziziphus mucronata
quartiniana subsp. mucronata

45
 LOCAL NAMES

Nyamwezi (contd) Mlenda-gwa-wima Sesamum calycinum var.

Mgukubi Vitex mombassae angustifolium
Mgumbugumbu Lannea rivae Mliwanfwengi Oldfieldia dactylophylla
Mgumo Ficus stuhlmannii Mlozilozi Rothmannia engleriana
Mgunga Acacia nilotica Mlumba Ficus glumosa var.
Mguwa Sterculia quinqueloba glaberrina
Mgwatu Acacia senegal Mlumba Ficus ingens
Mhama Borassus aethiopum Mlungulungu Zanthoxylum chalybeum
Mhandagi Strychnos pungens var. chalybeum
Mhozya Sterculia africana Mmenge Manilkara obovata
Mjuguyu Balanites aegyptiaca Mnembu Cordia sinensis
Mkalanga Oldfieldia dactylophylla Mnembwa Ximenia americana
Mkalya Zanha africana Mnembwa Ximenia caffra
Mkamilila Raphia farinifera Mnembwa mudo Ximenia americana
Mkamu Canthium burttii Mnemvi Anisophyllea boehmii
Mkima-dimbya Acalypha fruticosa Mnemvi Anisophyllea pomifera
Mkinde Diospyros mespiliformis Mng’ongo Sclerocarya birrea subsp.
Mkoma Grewia bicolor caffra
Mkoma Grewia fallax Mnumbulu Diospyros kirkii
Mkoma Grewia hexamita Mnyemvi Anisophyllea boehmii
Mkoma Grewia mollis Mnyemvi Anisophyllea pomifera
Mkoma-mkulu Grewia fallax Mnyumbu Lannea schweinfurthii var.
Mkomabubu Grewia similis stuhlmannii
Mkomalendi Grewia bicolor Mpangamwaka Cissus cornifolia
Mkome Strychnos pungens Mpela Adansonia digitata
Mkondokondo Rothmannia engleriana Mpelemense Grewia platyclada
Mkondwampuli Ormocarpum kirkii Mpenzwa Pygmaeothamnus zeyheri
Mkondwampuli Ormocarpum Mpugambu Lantana camara
trichocarpum Mpugambu Lantana trifolia
Mkonola Annona senegalensis Mpugambu Lantana ukambensis
Mkonze Manilkara mochisia Mpugambu Lippia kituiensis
Mkukumba Multidentia crassa Mpuguswa Flacourtia indica
Mkulwa Strychnos innocua Mpulu Vitex doniana
Mkungulanga Sterculia quinqueloba Mpulu Vitex fischeri
Mkuni Berchemia discolor Mpundu Strychnos innocua
Mkusu Uapaca kirkiana Mpunguswa Flacourtia indica
Mkuwa Hexalobus monopetalus Mpuru Vitex doniana
Mkuyu Ficus glumosa var. Msada Vangueria infausta subsp.
glaberrina rotundata
Mkuyu Ficus sur Msada Vangueria
Mkuyu Ficus sycomorus madagascariensis
Mlala Hyphaene compressa Msagasi Commiphora africana
Mlala Phoenix reclinata Msalasi Friesodielsia obovata
Mlele Delonix elata Msalunhunda Psorospermum febrifugum
Mlembu Cordia monoica Msambalawe Syzygium masukuense
Mlembu Cordia sinensis subsp. masukuense
Mlenda-gwa-kala Corchorus fascicularis Msambila Senna singueana
Mlenda-gwa-kala Corchorus tridens Msambisambi Senna singueana
Mlenda-gwa-kala Corchorus trilocularis Msanghwa Kigelia africana
Mlenda-gwa-mbata Ceratotheca sesamoides Msekela Antidesma venosum
Mlenda-gwa-tyege Ceratotheca sesamoides Mselya Lannea fulva
Mlenda-gwa-wima Sesamum angolense Msinde Diospyros mespiliformis

46
 LOCAL NAMES

Msingila Flacourtia indica Nsanda Bidens pilosa

Msisi Tamarindus indica Nsapa Dactyloctenium aegyptium
Msongu Acokanthera schimperi Nsapa Dactyloctenium giganteum
Msongwa-nsimbaCanthium burttii Nsili zya mwipolu Vigna pubescens
Msungwe Vitex mombassae Nsokolo Oxygonum sinuatum
Msungwi Flacourtia indica Ntungu Amaranthus spinosus
Msungwi Vitex mombassae Numbu Dioscorea cochlaeri-
Mtalali Vitex mombassae apiculata
Mtanda-mwaka Cissus quarrei Nzegenzege Crotalaria natalitia var.
Mtandamwaka Cissus cornifolia natalitia
Mtindambogo Piliostigma thonningii Shyokolo Oxygonum sinuatum
Mtinje Lannea humilis Tuuti Ormocarpum kirkii
Mtinje Lannea rivae
Mtonga Strychnos cocculoides Nyasa
Mtonto Commiphora
Bwaka Ipomoea eriocarpa
mossambicensis
Chitelelu Ceratotheca sesamoides
Mtopetope Annona senegalensis
Chitimbe Piliostigma thonningii
Mtopetope Annona stenophylla
Kajambalame Deinbollia borbonica
Mtowo Azanza garckeana
Kunjengunjengu Friesodielsia obovata
Mtumbu Syzygium owariense
Lungwe Dalbergia nitidula
Mtundwa Ximenia americana
Mabuyu Adansonia digitata
Mtundwa Ximenia caffra
Malembe Adansonia digitata
Mubula Parinari curatellifolia
Masuku Uapaca kirkiana
subsp. curatellifolia
Maungu Landolphia kirkii
Muhama Borassus aethiopum
Maungu Landolphia parvifolia
Muhozya Sterculia africana
Mawungu Saba comorensis
Muhozya Sterculia mhosya
Mbula Parinari curatellifolia
Mukamilila Raphia farinifera
subsp. curatellifolia
Mukukumba Multidentia crassa
Mkungumwale Hexalobus monopetalus
Mulala Hyphaene compressa
Mtalilo Ipomoea eriocarpa
Mulala Hyphaene coriacea
Mtoo Azanza garckeana
Mulala Hyphaene petersiana
Vikoko ndumbila Fadogia cienkowskii var.
Muliwanfwengi Oldfieldia dactylophylla
cienkowskii
Mumenge Manilkara obovata
Vikoko ndumbila Fadogia homblei
Mumilwa Strychnos cocculoides
Mumpundu Strychnos innocua
Mumundu Strychnos innocua Nyaturu
Mungelelya Vangueriopsis lanciflora Irwana Vitex mombassae
Mutwinya Rothmannia engleriana Mdumwa-kiguu Cordia sinensis
Muvambang’oma Balanites aegyptiaca Mfama Borassus aethiopum
Muwula Parinari curatellifolia Mfetru Bussea massaiensis
subsp. curatellifolia Mfughuyu Balanites aegyptiaca
Muwungowungo Landolphia parvifolia Mjaghamba Pappea capensis
Muyogoyogo Multidentia crassa Mkindu Phoenix reclinata
Mvila Ficus ingens Mkulungundu Strychnos innocua
Mvungwa Kigelia africana Mkulungundu Strychnos spinosa subsp.
Mwage Strychnos spinosa subsp. lokua
lokua Mkwaju Tamarindus indica
Mwasya Syzygium guineense Mobibi Dalbergia nitidula
Mwiegea Kigelia africana Mofere Psorospermum febrifugum
Myuguyu Balanites aegyptiaca Mondoyanjoghu Syzygium cordatum
Mzambalawe Syzygium guineense Mongoongo Cordia monoica

47
 LOCAL NAMES

Nyaturu (contd) Ikusu Parinari curatellifolia

Mpangwe Bidens pilosa subsp. curatellifolia
Msasati Vitex mombassae Liwisa Myrianthus arboreus
Mtaai Vitex mombassae Liwisa Myrianthus holstii
Mubuntuwa Phyllanthus engleri Maula Parinari curatellifolia
Mufuu Vitex ferruginea subsp. curatellifolia
Mufuu Vitex payos var. payos Mkunungu Vitex doniana
Muhinko Acacia nilotica Mkusu-mpareni Uapaca sansibarica
Muhuvi Sclerocarya birrea subsp. Msangu Oncoba spinosa
caffra Munyeraminu Bridelia micrantha
Mujuhu Commiphora africana Munyeraminzi Bridelia micrantha
Mujulu Zanha africana Sengamino Bridelia micrantha
Mukhantokhanto Grewia similis
Mukhubo Acacia senegal Nyiramba
Mukuyu Ficus sycomorus
Kishasae Cucumis aculeatus
Mukwaju Tamarindus indica
Kishasae Cucumis figarei
Mulade Vangueria
Mkungu-lusuli Vangueria infausta subsp.
madagascariensis
rotundata
Mulade- Vangueria infausta subsp.
Mkungu-lusili Vangueria
mujenghuma rotundata
madagascariensis
Mulade- Vangueria
Mkungu-lusuli Vangueria
mujenghuma madagascariensis
madagascariensis
Mulumba Ficus stuhlmannii
Mpama Borassus aethiopum
Mumpembe Grewia villosa
Msasati Vitex mombassae
Mungungu Kigelia africana
Msasi Vitex mombassae
Munianyonyi Ficus stuhlmannii
Mtogho Azanza garckeana
Munyingwa-
Mtundwi Ximenia caffra
mpembe Osyris lanceolata
Mubilu Vangueria
Munyongwa-
madagascariensis
mpembe Syzygium cordatum
Mudugunga Balanites aegyptiaca
Mupumba Rothmannia engleriana
Mukuma Grewia similis
Musagha Lannea schweinfurthii var.
Mulunzi Kigelia africana
stuhlmannii
Mupulu Vitex ferruginea
Musasarti Vitex mombassae
Musasu Piliostigma thonningii
Musinda Ormocarpum kirkii Pare
Musingisa Flacourtia indica Buruja Amaranthus spinosus
Musuna Grewia mollis Ikobito Asystasia gangetica
Musuna-nu-kuu Grewia bicolor Ikobito Asystasia mysorensis
Musundu Opilia amentacea Ikongo Tribulus terrestris
Mutonto Commiphora Ikongwe Commelina benghalensis
mossambicensis Ikongwe Mammea usambarensis
Mutrogho Azanza garckeana Ikonkho Tribulus terrestris
Mutundwe Ximenia caffra Ikungulanyoka Momordica foetida
Mutungulu Senna singueana Isae Dracaena mannii
Muvabaahi Osyris lanceolata Iteru Balanites aegyptiaca
Ivasha Urtica massaica
Nyiha Ivava Urtica massaica
Kisambare Lobelia fervens subsp.
Ibula Parinari curatellifolia
fervens
subsp. curatellifolia
Kisegeju Cardamine trichocarpa
Igalilonji Embelia schimperi
Kishangalaji Thylachium africanum

48
 LOCAL NAMES

Kizulu Osyris lanceolata Muikongwe Mammea usambarensis

Kokonida Lycium europaeum Mwira Bridelia micrantha
Kweche Hyphaene compressa Mzameli Acacia nilotica
Kweche Hyphaene coriacea Mzulu Osyris lanceolata
Mbiro Vangueria Ndusi Rubia cordifolia
madagascariensis Ng’holo ya msawo Hydnora abyssinica
Mbwete Celosia trigyna Njujui Solanum anguivii
Mchofwe Carissa edulis Totwe Landolphia kilimanjarica
Mdaria Vangueria apiculata Totwe Landolphia kirkii
Mdaria Vangueria infausta subsp.
rotundata Rangi
Mdaria Vangueria
Chandu Lannea fulva
madagascariensis
Gigambu Lantana camara
Mdaria Vangueria volkensii
Ibuibui Sterculia mhosya
Mdu Synsepalum brevipes
Ibuibui Sterculia quinqueloba
Mdu Synsepalum msolo
Ibwebwe Commiphora africana
Mfune Sterculia appendiculata
Ichoro Delonix elata
Mjongolo Diospyros mespiliformis
Idaki Commiphora africana
Mkayo Salvadora persica
Ihata Achyranthes aspera
Mkisingo Balanites aegyptiaca
Ijovya Commiphora africana
Mkonga Balanites aegyptiaca
Ikechu Feretia apodanthera
Mkungulungu Lepisanthes senegalensis
subsp. tanzaniensis
Mkunguma Sorindeia
Ikori Aloe nutii
madagascariensis
Ikulula Achyranthes aspera
Mkuu Ficus sur
Ikuri Aloe nutii
Mlama Syzygium cordatum
Ikwandaja Commiphora
Mlama Syzygium guineense
mossambicensis
Mlenda Corchorus tridens
Inyankumbi Trichodesma zeylanicum
Mlenda Corchorus trilocularis
Iperemesu Grewia platyclada
Mnangu Grewia similis
Iponde Commiphora africana
Mndujwi Solanum schumannianum
Irenda Sesamum angolense
Mng’ong’o Sclerocarya birrea subsp.
Isuha Kigelia africana
caffra
Iyarampimbi Pappea capensis
Mnoja Sterculia rhynchocarpa
Kibabibabi Psorospermum febrifugum
Mpololo Cordia sinensis
Kibwala Osyris lanceolata
Mpwizopwizo Pyrostria bibracteata
Kihungawisu Acacia nilotica
Mramba Adansonia digitata
Kihungawiswa Acacia nilotica
Msambia Synsepalum brevipes
Kijame Acacia nilotica
Msambia Synsepalum msolo
Kimbwala Osyris lanceolata
Msele Zanthoxylum chalybeum
Kivambang’ombe Balanites aegyptiaca
var. chalybeum
Kiviruviru Canthium burttii
Mshasha Cordia monoica
Kiviruviru Canthium lactescens
Mshegheshe Strychnos spinosa subsp.
Lukwaju Ziziphus abyssinica
lokua
Lukwaju Ziziphus mucronata
Mshunga-mboga Sonchus luxurians
subsp. mucronata
Msidati Senna singueana
Mafaa Parinari curatellifolia
Msighe Lannea schweinfurthii var.
subsp. curatellifolia
stuhlmannii
Matua Azanza garckeana
Msindali Senna singueana
Matwa Azanza garckeana
Mtakataka Azanza garckeana
Mbajiru Syzygium guineense
Mtelia Rubus apetalus
Mbarahasha Achyranthes aspera
Muganda Parinari excelsa

49
 LOCAL NAMES

Rangi (contd) Msakawa Lannea schweinfurthii var.

Mbula Parinari curatellifolia stuhlmannii
subsp. curatellifolia Msambalawe Tapiphyllum obtusifolium
Mbura Parinari curatellifolia Msambu Ficus sycomorus
subsp. curatellifolia Msambu Ficus vallis-choudae
Mchagai Azanza garckeana Msasa Cordia monoica
Mchai Azanza garckeana Msasha Cordia monoica
Mchumbau Vitex mombassae Msembere Azanza garckeana
Mdori Balanites aegyptiaca Msisiviri Delonix elata
Mduwau Grewia bicolor Msongolamambo Ormocarpum kirkii
Mduwau Grewia hexamita Msongolamambo Ormocarpum
Mduwau Grewia mollis trichocarpum
Mgunga Acacia nilotica Msuha Kigelia africana
Mgurufa Ziziphus mucronata Msuharu Syzygium cordatum
subsp. mucronata Msumbaive Strychnos spinosa subsp.
Mhungawiswa Acacia nilotica lokua
Mjengu Ximenia caffra Msusulavana Sterculia mhosya
Mjijiva Balanites aegyptiaca Mtarima Lannea fulva
Mjijiva Ziziphus mucronata Mterera Delonix elata
subsp. mucronata Mtowo Azanza garckeana
Mjijiwa Balanites aegyptiaca Mtula Azanza garckeana
Mjingu Ximenia americana Mtula-ikufa Pappea capensis
Mjingu Ximenia caffra Mtundukarya Flacourtia indica
Mjumbau Vitex mombassae Mtungulu-mwiru Senna singueana
Mkabaku Carissa edulis Mtwa Azanza garckeana
Mkamati Syzygium guineense Muangu Sclerocarya birrea subsp.
Mkambaiwe Strychnos spinosa subsp. caffra
lokua Muchagai Azanza garckeana
Mkomati Syzygium guineense Muchumbau Vitex mombassae
Mkunungu Zanthoxylum chalybeum Muchunganyama Lannea fulva
var. chalybeum Mudualo Antidesma venosum
Mkuyu Ficus glumosa var. Mugalapo Piliostigma thonningii
glaberrina Muhunga Acacia nilotica
Mkuyu Ficus sycomorus Muhunga Acacia senegal
Mkuyu Ficus vallis-choudae Muizi Rhus natalensis
Mkwaju Tamarindus indica Muizi Rhus vulgaris
Mlungu Zanthoxylum chalybeum Mukomu Strychnos innocua
var. chalybeum Mukomu Strychnos spinosa subsp.
Mnangu Grewia similis lokua
Mnembu Cordia sinensis Mukundi Rhus longipes
Mngalapo Piliostigma thonningii Mukuyu Ficus sycomorus
Mngurufa Ziziphus mucronata Mulungu Zanthoxylum chalybeum
subsp. mucronata var. chalybeum
Mnjulu Zanha africana Mumora Parinari curatellifolia
Mnuhu Zanha africana subsp. curatellifolia
Mpelemesu Grewia platyclada Mumu Ficus glumosa var.
Mpome Commiphora africana glaberrina
Mpuru Vitex doniana Mumu Ficus ingens
Mpuru Vitex payos var. payos Mumu Ficus vallis-choudae
Msaambu Ficus vallis-choudae Mumura Parinari curatellifolia
Msakasaka Rhus natalensis subsp. curatellifolia
Msakasaka Rhus vulgaris Mungalinya Syzygium cordatum

50
 LOCAL NAMES

Munni Ormocarpum kirkii Ngombe Saba comorensis

Murenda Triumfetta cordifolia var. Nkobeliya Tapiphyllum burnettii
tomentosa Nkobeliya Tapiphyllum cinerascens
Muriru Vangueria infausta subsp. var. cinerascens
rotundata
Musada Vangueria infausta subsp. Sambaa
rotundata
Banko Maranthes goetzeniana
Musada Vangueria
Bwache Amaranthus spinosus
madagascariensis
Chunga kubwa Emilia coccinea
Musede Multidentia crassa
Chunga kuu Emilia coccinea
Musuha Kigelia africana
Danga-danga Portulaca oleracea
Musuharu Syzygium cordatum
Fiefie Abutilon angulatum
Musuharu Syzygium guineense
Fiefie Abutilon mauritianum
Musuva Kigelia africana
Funga-mizinga Celosia argentea
Muswaru Syzygium guineense
Funga-msanga Celosia trigyna
Mutaritari Hoslundia opposita
Fuzu Maranthes goetzeniana
Mutende Abutilon mauritianum
Fyefye Abutilon angulatum
Mutungu Thylachium africanum
Fyefye Abutilon mauritianum
Mutungulu Senna singueana
Fyofyokoe Triumfetta cordifolia var.
Mutwa Azanza garckeana
tomentosa
Muuwi Ormocarpum
Gentamana Rumex abyssinicus
trichocarpum
Gentamana Rumex usambarensis
Muviru Vangueria infausta subsp.
Ghoe Ampelocissus africana
rotundata
Hombo Ormocarpum kirkii
Muviru Vangueria
Hombo kiumbu Ormocarpum
madagascariensis
trichocarpum
Mwave Ziziphus mucronata
Hombo-muungu Zanthoxylum chalybeum
subsp. mucronata
var. chalybeum
Mwiizi Rhus vulgaris
Kapugutilo Chenopodium opulifolium
Mwiwi Adansonia digitata
Kaziti-wanda Lippia kituiensis
Mwuwi Ormocarpum
Kibaazi-mzitu Eriosema ukingense
trichocarpum
Kibwabwa Nicandra physaloides
Nyijiva Balanites aegyptiaca
Kibwando Corchorus tridens
Pumbuji Bidens pilosa
Kibwando Corchorus trilocularis
Uwi Ormocarpum kirkii
Kidelele Aerva lanata
Kidwanga Triumfetta cordifolia var.
Rufiji tomentosa
Mfuma Bombax rhodognaphalon Kikongoo Scolopia zeyheri
var. tomentosum Kikwandie Coffea eugenioides
Mjembajemba Antidesma venosum Kikwandie Coffea mufindiensis
Mkonge Pyrostria bibracteata Kimachura Habenaria epipactidea
Mkuku Ficus sur Kisogo Rourea orientalis
Mnanga Carpodiptera africana Kiteguzi Dracaena mannii
Msada Vangueria infausta subsp. Kiviruviru Multidentia sclerocarpa
rotundata Kololwe Hibiscus acetosella
Msarabo Syzygium guineense Kololwe Hibiscus surattensis
Mshiri Grewia goetzeana Kororwe Hibiscus ludwigii
Msisingololo Trilepisium Kungu-mti Adenia gummifera
madagascariense Kunguiva Momordica rostrata
Mtandi Kigelia africana Kuti Pouteria adolfi-friedericii
Mtawa Flacourtia indica subsp. australis
Mtopetope Annona senegalensis Kwake Sonchus luxurians

51
 LOCAL NAMES

Sambaa (contd) Mfune Sterculia appendiculata

Kwavi Synaptolepis alternifolia Mfuru Vitex ferruginea
Langa Tacca leontopetaloides Mgagawe Ziziphus mucronata
Limi-ja-ng’ombe Emilia coccinea subsp. mucronata
Longe Dracaena mannii Mgama Mimusops kummel
Lufifia Sterculia tragacantha Mgama Mimusops obtusifolia
Lugulashili Drymaria cordata Mgama Mimusops somaliensis
Luhagalanguku Sorindeia Mgambo Manilkara discolor
madagascariensis Mgambo Mimusops bagshawei
Lukaka Rubia cordifolia Mgambo Mimusops kummel
Lukantamila Polygonum pulchrum Mgambo Mimusops obtusifolia
Lukenda Adenia gummifera Mgambo Mimusops somaliensis
Lumaka Hibiscus acetosella Mgelegele Acacia nilotica
Lumaka Hibiscus ludwigii Mghambo Manilkara discolor
Lumaka Hibiscus surattensis Mgobe Vitex doniana
Lushemu Chenopodium opulifolium Mgobe Vitex ferruginea
Lushwe Momordica foetida Mgolimazi Trichilia emetica
Luwuga Maerua decumbens Mgonambogo Piliostigma thonningii
Magamosi Cordia monoica Mguguni Ziziphus mucronata
Mamata Pupalia lappacea var. subsp. mucronata
velutina Mguira Rubia cordifolia
Mbamba Trichilia dregeana Mguoguo Pouteria alnifolia
Mbambangoma Balanites wilsoniana Mgwata Cordyla africana
Mbangwe Trichilia emetica Mhetele Dialium holtzii
Mbawa Tragia insuarvis Mhetele Dialium orientale
Mbigili Oxygonum sinuatum Mhombo Ormocarpum kirkii
Mbokwe Annona senegalensis Mhula Parinari excelsa
Mbonyati-ngoshi Isoglossa lactea Mhumba Senna singueana
Mbula Parinari excelsa Mhunguru Rhus natalensis
Mbungo Saba comorensis Mhunguru-
Mbuni Mammea usambarensis mhomba Rhus natalensis
Mbuswa Acokanthera oppositifolia Mhurusha-mbuzi Hibiscus micranthus
Mbwakabwaka Deinbollia kilimandscharica var. Mkaafuu Pouzolzia mixta
kilimandscharica Mkalakala Carissa tetramera
Mbwembwe Bidens pilosa Mkame Polysphaeria parvifolia
Mbwewe Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius Mkandandogowe Psorospermum febrifugum
subsp. vaughanii Mkangala Strychnos
Mbwewe Trichilia emetica madagascariensis
Mdaia Canthium oligocarpum Mkanyi Allanblackia stuhlmanii
subsp. oligocarpum Mkanyi Allanblackia ulugurensis
Mdulu Englerophytum natalense Mkea-kundi Diospyros mespiliformis
Mduyuyu Manilkara sulcata Mkenene Polyceratocarpus scheffleri
Mfesti Carpodiptera africana Mkeyamasha Oldenlandia corymbosa
Mfulu Vitex ferruginea var. corymbosa
Mfulwe Acalypha bipartita Mkindu Phoenix reclinata
Mfulwe Acalypha fruticosa Mkole-ng’ombe Grewia goetzeana
Mfulwe Acalypha ornata Mkole-ngoda Grewia bicolor
Mfuma Bombax rhodognaphalon Mkonde Myrianthus arboreus
var. tomentosum Mkonde Myrianthus holstii
Mfumba Carissa bispinosa Mkonde dume Myrianthus holstii
Mfumba Carissa edulis Mkonga Balanites rotundifolia
Mfune Sterculia africana Mkonga Balanites wilsoniana

52
 LOCAL NAMES

Mkongo Commelina benghalensis Msasami Cola scheffleri

Mkongola Scolopia stolzii Mschihui Syzygium guineense
Mkongola Scolopia theifolia Msegese Piliostigma thonningii
Mkulukwa Multidentia fanshawei Msegesege Piliostigma thonningii
Mkumbaku Carissa edulis Mshaa Rubus apetalus
Mkundi Parkia filicoidea Mshaa Rubus steudneri
Mkunguma Deinbollia borbonica Mshasa Cordia monoica
Mkunguma Deinbollia kilimandscharica var. Mshida Dialium holtzii
kilimandscharica Mshihwi Syzygium cordatum
Mkungwina Trichilia dregeana Mshihwi Syzygium guineense
Mkuntu Harungana Mshila Dialium holtzii
madagascariensis Mshila Dialium orientale
Mkuti Pouteria adolfi-friedericii Mshiwi Syzygium guineense
subsp. australis Mshizo Pyrostria bibracteata
Mkuyu Ficus sur Mshofu Annona stenophylla
Mkuyu Ficus sycomorus Mshofu Uvaria acuminata
Mkuyu Ficus vallis-choudae Mshofu Uvaria lucida subsp.
Mkwamba Flueggea virosa lucida
Mkwanga Zanha africana Mshunga-mboga Sonchus luxurians
Mkwazu Tamarindus indica Mshunguti Acokanthera schimperi
Mkwingwina Sorindeia Mshushi Syzygium sclerophyllum
madagascariensis Msindo Acalypha ornata
Mleko Uvaria acuminata Msofu Uvaria acuminata
Mlenda Ceratotheca sesamoides Msofu Uvaria kirkii
Mmavimavi Alsodeiopsis schumannii Msosokolwe Triumfetta cordifolia var.
Mnangu Grewia similis tomentosa
Mnavu-zinge Nicandra physaloides Msungu Acokanthera schimperi
Mnguoguo Pouteria alnifolia Msungudi Syzygium cordatum
Mntindi Cussonia spicata Mswaki Salvadora persica
Mnyembeue Erythrococca kirkii Mtanga Strychnos innocua
Mnywanywa Rumex abyssinicus Mtendele Cussonia spicata
Mohoyo Synsepalum ceraciferum Mtiwampara Scolopia theifolia
Monko-ya-nyika Trichilia emetica Mtiwapaa Dovyalis abyssinica
Moza Sterculia rhynchocarpa Mtondoro Ricinodendron heudelotii
Mpafu Canarium subsp. africanum
madagascariense Mtonga Oncoba spinosa
Mpia-mzitu Landolphia kilimanjarica Mtonga Strychnos spinosa subsp.
Mpia-mzitu Landolphia kirkii lokua
Mpuishi Guizotia scabra Mtonkwe Annona senegalensis
Msaa Phoenix reclinata Mtundui Ximenia americana
Msakula Tacca leontopetaloides Mtundui Ximenia caffra
Msamaka Aframomum albiflorum Mtuntano Rhus vulgaris
Msamaka Aframomum Mtwampara Scolopia zeyheri
angustifolium Muela Acacia nilotica
Msamaka Cola scheffleri Mugambo Manilkara discolor
Msambia Synsepalum msolo Muhanta Lantana trifolia
Msambia-ongwe Pouteria alnifolia Muhembeti Sterculia quinqueloba
Msambu Allanblackia stuhlmanii Muhuba Syzygium guineense
Msambu Allanblackia ulugurensis Muhula Syzygium guineense
Msangate Combretum padoides Muila-ngoto Cyathula orthacantha
Msasa-kilasha Lantana trifolia Muinu Senna occidentalis
Msasa-kilasha Lantana ukambensis Muiza Bridelia micrantha

53
 LOCAL NAMES

Sambaa (contd) Pupu Laportea ovalifolia

Munozambeyu Alsodeiopsis schumannii Pwake Sonchus luxurians
Muokoyo Synsepalum ceraciferum Sambae Lobelia fervens subsp.
Muozambeyu Alsodeiopsis schumannii fervens
Mutundi Cussonia spicata Sambarau Syzygium guineense
Muula Parinari excelsa Sangari Lobelia fervens subsp.
Muungu-magoma Zanthoxylum chalybeum fervens
var. chalybeum Saza Celosia trigyna
Muuwa Parinari excelsa Sesemlanda Trichodesma zeylanicum
Muyohoyo Synsepalum ceraciferum Shambae Lobelia fervens subsp.
Mvilu Vangueria infausta subsp. fervens
rotundata Shingaazi Thylachium africanum
Mvilu Vangueria volkensii Shunga-pwapwa Sonchus luxurians
Mviu Vangueria infausta subsp. Sosokolwe Triumfetta cordifolia var.
rotundata tomentosa
Mviu Vangueria volkensii Talata Ipomoea pres-caprae
Mvumo Ficus ingens Tambuu Piper guineense
Mvumo Ficus sur Tambwe Ensete ventricosum
Mvuti Lantana camara Tebwa Aerva lanata
Mvuti Lippia kituiensis Tebwe Adansonia digitata
Mwale Bombax rhodognaphalon Tikini Asystasia gangetica
var. tomentosum Tikini Asystasia mysorensis
Mwanga Tacca leontopetaloides Tonge Talinum portulacifolium
Mwawa Hirtella megacarpa Tufia Urtica massaica
Mwaza-njama Ritchiea albersii Tugu Dioscorea cochlaeri-
Mwengele Cyphostemma njegerre apiculata
Mwevumbulo Opilia amentacea Tugu Dioscorea dumetorum
Mwitango Bidens schimperi Tugu Dioscorea odoratissima
Mwiza Bridelia micrantha Tugu Dioscorea quartiniana var.
Mwooza-nyama Ritchiea albersii quartiniana
Mzughu Trilepisium Tugu Dioscorea schimperiana
madagascariense Ugooto Landolphia kilimanjarica
Mzulu Osyris lanceolata Ugoroto Landolphia kirkii
Ng’anga Maranthes goetzeniana Ukakaka Rubia cordifolia
Ng’weng’we Dracaena mannii Unkobo Justicia heterocarpa
Ngera Embelia schimperi Utambaa-ngoshwe Hewittia sublobata
Ngola moyo Heliotropium zeylanicum Vitoria Ancylobotrys petersiana
Ngolimazi Trichilia dregeana Vumo Borassus aethiopum
Ngoma Pouteria alnifolia Yang’andu Celosia schweinfurthiana
Nguoguo Pouteria alnifolia
Njujui Solanum anguivii Sandawi
Njujui Solanum schumannianum
/”Ánka Bussea massaiensis
Nkongo Commelina africana
/”iko Kedrostis leloja
Nkongo Commelina imberbis
/./.Hwaa Grewia mollis
Nkongo Commelina latifolia
/.Amaka Lannea schweinfurthii var.
Nshishi Tamarindus indica
stuhlmannii
Ntuavuka Multidentia sclerocarpa
/.Umphá Momordica rostrata
Ntula-vuha Canthium oligocarpum
/.Wandánda Ximenia
subsp. oligocarpum
caffra
Nywanywa Rumex abyssinicus
//’aáya Ximenia americana
Nywanywa Rumex usambarensis
/a./da Aloe nutii
Paramoyo Aerva lanata
/ank’á Tamarindus indica

54
 LOCAL NAMES

Amamasóó Hydnora abyssinica Tlágwa Sterculia africana

An/./.uma Sclerocarya birrea subsp. Tlan/.kakaso Opuntia vulgaris
caffra Ts’imak’o Ziziphus mucronata
Angweegwee Cordia sinensis subsp. mucronata
Arange Delonix elata Tsampure Grewia similis
Betabeta Ceratotheca sesamoides Tsengeré Opilia amentacea
Dong Azanza garckeana X’waa Grewia mollis
E’kegheke Strychnos innocua X’waa Grewia platyclada
Erenze Sesamum angolense Xaxabo Azanza garckeana
G/.éke Strychnos innocua Xaya Ximenia caffra
G/.omi Lannea humilis Xóá Grewia platyclada
Gele Adansonia digitata
Gelegela Senna singueana Sangu
Gheke Strychnos innocua
Ifufu Sesamothamnus
Hangwe Hyphaene petersiana
busseanus
Helá Dactyloctenium aegyptium
Livale Raphia farinifera
Helá Dactyloctenium giganteum
Mbajua Grewia platyclada
Hlampuka Peponium vogelii
Mhanja Senna singueana
Irata Kigelia africana
Mingi Ximenia americana
Kekeneka Cleome hirta
Mkombalwike Piliostigma thonningii
Khoa Grewia platyclada
Mkondo Adansonia digitata
Khotso Zanthoxylum chalybeum
Mkwelangedege Sterculia quinqueloba
var. chalybeum
Mpelemehe Grewia bicolor
Kóbá Coccinia grandis
Mpelemehe Grewia mollis
Konkór/.intsha Asparagus africanus
Mpumba Rothmannia engleriana
Konkór/.intsha Asparagus flagellaris
Msinatemo Dalbergia nitidula
Kwilili Lannea fulva
Mswake Salvadora persica
Kwilili Lannea rivae
Mtangadas Strychnos spinosa subsp.
Manange Acacia nilotica
lokua
Mtungu Thylachium africanum
Mtanula Ziziphus abyssinica
Muléwa Salvadora persica
Mtanula Ziziphus mauritiana
Mumbu/he Cucumis aculeatus
Mtanula Ziziphus mucronata
N/.unk’máxáe Vangueria
subsp. mucronata
madagascariensis
Mtundwahai Ximenia americana
N/.uúk Vangueria infausta subsp.
Muhela Piliostigma thonningii
rotundata
Mwingirangedege Sterculia quinqueloba
Naaso Vitex payos var. payos
Nyasowasa Heliotropium zeylanicum
Nam Multidentia crassa
Namu Canthium burttii
Okoo Berchemia discolor Sukuma
Ooko Berchemia discolor Bonani Corchorus tridens
Ráta Kigelia africana Bukindu Phoenix reclinata
Sagár Corchorus trilocularis Bushishi Tamarindus indica
Sákána Ficus sycomorus Huhunga Acalypha ornata
Samangwe Phyllanthus engleri Igongwe Emilia coccinea
Segele Maerua decumbens Igwata Acacia senegal
Serekuúk Grewia bicolor Ihulungula Uvaria acuminata
Sisimpirae Tapiphyllum cinerascens Ilendi Sesamum angolense
var. cinerascens Isoma-ng’ombe Hygrophila auriculata
Thokoi Berchemia discolor Kambolambola Tapiphyllum discolor
Tipa Cordia monoica Lubisu Opilia amentacea
Tipan Cordia monoica Luwecha Aerva lanata

55
 LOCAL NAMES

Sukuma (contd) Namata Cyathula orthacantha

Lyungu-lya-nzoka
Momordica rostrata Ndagwasa Grewia similis
Matwigampuli Opuntia vulgaris Ndati Grewia conocarpoides
Mbigili Tribulus terrestris Ndiga Dioscorea dumetorum
Mbigiri Tribulus terrestris Nembu Cordia monoica
Mbuguswa Feretia apodanthera Ng’ombe-ya-hasi Hydnora abyssinica
subsp. tanzaniensis Ng’ongo Sclerocarya birrea subsp.
Mdagwata Grewia mollis caffra
Mdubilo Acacia nilotica Ng’wandu Adansonia digitata
Mfulu Vitex fischeri Ng’watya Zanha africana
Mgamzabakama Antidesma venosum Ngombe-ya-hansi Hydnora abyssinica
Mgugunu Ziziphus abyssinica Ngubalu Canthium burttii
Mgugunu Ziziphus mauritiana Ngwandu Adansonia digitata
Mgugunu Ziziphus mucronata Ngwicha Kigelia africana
subsp. mucronata Nkamu Canthium burttii
Mgukubi Vitex mombassae Nkoma Grewia fallax
Mgumo Ficus stuhlmannii Nsalasi Friesodielsia obovata
Mgwicha Kigelia africana Nsayu Lannea schweinfurthii var.
Mhoja Sterculia africana stuhlmannii
Mhoja Sterculia mhosya Nselya Lannea fulva
Mhunguru Rhus natalensis Nshishi Tamarindus indica
Mkalya Zanha africana Nsindwi Anisophyllea pomifera
Mkoma Grewia bicolor Ntinje Lannea rivae
Mkondokondo Rothmannia engleriana Nungu Zanthoxylum chalybeum
Mkonze Manilkara mochisia var. chalybeum
Mkuwa Hexalobus monopetalus Nyuguyu Balanites aegyptiaca
Mkwata Acacia senegal Nzegenzege Senna occidentalis
Mnazi Parinari curatellifolia Sungute Trichilia emetica
subsp. curatellifolia
Mpelemese Grewia platyclada Swahili
Mpingi Ximenia americana
Kiazi kikuu Dioscorea cochlaeri-
Mpuguswa Flacourtia indica
apiculata
Mpulu Vitex fischeri
Kiazi kikuu Dioscorea dumetorum
Mpulu Vitex madiensis subsp.
Kiazi kikuu Dioscorea odoratissima
milanjiensis
Kiazi kikuu Dioscorea quartiniana var.
Msambilya Senna singueana
quartiniana
Msayu Lannea schweinfurthii var.
Kiazi kikuu Dioscorea schimperiana
stuhlmannii
Kiazi pori Ipomoea cairica var.
Mshindwi Anisophyllea boehmii
cairica
Mshindwi Anisophyllea pomifera
Kichochomi Dioscorea sansibarensis
Msungwi Vitex mombassae
Kifundo Rubia cordifolia
Mswake Salvadora persica
Kigongo Dioscorea dumetorum
Mtindwa-mbogo Piliostigma thonningii
Kihari Lepisanthes senegalensis
Mtundwa Ximenia americana
Kikopwe Jacquemontia tamnifolia
Muche Salvadora persica
Kikwa Dioscorea dumetorum
Mugamzabakama Antidesma venosum
Kikwata Acacia senegal
Muhama Borassus aethiopum
Kikwayakwaya Stachytarpheta
Muhoja Sterculia quinqueloba
jamaicensis
Mukoma Grewia bicolor
Kilemba cha
Mukonje Manilkara mochisia
bwana Emilia coccinea
Mwandu Adansonia digitata
Kimbugimbugi Dactyloctenium aegyptium
Myuguyugu Balanites aegyptiaca
Kimbugimbugi Dactyloctenium giganteum

56
 LOCAL NAMES

Kinana Dioscorea dumetorum Mbura Parinari curatellifolia

Kindri Oxygonum sinuatum subsp. curatellifolia
Kinonga Aerva lanata Mbura Parinari excelsa
Kinonga Aerva leucura Mbuyu Adansonia digitata
Kinwale Lobelia fervens subsp. Mbwanga Vitex mombassae
fervens Mbwewe Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius
Kisambale Lobelia fervens subsp. subsp. vaughanii
fervens Mchacha Acalypha ornata
Kisegeju Cardamine trichocarpa Mchachu Rumex abyssinicus
Kishonanguo Bidens pilosa Mchachu Rumex usambarensis
Kisimamleo Aloe nutii Mchakwe Annona senegalensis
Kisogo Platostoma africanum Mchakwe Psorospermum febrifugum
Kongwa Commelina africana Mchambigi Manilkara sulcata
Kunde mbala. Dolichos trilobus Mchamvia Synsepalum brevipes
Kunde mwitu Vigna pubescens Mchamvia Synsepalum ceraciferum
Majani ya mwaka Ipomoea pres-caprae Mchanvia Garcinia livingstonei
Mandali Adenia gummifera Mchapa Borassus aethiopum
Marejea Crotalaria natalitia var. Mcheji Manilkara sansibarensis
natalitia Mcheji Manilkara sulcata
Mariga Dioscorea dumetorum Mcheji dume Manilkara sulcata
Masikio tembo Opuntia vulgaris Mchekaucha Xylotheca tettensis var.
Maua Ricinodendron heudelotii kirkii
subsp. africanum Mchekeche Piliostigma thonningii
Mbalamwezi Sterculia quinqueloba Mchekwa Annona senegalensis
Mbamba ngoma Balanites rotundifolia Mchekwa Bauhinia kalantha
Mbamba ngoma Pappea capensis Mchekwa Xylotheca tettensis var.
Mbamba ngoma Piliostigma thonningii kirkii
Mbamba Oxygonum sinuatum Mchengele Rhus longipes
Mbambara Commiphora africana Mchenza mwitu Uapaca paludosa
Mbani Canarium schweinfurthii Mchenza mwitu Uapaca sansibarica
Mbaraka Senna singueana Mchicha Alternanthera tenella var.
Mbibikiu Synaptolepis alternifolia bettzickiana
Mbibikiu Synaptolepis kirkii Mchicha Amaranthus spinosus
Mbigili Oxygonum sinuatum Mchicha Asystasia gangetica
Mbigili Tribulus terrestris Mchicha maua Alternanthera tenella var.
Mbigiri Oxygonum sinuatum bettzickiana
Mbigiri Tribulus terrestris Mchicha pori Celosia trigyna
Mbiha Abutilon mauritianum Mchikichiki Piliostigma thonningii
Mboga mwitu Coccinia grandis Mcho Uvaria kirkii
Mboga wa pwani Sesuvium portulacastrum Mchocho dume Synsepalum msolo
Mbomba Kigelia africana Mchocho jike Synsepalum brevipes
Mboza Sterculia africana Mchochokoe Triumfetta cordifolia var.
Mbua nono Antidesma venosum tomentosa
Mbula Parinari curatellifolia Mchochoni Dioscorea sansibarensis
subsp. curatellifolia Mchofu Uvaria kirkii
Mbula Parinari excelsa Mchongoma Flacourtia indica
Mbungati Kigelia africana Mchumvichumvi Rumex abyssinicus
Mbungo Landolphia kilimanjarica Mchumvichumvi Rumex usambarensis
Mbungo Landolphia parvifolia Mchunga Sonchus luxurians
Mbungo Saba comorensis Mchungu Acokanthera schimperi
Mbura Harungana Mchunju Balanites aegyptiaca
madagascariensis Mdahamwitu Hoslundia opposita

57
 LOCAL NAMES

Swahili (contd) Mgege Vitex ferruginea

Mdamudamu Harungana Mgege Vitex mombassae
madagascariensis Mgiriti Diospyros mespiliformis
Mdara Oncoba spinosa Mgo Flacourtia indica
Mdudu Ritchiea albersii Mgomba mwitu Ensete ventricosum
Mdudu Thylachium africanum Mgomba tumbili Ensete ventricosum
Mduyuyu Englerophytum Mgombakofi Typhonodorum
magalismontanum lindleyanum
Mduyuyu Englerophytum natalense Mgombe Diospyros mespiliformis
Mfausiku Delonix elata Mgovigovi Flacourtia indica
Mfuchwe Asystasia gangetica Mgovigovi Scolopia rhamniphylla
Mfudu Vitex doniana Mgovigovi Scolopia stolzii
Mfudu Vitex ferruginea Mgovigovi Scolopia theifolia
Mfudu Vitex fischeri Mgude Sterculia appendiculata
Mfudu Vitex madiensis subsp. Mgudi Polysphaeria multiflora
milanjiensis Mguguni Balanites wilsoniana
Mfudu Vitex mombassae Mgulungungulu Strychnos innocua
Mfudu Vitex payos var. payos Mgunga Acacia nilotica
Mfudu maji Vitex mombassae Mgunga Acacia senegal
Mfukufuku Brexia madagascariensis Mguoguo Pouteria alnifolia
Mfukufuku Grewia bicolor Mguvi Manilkara sansibarensis
Mfulu Vitex ferruginea Mgwata Cordyla africana
Mfune Sterculia appendiculata Mgwede Encephalartos
Mfunga waume Synaptolepis kirkii hildebrandtii
Mfupapo Pyrostria bibracteata Mgweni Uvaria acuminata
Mfupapu Lannea schweinfurthii var. Mhacha Acalypha bipartita
stuhlmannii Mhacha Acalypha fruticosa
Mfurahisha Mhilihili Sorindeia
mkundu Opuntia vulgaris madagascariensis
Mfuru Vitex doniana Mjafari Zanthoxylum chalybeum
Mfurugudu Brexia madagascariensis var. chalybeum
Mfuta Sesamum calycinum var. Mjamanda Abutilon mauritianum
angustifolium Mjoho Diospyros mespiliformis
Mfuu Vitex doniana Mjunju Balanites aegyptiaca
Mfuu Vitex ferruginea Mkahawa mwitu Coffea eugenioides
Mfuu Vitex fischeri Mkahawa mwitu Coffea mufindiensis
Mfuu Vitex madiensis subsp. Mkalya Zanha africana
milanjiensis Mkamasi Cordia sinensis
Mfuu Vitex payos var. payos Mkandi Dactyloctenium giganteum
Mgama Manilkara obovata Mkangaa Eugenia capensis subsp.
Mgama Mimusops bagshawei nyassensis
Mgama Mimusops kummel Mkange Allanblackia stuhlmanii
Mgama Mimusops somaliensis Mkange Allanblackia ulugurensis
Mgambo Manilkara dawei Mkanja Polysphaeria parvifolia
Mgambo Manilkara discolor Mkaracha Antidesma venosum
Mgambo Manilkara obovata Mkarafuu mwitu Syzygium cordatum
Mgambo Manilkara sansibarensis Mkarakara Bridelia micrantha
Mgambo Mimusops bagshawei Mkaranga mti Bombax rhodognaphalon
Mgambo Mimusops kummel var. tomentosum
Mgambo kapu Mimusops obtusifolia Mkaranga mwitu Alsodeiopsis schumannii
Mganda simba Uvaria acuminata Mkarati Bridelia micrantha
Mganda simba Uvaria lucida subsp. Mkatu Synaptolepis alternifolia
lucida

58
 LOCAL NAMES

Mkatu Synaptolepis kirkii Mkungu wazimu Inhambanella henriquesii

Mkekundu Harungana Mkungwina Trichilia dregeana
madagascariensis Mkungwina Trichilia emetica
Mkengeti Adenia gummifera Mkunungu Zanthoxylum chalybeum
Mkichikichi Piliostigma thonningii var. chalybeum
Mkikoma Carpodiptera africana Mkurufu Brexia madagascariensis
Mkilimu Deinbollia borbonica Mkusu Uapaca kirkiana
Mkimbo Allanblackia stuhlmanii Mkuu hafungwa Adansonia digitata
Mkimbo Allanblackia ulugurensis Mkuu hapingwa Adansonia digitata
Mkindu Phoenix reclinata Mkuvufu Brexia madagascariensis
Mkingili Flacourtia indica Mkuyu Ficus glumosa var.
Mkoche Hyphaene compressa glaberrina
Mkoche Hyphaene coriacea Mkuyu Ficus sansibarica
Mkoche Hyphaene petersiana Mkuyu Ficus sur
Mkole Grewia bicolor Mkuyu Ficus sycomorus
Mkole Grewia conocarpoides Mkuyu Ficus vallis-choudae
Mkole Grewia fallax Mkwaju Tamarindus indica
Mkole Grewia goetzeana Mkwakwa Strychnos innocua
Mkole Grewia hexamita Mkwakwa Strychnos
Mkole Grewia mollis madagascariensis
Mkole Grewia platyclada Mkwakwa Strychnos spinosa subsp.
Mkole Grewia similis lokua
Mkole Grewia trichocarpa Mkwamba Flueggea virosa
Mkole Grewia villosa Mkwanga Encephalartos
Mkoma Hyphaene compressa hildebrandtii
Mkoma Hyphaene coriacea Mkwanga Zanha africana
Mkone Grewia bicolor Mkwema Xylotheca tettensis var.
Mkonechacha Hirtella megacarpa kirkii
Mkonga Balanites rotundifolia Mkwera nyani Sterculia quinqueloba
Mkonga Balanites wilsoniana Mlakasa Ipomoea pres-caprae
Mkonge Pyrostria bibracteata Mlakungu Sorindeia
Mkongoro Carpodiptera africana madagascariensis
Mkono chuma Rhus natalensis Mlala Hyphaene compressa
Mkono chuma Rhus vulgaris Mlala Hyphaene coriacea
Mkorobosho Grewia villosa Mlala Hyphaene petersiana
Mkororo Commiphora africana Mlama mwitu Rhus vulgaris
Mkuju Ficus sur Mlanga Tacca leontopetaloides
Mkuku mbuzi Garcinia livingstonei Mlangwe Lepisanthes senegalensis
Mkulu Berchemia discolor Mlanyuni Hoslundia opposita
Mkumba Rhus natalensis Mlapaa Polysphaeria parvifolia
Mkuna chuma Rhus natalensis Mlati Syzygium cordatum
Mkunazi Ziziphus mauritiana Mlenda Corchorus fascicularis
Mkunazi mwitu Ziziphus mucronata Mlenda Corchorus
subsp. mucronata pseudocapsularis
Mkunazi pori Ziziphus mauritiana Mlenda Corchorus tridens
Mkunde Parkia filicoidea Mlenda Corchorus trilocularis
Mkundekunde Senna singueana Mlenda Malva parviflora
Mkunguma Deinbollia borbonica Mlenda Sesamum angolense
Mkunguma Deinbollia kilimandscharica var. Mlenda mbata Ceratotheca sesamoides
kilimandscharica Mlenda mwitu Sesamum calycinum var.
Mkunguma Sorindeia angustifolium
madagascariensis Mlimbo Landolphia kirkii

59
 LOCAL NAMES

Swahili (contd) Mpira Landolphia kirkii

Mlishangwe Rhus vulgaris Mpira Saba comorensis
Mlopa Parkia filicoidea Mpo Landolphia kirkii
Mlungwana Landolphia kirkii Mponda Commiphora africana
Mmeru sukari Landolphia kirkii Mponda Commiphora
Mnago Berchemia discolor mossambicensis
Mnago Manilkara mochisia Mpovupovu Commelina benghalensis
Mnanyakanda Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius Mpumbuti Brexia madagascariensis
subsp. vaughanii Mpungate Opuntia vulgaris
Mnasa nguo Pupalia lappacea var. Mpupu Laportea ovalifolia
velutina Mpupu Urtica massaica
Mnduwe Azanza garckeana Mpweke Diospyros mespiliformis
Mng’ong’o Sclerocarya birrea subsp. Mpyo Landolphia kirkii
caffra Mranaa Kigelia africana
Mngonengone Harungana Mrigi Polysphaeria parvifolia
madagascariensis Mrinja kondo Rhus vulgaris
Mnguvi Mimusops obtusifolia Mripuripu Xylotheca tettensis var.
Mnuka uvundo Senna occidentalis kirkii
Mnyaa Hyphaene compressa Mroma Cordyla africana
Mnyaa Hyphaene coriacea Msaga Antidesma venosum
Mnya mate Cordia sinensis Msambali Lobelia fervens subsp.
Mnyambo Hydnora abyssinica fervens
Mnyumbo Lannea schweinfurthii var. Msambia Synsepalum brevipes
stuhlmannii Msambia Synsepalum msolo
Mongo Sclerocarya birrea subsp. Msambu Allanblackia stuhlmanii
caffra Msambu Allanblackia ulugurensis
Mouma Uapaca sansibarica Msamvia Synsepalum brevipes
Moyo Landolphia kirkii Msamvia Synsepalum msolo
Moza Sterculia africana Msandali Osyris lanceolata
Moza Sterculia mhosya Msapa Manilkara mochisia
Mpafu Canarium Msapo Encephalartos
madagascariense hildebrandtii
Mpafu Canarium schweinfurthii Msasa Cordia monoica
Mpakasi Sorindeia Msasa mlanda Trichodesma zeylanicum
madagascariensis Msasuzi Antidesma venosum
Mpapa Strychnos spinosa subsp. Msegese Piliostigma thonningii
lokua Msekwasekwa Xylotheca tettensis var.
Mpekecho Garcinia kingaensis kirkii
Mpekechu Dialium holtzii Mshambo Allanblackia stuhlmanii
Mpekechu Dialium orientale Mshambo Allanblackia ulugurensis
Mpekechu Garcinia livingstonei Mshonzi Manilkara sansibarensis
Mpekechu Garcinia smeathmannii Mshubili Aloe nutii
Mpeketo Garcinia livingstonei Msiki Carpolobia goetzii
Mpepeta Dialium holtzii Msikundazi Inhambanella henriquesii
Mpepeta Dialium orientale Msindi Diospyros mespiliformis
Mpera mwitu Strychnos cocculoides Msisimizi Antidesma venosum
Mpilipili Sorindeia Msofu Uvaria kirkii
madagascariensis Msogo Rourea orientalis
Mpilipili doria Sorindeia Msuaga Antidesma venosum
madagascariensis Msubili Aloe nutii
Mpingi Ximenia americana Msufi mwitu Bombax rhodognaphalon
Mpingi Ximenia caffra var. tomentosum

60
 LOCAL NAMES

Msunguti Acokanthera oppositifolia Mtumbu Garcinia smeathmannii

Msunguti Acokanthera schimperi Mtundakula Ximenia americana
Mswaki Salvadora persica Mtundu Lannea schweinfurthii var.
Mtakaa Sterculia africana stuhlmannii
Mtalala Uapaca nitida Mtunguja Solanum schumannianum
Mtalala Uapaca sansibarica Mtunguma Sorindeia
Mtalali Vitex ferruginea madagascariensis
Mtalali Vitex mombassae Mtunguru Aframomum albiflorum
Mtalawanda Manilkara mochisia Mtunguru Aframomum
Mtama mwitu Sorghum purpureo- angustifolium
sericeum Mtunguru Thylachium africanum
Mtambuu mwitu Piper guineense Mtunu Harungana
Mtanda mboo Carissa edulis madagascariensis
Mtanda mboo Carissa tetramera Mturituri Commiphora africana
Mtango mwitu Cucumis aculeatus Mtutu Bridelia micrantha
Mtango mwitu Cucumis dipsaceus Muaa Hyphaene compressa
Mtapa Borassus aethiopum Muawa Ricinodendron heudelotii
Mteja Flueggea virosa subsp. africanum
Mteremtere Hoslundia opposita Mumbu Lannea schweinfurthii var.
Mteweji Manilkara sulcata stuhlmannii
Mti chuma Manilkara sansibarensis Mumbwe Cordyla africana
Mti sumu Kigelia africana Muumbu Lannea schweinfurthii var.
Mtigonzi Cordyla africana stuhlmannii
Mtikini Asystasia gangetica Muuyu Adansonia digitata
Mtikiza Sorindeia Mvepe Lantana trifolia
madagascariensis Mviru Vangueria apiculata
Mtimagoa Antidesma venosum Mviru Vangueria infausta subsp.
Mtimaji Trichilia dregeana rotundata
Mtimaji Trichilia emetica Mviru Vangueria
Mtindapo Carpolobia goetzii madagascariensis
Mtishangwe Rhus natalensis Mviru Vangueria volkensii
Mtomoko mwitu Annona senegalensis Mvoo Cordyla africana
Mtonga Strychnos cocculoides Mvuma Borassus aethiopum
Mtonga Strychnos innocua Mvumba Vitex mombassae
Mtonga Strychnos Mvunja kondo Rhus natalensis
madagascariensis Mvuti Lantana camara
Mtonga Strychnos pungens Mvuti Lippia kituiensis
Mtonga Strychnos spinosa subsp. Mwacha Uvaria acuminata
lokua Mwaka Allanblackia stuhlmanii
Mtongonya Typhonodorum Mwaka Allanblackia ulugurensis
lindleyanum Mwakamwaka Deinbollia borbonica
Mtopetope Annona senegalensis Mwale Raphia farinifera
Mtopetope Annona stenophylla Mwanga Tacca leontopetaloides
Mtoria Ancylobotrys petersiana Mwangajo Ficus sur
Mtoto Uapaca sansibarica Mwangamaima Carpodiptera africana
Mtotozi Garcinia livingstonei Mwatata Azanza garckeana
Mtowe Ancylobotrys petersiana Mwawa Hirtella megacarpa
Mtuguu Aframomum albiflorum Mwinamia ziwa Antidesma venosum
Mtuguu Aframomum Mwingajini Senna bicapsularis
angustifolium Mwingajini Senna occidentalis
Mtula Solanum schumannianum Mwinika nguu Asparagus africanus
Mtumbi Garcinia livingstonei Mwinika nguu Asparagus flagellaris

61
 LOCAL NAMES

Swahili (contd) Ipempu Sonchus luxurians

Myamayu Syzygium cordatum Isakama Myrianthus arboreus
Myungiyungi Nymphaea lotus Isakama Myrianthus holstii
Myungiyungi Nymphaea nouchali var. Iseha Parkia filicoidea
caerulea Kabuga Tacca leontopetaloides
Mzabibu mwitu Ampelocissus africana Kabulampako Vitex ferruginea
Mzabibu mwitu Cissus quarrei Kabunditoke Ensete ventricosum
Mzabibu mwitu Cyphostemma njegerre Kafulujege Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius
Mzambarau mwitu Syzygium cordatum subsp. vaughanii
Mzambarau mwitu Syzygium guineense Kafulujegeya Vitex madiensis subsp.
Mzambarau mwitu Syzygium masukuense milanjiensis
subsp. masukuense Kagobole Ziziphus abyssinica
Mzambarau ziwa Syzygium cordatum Kagobole Ziziphus mucronata
Mzambarau ziwa Syzygium owariense subsp. mucronata
Mziwaziwa Antidesma venosum Kakomakoma Pistia stratiotes
Mzuari Syzygium cordatum Kakonda Hibiscus surattensis
Mzuari Syzygium guineense Kakubabolo Sterculia tragacantha
Mzukizuki Carpolobia goetzii Kakusufinya Uapaca sansibarica
Ndiga Dioscorea dumetorum Kalasa Bidens pilosa
Pulule Achyranthes aspera Kamembe Bridelia micrantha
Tako la hasani Portulaca oleracea Kamoko Trichilia dregeana
Tunda nyoka Momordica rostrata Kamoko Trichilia emetica
Tungulu Aframomum Kampakampaka Trichilia dregeana
angustifolium Kangululungululu Psorospermum febrifugum
Tungunyu Dioscorea sansibarensis Kankundu Strychnos innocua
Tunguru Aframomum albiflorum Kaposo Oncoba spinosa
Tunguru Aframomum Kasolyo Garcinia buchananii
angustifolium Katikamonga Asystasia gangetica
Ukakaka Rubia cordifolia Katimba Dictyophleba lucida
Ulimi wa ngombe Emilia coccinea Katwa Oncoba spinosa
Utonge Rubus apetalus Libufu Landolphia kirkii
Utonge Rubus rigidus Libwaje Strychnos cocculoides
Lifumbu Strychnos cocculoides
Tongwe Lifungwa Kigelia africana
Lindiga Dioscorea cochlaeri-
Buhono Pseudospondias
apiculata
microcarpa
Lindiga Dioscorea dumetorum
Bulindiye Dracaena mannii
Lufila Annona senegalensis
Bulonje Dracaena mannii
Lufulu Vitex doniana
Igandamakungu Salacia leptoclada
Lujongololo Monanthotaxis poggei
Igongo Sclerocarya birrea subsp.
Lukungwisa Asparagus africanus
caffra
Lukungwisa Asparagus flagellaris
Ihambwa Ficus vallis-choudae
Lulobe Uapaca nitida
Ikongwa Diospyros kirkii
Lumpepete Commelina imberbis
Ikubila Ficus sur
Lungogolo Multidentia crassa
Ikuku Ficus glumosa var.
Lunkukuma Grewia platyclada
glaberrina
Lunsyonsyo Ipomoea cairica var.
Ikuku Ficus sycomorus
cairica
Ikusu Uapaca kirkiana
Lusanda Phoenix reclinata
Ilende-lya-
Lusangabale Syzygium guineense
kenyinamwami Piper guineense
Lusantu Ximenia americana
Ilombo Saba comorensis
Lushete Acalypha ornata
Ipela Sesamum angolense

62
 LOCAL NAMES

Lusindwi Anisophyllea boehmii Msada Vangueria volkensii

Lusisi Tamarindus indica Msurupi Sorindeia
Lusungunimba Flacourtia indica madagascariensis
Mambamlele Trichodesma zeylanicum Muyanza Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius
Mbunisigo Pyrostria bibracteata subsp. vaughanii
Mfungu Celosia trigyna
Mkubukubu Sterculia tragacantha Wanji
Mlale Pouteria alnifolia
Chikande Satyrium macrophyllum
Mlangale Englerophytum
Chikande Satyrium neglectum var.
magalismontanum
neglectum
Mlenda Sesamum angolense
Kikande Habenaria walleri
Mlonje Mimusops kummel
Libangala Myrianthus holstii
Mlyansekesi Synsepalum ceraciferum
Lidoni Rubus apetalus
Msabasaba Syzygium cordatum
Lidoni Rubus rigidus
Msabasaba Syzygium guineense
Lidunula Osyris lanceolata
Msakafya Synsepalum ceraciferum
Limpombo Cussonia spicata
Msakanasaka Piliostigma thonningii
Lisekelu Rhus vulgaris
Msankafya Synsepalum ceraciferum
Lisekeru-dume Rhus longipes
Msolosolo Englerophytum natalense
Litungu Scolopia theifolia
Mtimpu Antidesma venosum
Litungu Scolopia zeyheri
Mtipo Antidesma venosum
Sing’ani Eugenia capensis subsp.
Mtobo Azanza garckeana
nyassensis
Mtunu Harungana
madagascariensis
Mtwentwe Englerophytum Yao
magalismontanum Lukolowa Commelina imberbis
Mubula Parinari curatellifolia Mkowatama Combretum padoides
subsp. curatellifolia Mkuyamani Sesamum angolense
Mubula Parinari excelsa Mkwachu Manilkara mochisia
Mulale Pouteria alnifolia Mngulungulu Strychnos innocua
Mwale Pouteria adolfi-friedericii Njerenje Berchemia discolor
subsp. australis Ntongotongo lya
Ngwena ja huluka Synaptolepis alternifolia
kulutambo Achyranthes aspera Nzukumbi Synaptolepis alternifolia
Ntembe Dioscorea cochlaeri- Unhungu Dalbergia nitidula
apiculata
Ntunfululu Solanum anguivii Zaramo
Sigonfi Canarium schweinfurthii Kiga-nungu Synaptolepis alternifolia
Sitobaga Ricinodendron heudelotii Kisogo Rourea orientalis
subsp. africanum Kunde-mbala Vigna pubescens
Mbigili Tribulus terrestris
Vidunda Mbula Parinari curatellifolia
Mdai Tamarindus indica subsp. curatellifolia
Mkoga Vitex doniana Mcheju Manilkara sulcata
Mkoga Vitex payos var. payos Mchofu Uvaria lucida subsp.
Mkoko Diospyros mespiliformis lucida
Mkokokivu Diospyros kirkii Mdudu Thylachium africanum
Mkole-bwabwa Grewia goetzeana Membwa Ximenia americana
Mkulwi Diospyros mespiliformis Mfuru Vitex doniana
Mnyanza Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius Mfuru Vitex ferruginea
subsp. vaughanii Mgama Mimusops obtusifolia
Msada Vangueria infausta subsp. Mgegewa Ziziphus mucronata
rotundata subsp. mucronata

63
 LOCAL NAMES

Zaramo (contd) Muhingi Ximenia americana

Mgelezi Synsepalum brevipes Muhingi Ximenia caffra
Mgelezi Synsepalum msolo Mukambaku Carissa edulis
Mhingi Ximenia americana Myigeya Kigelia africana
Mhombo Rourea orientalis Mzarabo Syzygium guineense
Mkarangatanga Bridelia micrantha Mzati Syzygium cordatum
Mkekwa Xylotheca tettensis var. Mzati Syzygium sclerophyllum
kirkii Mzukizuki. Carpolobia goetzii
Mkole mweupe Grewia bicolor Ndiga Dioscorea cochlaeri-
Mkole mweupe Grewia similis apiculata
Mkonge Pyrostria bibracteata Ndiga Dioscorea odoratissima
Mkuyu Ficus sycomorus Ndiga Dioscorea quartiniana var.
Mkwesu Tamarindus indica quartiniana
Mlanga Carpodiptera africana Nyakahamba Balanites wilsoniana
Mlenda Sesamum angolense Nyembelezuwa Antidesma venosum
Mmoyomoyo Deinbollia borbonica Popoma Balanites wilsoniana
Mnamata Pupalia lappacea var. Topetope Annona senegalensis
velutina
Mng’ongo Sclerocarya birrea subsp. Zigua
caffra
Bwache Amaranthus spinosus
Mnungu Zanthoxylum chalybeum
Chambula Sorindeia
var. chalybeum
madagascariensis
Mnyembelezuwa Antidesma venosum
Chantende Pistia stratiotes
Mnywanywa Xylotheca tettensis var.
Danga-danga Portulaca oleracea
kirkii
Funfu Celosia schweinfurthiana
Moza Sterculia quinqueloba
Gole Adenia racemosa
Mpilipili Sorindeia
Ikongo Tribulus terrestris
madagascariensis
Kalonge Dracaena mannii
Mpingi Ximenia americana
Kibwando Corchorus fascicularis
Mpiwipwi Lannea schweinfurthii var.
Kirumbu Ormocarpum kirkii
stuhlmannii
Kisogo Ormocarpum kirkii
Mpombo Sesamum angolense
Kisogo Rourea orientalis
Msada Vangueria infausta subsp.
Kiumbu Ormocarpum kirkii
rotundata
Mamata Pupalia lappacea var.
Mseka Xylotheca tettensis var.
velutina
kirkii
Mbigili Oxygonum sinuatum
Msekaseka Xylotheca tettensis var.
Mboza Sterculia africana
kirkii
Mbungo Saba comorensis
Msekwasekwa Xylotheca tettensis var.
Mdudu Thylachium africanum
kirkii
Mdulu Englerophytum natalense
Msofu Uvaria acuminata
Mfulwe Acalypha ornata
Msofu Uvaria lucida subsp.
Mfune Sterculia appendiculata
lucida
Mfuru Vitex ferruginea
Mswere Grewia bicolor
Mgagawe Ziziphus mucronata
Mtalala Uapaca sansibarica
subsp. mucronata
Mtalala mwekundu Uapaca nitida
Mgama Mimusops kummel
Mtalala mweupe Syzygium cordatum
Mgambo Mimusops bagshawei
Mtawa Flacourtia indica
Mgambo Mimusops kummel
Mtonga Strychnos spinosa subsp.
Mgeja Dalbergia nitidula
lokua
Mgobe Vitex doniana
Mtopetope Annona senegalensis
Mgobe Vitex ferruginea
Mtunda Manilkara sansibarensis
Mgobe Vitex mombassae

64
 LOCAL NAMES

Mgobe Vitex payos var. payos Mshofu Annona stenophylla

Mgola Flacourtia indica Mshofu Uvaria acuminata
Mgolimazi Trichilia emetica Mshofu Uvaria lucida subsp.
Mgona-nkolongo Combretum padoides lucida
Mgude Sterculia appendiculata Msindo Acalypha ornata
Mgungankundu Acacia nilotica Msofu Uvaria acuminata
Mgwejameno Antidesma venosum Msofu-simba Uvaria kirkii
Mhangana Hibiscus diversifolius Msosokolwe Triumfetta cordifolia var.
Mharata-nyani Sterculia appendiculata tomentosa
Mhelahela Psorospermum febrifugum Msumbu-bwiti Allanblackia stuhlmanii
Mhembeti Sterculia quinqueloba Msumbu-bwiti Allanblackia ulugurensis
Mhingi Ximenia caffra Msungu Acokanthera oppositifolia
Mhugu Uapaca nitida Msungwi Sorindeia
Mhukwi Diospyros mespiliformis madagascariensis
Mhumba Senna singueana Mswaki Salvadora persica
Mhungu Uapaca kirkiana Mtabwe Ensete ventricosum
Mkalakala Carissa tetramera Mtomoko Annona senegalensis
Mkarato Dovyalis xanthocarpa Mtonga Strychnos innocua
Mkonde Myrianthus arboreus Mtonkwe Annona senegalensis
Mkonde Myrianthus holstii Mtundwi Ximenia americana
Mkonga Balanites rotundifolia Mtundwi Ximenia caffra
Mkonko Hyphaene compressa Mtwatwa Ricinodendron heudelotii
Mkonko Hyphaene coriacea subsp. africanum
Mkulwe Diospyros mespiliformis Mugobe Vitex ferruginea
Mkulwi Diospyros mespiliformis Mula Parinari excelsa
Mkumbaku Carissa bispinosa Mumbu Lannea fulva
Mkundi Parkia filicoidea Mumbu Lannea schweinfurthii var.
Mkwakwa Strychnos innocua stuhlmannii
Mkwakwa Strychnos spinosa subsp. Muungu-goma Zanthoxylum chalybeum
lokua var. chalybeum
Mkwanga Zanha africana Muvenge Syzygium guineense
Mkwazu Tamarindus indica Muwambangoma Balanites aegyptiaca
Mkwingwina Sorindeia Muwenge Syzygium guineense
madagascariensis Mvilu Vangueria infausta subsp.
Mmoyomoyo Deinbollia borbonica rotundata
Mmoyomoyo Deinbollia kilimandscharica var. Mviru Vangueria infausta subsp.
kilimandscharica rotundata
Mnenge Pappea capensis Mviru-mbago Vangueria apiculata
Mng’ongo Sclerocarya birrea subsp. Mviu Vangueria infausta subsp.
caffra rotundata
Mnyembeuwe Erythrococca kirkii Mvungwe Kigelia africana
Mnyohoyo Synsepalum ceraciferum Mvuti Lippia kituiensis
Mnyohoyo Synsepalum msolo Mwali Bombax rhodognaphalon
Monko-ya-nyika Trichilia emetica var. tomentosum
Mpafu Canarium Mwanga Tacca leontopetaloides
madagascariense Mwevumbulo Opilia amentacea
Msambia Synsepalum msolo Mweza Bridelia micrantha
Msambu-mzazi Allanblackia stuhlmanii Mwiza Bridelia micrantha
Msegese Piliostigma thonningii Ndiga Dioscorea cochlaeri-
Msezi Manilkara sulcata apiculata
Msezi-mbago Manilkara sulcata Ndiga Dioscorea dumetorum
Mshaa Rubus rigidus Ndiga Dioscorea odoratissima

65
 LOCAL NAMES

Zigua (contd) Mkwata mzumula Ziziphus mucronata

Ndiga Dioscorea quartiniana var. subsp. mucronata
quartiniana Mnyabwita Vangueria infausta subsp.
Ndiga Dioscorea schimperiana rotundata
Njujui Solanum anguivii Mnyamendi Lannea schweinfurthii var.
Njujui Solanum schumannianum stuhlmannii
Nkongo Commelina imberbis Mnyamenzi Lannea humilis
Nkongo Commelina latifolia Mribwampara Lannea schweinfurthii var.
Nkunde Vigna pubescens stuhlmannii
Nywanywa Rumex abyssinicus Mruguhu Balanites aegyptiaca
Nywanywa Rumex usambarensis Msamiko Bridelia micrantha
Pupu Laportea ovalifolia Msangura Syzygium guineense
Samaka Aframomum Msaro Lepisanthes senegalensis
angustifolium Mseka Ximenia caffra
Tambuu Piper guineense Msense Rhus natalensis
Tambwe Ensete ventricosum Mshangule Psydrax parviflora subsp.
Tikini Asystasia gangetica rubrocostata
Tikini Asystasia mysorensis Msindaga Piliostigma thonningii
Tongotongo Cyphostemma njegerre Msisa Tamarindus indica
Tunguru Aframomum albiflorum Msuguswa Oncoba spinosa
Ukakaka Rubia cordifolia Msungu Acokanthera schimperi
Utorojo Landolphia kirkii Msungusu Flacourtia indica
Msungwa Vitex mombassae
Mtandaruka Trichilia emetica
Zinza Mtombofa Vitex payos var. payos
Bwara Acacia senegal Mtukizai Eugenia capensis subsp.
Kehwa Hygrophila auriculata nyassensis
Mawezi Commiphora africana Mubungu Saba comorensis
Mbamba mzumera Ziziphus mucronata Mugomba Pseudospondias
subsp. mucronata microcarpa
Mchindu Phoenix reclinata Mugusugusu Uapaca sansibarica
Mgango Canthium burttii Muharangundo Rothmannia engleriana
Mgege Syzygium guineense Muhembeti Sterculia quinqueloba
Mgege Syzygium owariense Muhondobogo Lannea schweinfurthii var.
Mgongo Psydrax parviflora subsp. stuhlmannii
rubrocostata Mukwatanzumula Ziziphus mucronata
Mhendambogo Uapaca nitida subsp. mucronata
Mhondobogo Lannea humilis Muliwa-mpamgo Pappea capensis
Mhunda Vitex fischeri Munazi Parinari curatellifolia
Mkakata Vitex mombassae subsp. curatellifolia
Mkarati Synsepalum brevipes Munyabitwa Multidentia crassa
Mkarati Synsepalum msolo Murangalala Lannea fulva
Mkomakoma Grewia bicolor Museno Cordia monoica
Mkomambuzi Psydrax parviflora subsp. Muvuru Vitex doniana
rubrocostata Mzeze Syzygium cordatum
Mkome Strychnos innocua Mzingute Kigelia africana
Mkonyo Annona senegalensis Omubungo Saba comorensis
Mkorogomwa Sterculia africana Ruhanya Dracaena mannii
Mkoroto Dovyalis abyssinica Sagwia Sterculia africana
Mkoroto Dovyalis macrocalyx
Mkot Acacia senegal
Mkwata Strychnos innocua

66
 THE SPECIES

PART II

THE SPECIES

67
 THE SPECIES

Abutilon angulatum Malvaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Fyofyokoe; Hehe: Nyalufungulo, Nyamabumu; Sambaa:
Fiefie, Fyefye.
DESCRIPTION: A woody herb to 1.5 m, young stems purple-red-grey-green becoming
brown, tough and sometimes 3-angled with age, the branches very spreading,
semi-erect. LEAVES: Oval to heart shaped, grey-green and hairy both sides,
paler below, to 14 cm x 12 cm but lowest leaves up to 15 cm across, the edge
irregularly shallow toothed. FLOWERS: Bright orange-yellow, from a long
open flower head, many flowers on jointed stalks from very reduced upper
leaves, each flower to 8 cm across, the 5 lobes joined at the base, maroon at the
centre, central stigma and stamens yellow, the sepals form a green furry cup
with 5 short triangular lobes. FRUIT: A yellow hairy cylinder about 15 mm
across with very many papery dark brown fruit sections containing seed
(mericarps) held in the calyx.
ECOLOGY: The species grows in a variety of habitats. Common in disturbed ground,
open or closed woodland, riverine forest or grassland, 100–2,700 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In Tanzania the species is found in many areas, e.g. Tanga, Kili-
manjaro, Iringa and Singida. It is also reported from other countries of East-
ern, Central and Southern Africa.
USES:
Food:
Young leaves and flowers are used as a vegetable. Leaves and flowers are
cooked, edible oil or pounded groundnuts added and then eaten with ugali
or rice. The Hehe only use the flowers after drying and in a mixture with
other dry vegetables.
Medicinal: Roots are boiled and the liquid drunk twice a day to treat cough. It
can also be used to ease labour pains.
Commercial: Marketed.
Other: The plant is used as an ornamental, fibre from stem bark is used as
string and the flowers are a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Stored after drying in the sun and usually mixed with other dry vegeta-
bles.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated or protected by local people,
but can easily be propagated from seed.
STATUS: Common within the area of distribution.
REMARKS: The species is an invasive weed and is only eaten by the Hehe.

68
 THE SPECIES

Abutilon angulatum Malvaceae

Papery fruit sections

(mericarps)

69
 THE SPECIES

Abutilon longicuspe Malvaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Hehe: Nyamabumu.

DESCRIPTION: A perennial shrub 1.5–5 m, the stems with dense grey hairs. LEAVES:
Simple, almost circular, stalked, up to 20 cm long x 18 cm across, the tip
long pointed, the base heart shaped, edge round or sharp toothed, the lower
leaf covered with star-shaped hairs so feels softly velvety. FLOWERS: Large,
terminal, pyramid-like heads of flowers appear with very many stalked flow-
ers, each 2.5 cm across, pale blue-mauve-white with a darker centre, 5
asymmetric petals about 1 cm long surround the central stamen column which
has a wide base and downward-directed simple hairs. Flower stalks are
jointed just below the flowers which usually only open in the late afternoon.
FRUIT: A short cylinder or round disc of 12–25 rather loose dry carpels,
each with 1–3 seeds without a stiff hairy point.
ECOLOGY: Frequently found in woodland, forests and grasslands, often in second-
ary, riverine and valley-bottom vegetation.
DISTRIBUTION: It grows in all parts of Tanzania, e.g. found around Lushoto, Kili-
manjaro, Arusha, Sumbawanga and Iringa. Found in many parts of East Af-
rica; north to Eritrea and Sudan.
USES:
Food:
Flowers are used as a vegetable. They are chopped, cleaned and cooked.
Pounded groundnuts, onions and tomatoes are added and then it is eaten
with ugali or rice.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Ornamental, fodder and a source of bee forage. The stem fibre is used
locally for string.
SEASON: Collected during the rainy season, usually from January to May.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated or protected by local people,
but can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: The species is an invasive weed.

70
 THE SPECIES

Abutilon longicuspe Malvaceae

Fruiting heads
(mericarps)

71
 THE SPECIES

Abutilon mauritianum Malvaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Arusha: Oldadai; Barabaig: Udageshade; Bondei: Fyofyokoe;

English: Old man’s gold, Poor man’s gold; Hehe: Nyamabumu; Iraqw: Dawo;
Maasai: Oldadai; Rangi: Mutende; Sambaa: Fiefie, Fyefye; Swahili: Mbiha,
Mjamanda.
DESCRIPTION: A woody herb or shrubby perennial, 0.5–2.5 m, covered with fine
grey hairs, some short, some long and spreading. LEAVES: Wide-oval to
18 cm long, tip long pointed, the edge round to sharply toothed, the base
heart shaped to a stalk about as long as the leaf. Smooth above but grey-green
below, with short hairs, very soft to the touch. Straight bristles (stipules) at the
base of the stalk. FLOWERS: Bright yellow, solitary on long stalks beside
leaves, petals to 14 mm long, the 5 sepals tubular at the base but their lobes
longer than the tube. FRUIT: Black and round, about 3 cm across, with 20
or more hairy spreading black carpels, each 13 mm long, with a spiky point
on the outer rim.
ECOLOGY: Found at forest edges, in wooded grasslands, coastal bushland or thick-
ets on coral outcrops, 0–2,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION : Widespread in Tanzania, e.g. on Zanzibar and around Tanga,
Lushoto, Moshi, Arusha, Iringa, Bukoba and Mwanza. Also found in Malawi,
Mozambique, Uganda and Kenya, north to Ethiopia and into West Africa.
USES:
Food:
Leaves and flowers are eaten as a vegetable (only flowers among the Hehe).
Tender leaves and flowers are cooked, edible oil, groundnut paste or coconut
milk added and then served with ugali or rice.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are crushed and the infusion used as treatment for diarrhoea.
– Roots and bark are boiled and the liquid drunk to treat diarrhoea, stomach-
ache, coughs and colds.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Ornamental, fodder and a source of bee forage. Fibre from the stem
bark is used for string.
SEASON: Leaves and flowers are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected only from the wild, but can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common.
REMARKS: The species is a notorious weed.

72
 THE SPECIES

Abutilon mauritianum Malvaceae

Fruiting head
(mericarps)

73
 THE SPECIES

Acacia nilotica Mimosaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Arusha: Olkloriti; English: Babul, Egyptian thorn, Gum arabic
tree, Scented-pod acacia, Gogo: Mfuko, Mfuku, Mufuku; Gorowa: Baryomodi;
Hehe: Muwulagavega; Iraqw: Baryomodi, Kantzi, Tsagayand; Kuria:
Michame; Maasai: Olkiroriti; Mbugwe: Barabonyoda; Ngindo: Kinjacha;
Nyamwezi: Mdubilo, Mgunga; Nyaturu: Muhinko; Pare: Mzameli; Rangi:
Kihungawisu, Kihungawiswa, Kijame, Mgunga, Mhungawiswa, Muhunga;
Sambaa: Mgelegele, Muela; Sandawi: Manange; Sukuma: Mdubilo; Swahili:
Mgunga; Zigua: Mgungankundu.
DESCRIPTION: Usually a small tree to 6 m. Often branched from the base, crown
rounded. BARK: Brown-black, rough, fissured, young shoots red-brown, hairy.
THORNS: Greyish, to 10 cm, straight, usually shorter. LEAVES: Com-
pound grey-green, new growth in dry season, 2–11 pinnate with few to many
leaflets, small glands visible along leaf stalks. FLOWERS: Fragrant, round
heads, bright yellow. FRUIT: Straight or curved pods, 17 cm long, to 2 cm
wide.
ECOLOGY: Common in arid and semi-arid areas of Africa. It grows on a variety of
soils from coastal sandy ones to black cotton, 0–1,800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in many areas of Tanzania, e.g. in Dodoma, Shinyanga, Iringa
and Arusha. Also found in Sudan, Ethiopia southwards to South Africa, An-
gola, Namibia and also in India.
USES:
Food:
– The inner bark (phloem strands) and the thick fruit pulp are boiled in water,
sugar added and then drunk as tea (Maasai).
– The bark is cooked with meat soup and eaten in order to strengthen the
body and as a stimulant (Maasai).
Medicinal:
– Inner bark is chewed and the resulting juice is swallowed to treat sore throat
and coughs.
– Leaves boiled in tea or coffee taken without sugar and milk as a treatment
for chest pains and pneumonia.
– Boiled roots are used to treat indigestion or other stomach troubles. Bark
and roots are boiled with any soup and drunk to treat anaemia, STDs,
asthma, pneumonia and as an aphrodisiac (Maasai, Gogo, Nyamwezi).
Commercial: The bark is sold in local markets.
Other: The wood is hard and used for timber, poles, fuelwood, pestles, tool
handles, toothbrushes and carvings. The plant is also used as an avenue
tree and for live fence, as a source of bee forage, nitrogen fixation, shelterbelts,
shade, soil conservation, tannin, dye and gum.

74
 THE SPECIES

Acacia nilotica (contd) Mimosaceae

SEASON: Bark and fruit collected during the dry season, i.e. April–July.
STORAGE: Fruit and bark can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated, but can easily be propagated
by seed.
STATUS: Common.
REMARKS: This species is very variable with several subspecies and varieties. Four
subspecies are known from Tanzania: subsp. indica found in the Shinyanga,
Mwanza and Mara Regions, subsp. kraussiana, found in Dodoma, Rukwa and
Ruvuma Regions, subsp. leiocarpa found in Tanga and Morogoro Regions, and
subsp. subalata found in most parts of Tanzania.

Subsp. indica

Subsp. subalata
Subsp. leiocarpa
Thorns
Pods of three subspecies

75
 THE SPECIES

Acacia senegal Mimosaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Barabaig: Yudek; Bena: Ki’tononganga; Digo: Kikwata; English:

Gum arabic tree, Sudan gum arabic, Three-thorned acacia; Gogo: Mzasa;
Iraqw: Yudek; Maasai: Enderkesi, Interkes (plural), Olbida, Olderkesi,
Olmunishui; Ngindo: Kiluma, Kiruma; Nyamwezi: Katahila, Katatula, Katita,
Mgwatu; Nyaturu: Mukhubo; Rangi: Muhunga; Sukuma: Igwata, Mkwata;
Swahili: Kikwata, Mgunga; Zinza: Bwara, Mkot.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or tree to 12 m, with a rounded crown and many low branches
before maturity. BARK: Waxy, smooth, then peeling yellow and papery from
red-brown stem underneath. A sticky yellow resin flows from cuts in the
bark. Thorns in threes, the central one hooked downwards, the lateral
ones curved up; brown to black. LEAVES: Bipinnate, usually hairy, only
3–6 pairs of leaflets, on a stalk to 7 cm, leaflets grey-green, small and narrow.
FLOWERS: Creamy spikes, one or more, 2–8 cm long, fragrant, usually de-
velop before the rainy season; buds red. FRUIT: Pods, variable, thin and flat,
pointed at both ends, oblong, about 10 cm long to 3 cm across, soft, grey-
yellow becoming papery brown, veins clear, with 3–6 flat seeds.
ECOLOGY: It is commonly found in wooded grassland, deciduous bushland and dry
scrub with scattered trees in medium-altitude areas, up to 1,900 m; rainfall
500–1,000 mm. It grows on a wide range of soils, but most often on black-cotton
soil.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in dry areas of Africa. In Tanzania it is found, for example, in
Dodoma, Iringa, Kilimanjaro and Arusha Regions.
USES:
Food:
The resin of the tree is collected and eaten daily during famine periods and
in emergency. It has a bitter taste.
Medicinal: The stem or root bark is boiled and the liquid is used for treatment
of diarrhoea, STDs and stomach disorders (Maasai).
Other: Poles used for construction and the wood produces excellent charcoal.
The leaves are used for fodder. Bark is boiled to produce a thick black dye
which is smeared on mats to make them waterproof. Fibres from the bark
are used for string. The tree is also useful for firewood and is a source of bee
forage.
SEASON: The resin is collected during the dry season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Gum arabic is collected from the wild and the tree is not protected or
cultivated by the local people. Only maturing trees from 5 to 15 years old pro-

76
 THE SPECIES

Acacia senegal (contd) Mimosaceae

duce reasonable amounts of resin. Gum production is excellent when growing
in poor soils. Can be intercropped (e.g. with sorghum, millet). The plant can
easily be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Gum arabic is a valuable additive in the food and pharmaceutical indus-
tries. This is the Acacia species that produces the best-quality gum. Two varie-
ties occur in Tanzania: var. kerensis which occurs in Kilimanjaro, Shinyanga,
Mwanza and Mara Regions, and var. senegal which occurs in most regions of
Tanzania.

Thorns

Fruit pods

77
 THE SPECIES

Acalypha bipartita Euphorbiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Ndyavadimi; Hehe: Nyautitili; Sambaa: Mfulwe; Swahili:
Mhacha.
DESCRIPTION: A scrambling hairy shrub which may become a dense bush to 3 m,
the stems more or less 4-sided. LEAVES: Numerous, thin and oval to 10
cm long, tip pointed, edge toothed, on a stalk usually to 4 cm. A pair of
thread-like stipules can be seen beside younger leaves. FLOWERS: Spikes to
14 cm long next to leaves. Tiny green-white male flowers clustered along the
end of the spike. A characteristic pair of semi-circular leafy bracts about 1
cm across grows on stalks about 3 cm from the base of the spike. These bracts
contain 1–3 female flowers. FRUIT: Small fruit capsules develop within the
bracts and contain a few rounded grey-brown seeds, 2 mm in diameter.
E COLOGY : Forest undergrowth, forest edges and associated grasslands and
bushlands, sometimes riverine, extending into wooded grassland but mainly in
grazing areas. Thrives in valleys with adequate moisture. It occurs naturally
in medium-altitude areas, 1,000–1,500 m; rainfall 900–1,500 mm. It prefers
yellowish sandy loams but tolerates a wide range of soil types.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in Shinyanga, Mwanza and Mara Regions of Tanzania. Wide-
spread in the eastern part of the Congo basin and in Rwanda, Burundi and
Sudan.
Uses:
Food:
Young leaves and shoots have a bland or slightly bitter taste and are eaten
as a vegetable. The leaves are collected, chopped and added to cooking beans
or peas and the mixture served with a staple (Hehe, Sambaa).
Other: The stems are used to make baskets for winnowing and in construction
of granaries. The plant is also used for fodder.
Commercial: Sometimes sold in local markets (Sambaa).
SEASON: Tender leaves are usually collected during the rainy season. In riverine
locations it is collected year round.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: The species is an invasive weed.

78
 THE SPECIES

Acalypha bipartita Euphorbiaceae

Male flowers

Bracts and
female flowers

Fruit capsules within

bracts

79
 THE SPECIES

Acalypha fruticosa Euphorbiaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Ndyavadimi; Hehe: Nyautitili; Maasai: Shaiti; Nyamwezi:

Mkima-dimbya; Sambaa: Mfulwe; Swahili: Mhacha.
DESCRIPTION: An erect stiff shrub, sometimes hairy, to 3.5 m, often with yellow
resinous glands on the lower leaf surface which give off an unpleasant
smell when crushed (no stinging hairs or white latex). LEAVES: Simple,
ovate and alternate, 1–8 cm long, the tip long or short but usually blunt, edges
round toothed, grey-green below, the leaf stalk shorter than the blade (strap-
shaped stipules). FLOWERS: Tiny male and female flowers, yellow-green
to reddish, in hanging catkin-like spikes, usually male above and female
below, or on separate plants, small sepals but an enlarged bract surrounds
the female flowers and fruit, 4 mm x 8 mm, wavy edged and ribbed. FRUIT:
Tiny capsules, 2–3 mm, contain the seed.
ECOLOGY: Common in moist spots within dry areas, e.g. at woodland edges in low-
land as an undershrub, in bushland thicket near the coast and on overgrazed
land, 0–1,800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in many parts of Tanzania and widely distributed in East
Africa.
USES:
Food: The leaves are collected, chopped and boiled and served with a staple or
mixed with other vegetables such as beans or peas. Sometimes pounded
simsim or groundnuts are added to make it more palatable.
Medicinal: The roots are washed and boiled and the liquid is drunk to treat
cholera, STDs, stomach problems and whooping cough (Sambaa). The liq-
uid can also be applied to eyes to treat conjunctivitis. A decoction of roots is
taken hot to relieve fever and colds. Stems and roots used to treat toothache.
Other: Stems and leaves are used as fodder. Stems are also used for weaving
granaries and local doors or as withies.

SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season between December and May.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: A very variable species with at least three varieties in Tanzania: var.
fruticosa found in lake, northern and coastal parts of Tanzania; var. villosa
found around Lake Victoria, Tanga, Mbeya and on Zanzibar; and var.
eglandulosa which is common in most parts of Tanzania except central and
southern parts. An invasive weed in some parts of Tanzania.

80
 THE SPECIES

Acalypha fruticosa Euphorbiaceae

Male flower spikes

81
 THE SPECIES

Acalypha ornata Euphorbiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Mfulwe; Sambaa: Mfulwe, Msindo; Sukuma: Huhunga;
Swahili: Mchacha; Tongwe: Lushete; Zigua: Mfulwe, Msindo.
DESCRIPTION: A woody herb or large well-branched shrub, 1–3 m. LEAVES: Rather
thin, oval, 5–16 cm long, tip long pointed, edges well toothed, a few hairs along
midrib and veins, 5-nerved from the base which is rounded to a stalk 3–10 cm.
Long and thin stipule pairs fall early. FLOWERS: Male and female separate.
Female flowers red, in solitary terminal spikes, 17 cm long x 3 cm across
when full grown, 1–3 flowers grow within a large decorative bract. Male
spikes to 15 cm, single, growing beside leaves, covered with tiny cream
flowers in very small bracts. FRUIT: A small 3-lobed capsule, 3–4 mm, split-
ting to set free rounded purple-grey seeds.
ECOLOGY: A small plant of forest undergrowth and edges, wooded grassland, de-
ciduous woodland and thicket, often riverine or in rocky places, secondary
regrowth and disturbed land, 0–2,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Throughout Tanzania; Uganda, Kenya; from Nigeria eastwards to
Eritrea and southwards to Angola; Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are collected, chopped and cooked. Pounded groundnuts or coconut
milk, onions and tomatoes can be added to improve the taste. It is eaten with
ugali or rice.
Medicinal: The plant is used to treat leprosy: Roots are boiled and the liquid
drunk twice a day and some of the liquid is used for a steam bath (Sukuma,
Nyamwezi). The liquid of boiled roots can also be drunk to relieve menstrual
pain.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used as an ornamental and for fodder.
SEASON: The leaves are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild not cultivated, but can be propagated by
seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Common.
REMARKS: Three varieties occur in Tanzania: var. aspera, var. pubescens and var.
sicular which are all common in most parts of the country.

82
 THE SPECIES

Acalypha ornata Euphorbiaceae

Enlarged female flower

Branch with mature

female flowers

Enlarged male flower

and flower head

Enlarged fruit and seed

83
 THE SPECIES

Acanthopale laxiflora Acanthaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Hehe: Nyakibiki, Nyakigoma.

DESCRIPTION: A weak shrub, small tree, sometimes a climber, to 2 m, with woody
stems. LEAVES: Opposite, long-oval, over 10 cm long, narrowing gradu-
ally at both tip and base into a short stalk about 2.5 cm, almost winged, leaf
edge slightly toothed, dark green above, paler below with hairs on the clear
veins. FLOWERS: Like white bells, about 3 cm long, streaked pink-purple in
the throat, which is also hairy, the 5 triangular lobes shorter than the tube; 4
fertile stamens within, the flowers in dense axillary spikes at each node sur-
rounded by narrow green sepals and bracts. FRUIT: A club-shaped cap-
sule, not flattened, pale brown, about 1.5 cm, smooth, several bunched to-
gether in axils, containing 4 seeds.
ECOLOGY: An undershrub, locally common in wet, mountain rainforests up to 2,100
m. Also found on farmland.
DISTRIBUTION: Recorded in forests of the Uluguru mountains, around Arusha, West
Usambara mountains and Mount Kilimanjaro. Also in Kibale Forest in Uganda.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are used as a vegetable. Young leaves are chopped, washed and
cooked, coconut milk or groundnut paste added and then eaten with ugali
or rice.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is a favourite ornamental and also used for fodder. The fruit
are eaten by monkeys.
SEASON: Leaves are collected from December to April, i.e. during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated or protected by local people,
but can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: A notorious weed.

84
 THE SPECIES

Acanthopale laxiflora Acanthaceae

Fruit capsule

Flowering stem

85
 THE SPECIES

Achyranthes aspera Amaranthaceae

Indigenous

L OCAL NAMES : Bena: Lingulukila, Ngulukila; English: Rough chaff flower;

Gorowa: Kwantzi, Nunuhay; Hehe: Lugeni; Luguru: Bwasi; Maasai:
Olerubat; Matengo: Lindiame; Rangi: Ihata, Ikulula, Mbarahasha; Swahili:
Pulule; Tongwe: Ngwena ja kulutambo.
DESCRIPTION: A much-branched herb or weak-stemmed shrub to 2 m, annual or
perennial, the stem erect or scrambling. LEAVES: Simple and opposite, usu-
ally long-oval up to 15 cm, very variable, often softly hairy on one or both
surfaces. FLOWERS: All year round, only 3–7 mm, borne singly along termi-
nal or axillary spikes which appear silvery green to pink-red when open;
no petals but shiny sepals and bracteoles. Older flowers and fruit point
downwards. FRUIT: Small capsules, containing only a few seeds, and sur-
rounding bracteoles with shiny edges catch on to animal hair and human
clothing—a dispersal mechanism.
ECOLOGY: It is mainly found in secondary regrowth, at forest edges, in thickets,
open grassland, along forest trails, seasonal swamps and dried-up watercourses,
up to 3,000 m; rainfall 700–1,300 mm.
DISTRIBUTION: Found practically throughout the tropical and warmer regions of
the world, and widespread in Tanzania.
USES:
Food:
The leaves are collected, chopped and boiled and may be served with a staple
or mixed with other vegetables to add bulk. Pounded simsim, groundnuts or
sunflower are added in order to make it more palatable.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are pounded, soaked in water, boiled and the liquid drunk to treat
STDs and also to treat colds in children (Sambaa).
– Roots are boiled in water, put in a pot and used for washing the face or the
whole body.
– Fresh roots can be chewed during business negotiations (Gogo). A root de-
coction is used to treat constipation in children. The pounded root is steeped
in hot water and the extract drunk cold as a treatment for STDs as well as
an antidote for a variety of ingested poisons.
– Leaf powder (with salt) is applied on cuts made with a razor blade in cases of
ankle sprain. It is also a remedy for headache (sniffed or put in tea and
drunk) and sniffed to stop nosebleed. The ash of burned leaves is applied on
boils.
Other: The plant is used as fodder for goats and rabbits and is a source of bee
forage.

86
 THE SPECIES

Achyranthes aspera (contd) Amaranthaceae

SEASON: The leaves are mainly collected during the rainy season but also during
the dry season from wetlands (e.g. floodplains).
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: This species is an indicator of soil fertility in areas where it grows, but
also an invasive weed in parts of Tanzania.

87
 THE SPECIES

Acokanthera oppositifolia Apocynaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Arrow-poison tree; Sambaa: Mbuswa; Swahili: Msunguti;
Zigua: Msungu.
DESCRIPTION: An attractive evergreen small tree or multi-stemmed shrub, occasion-
ally long and climbing, 2–7 m, all parts producing white latex when cut. BARK:
Grey-brown, becoming deeply grooved with age. LEAVES: Dark shiny green
above, paler below, opposite, tough and thickly leathery, margin rolled un-
der, oval to oblong, 5–10 cm, with a sharp almost spiny point at the tip,
base wide or rounded to a thick, wrinkled stalk to 1 cm, young leaves reddish.
FLOWERS: Attractive and sweet scented, white inside, pink outside, in dense
bunches beside leaves, the tube about 1 cm, the 5 lobes overlapping left
and shorter than the tube. FRUIT: Ovoid berry red-purple and fleshy
up to 3 cm long, edible when really ripe, sweet but bitter, poisonous when
young.
ECOLOGY: Occurs in a variety of habitats: rocky hillsides, coastal bush, open wood-
land, termite mounds, dry forest and forest margins, riverine forest or wood-
land, 1,500–2,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in East Africa and south to South Africa. Found in Tan-
zania, e.g. in Tanga, Arusha, Iringa and Kilimanjaro Regions.
USES:
Food:
The pulp of ripe fruit is sweet and edible. Unripe fruit, leaves, bark and roots
are all poisonous.
Other: Roots, bark and leaves are cooked until a thick extract is obtained which
is used as an arrow poison, which must be handled with care. It is commonly
used by the Pare, Iraqw, Zigua, Kaguru and Sandawi. Usually produced by
the Pare, Sandawi and Kaguru and sold to other tribes.
SEASON: Fruit are collected during April–July.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated; can be propagated from seed.
STATUS: Common.
REMARKS: A tree that is known to be poisonous.

88
 THE SPECIES

Acokanthera oppositifolia Apocynaceae

Flower head

Fruit

89
 THE SPECIES

Acokanthera schimperi Apocynaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Arrow-poison plant, Common poison bush, Poison-arrow
tree; Hehe: Msungu; Maasai: Olmorijoi; Nyamwezi: Msongu; Sambaa:
Mshunguti, Msungu; Swahili: Mchungu, Msunguti; Zinza: Msungu.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or small rounded tree, with short bole to 5 m, sometimes
10 m. BARK: Dark brown, fissured with age, young twigs flattened. LEAVES:
Opposite, dark shiny green above, stiff and leathery, oval to rounded, 4–7
cm, the tip pointed and sharp. FLOWERS: Appearing with early rains, in
dense, fragrant clusters, almost stalkless, white-pink, tubular. FRUIT: Oval
berries to 2 cm, red, becoming purple when ripe, edible.
ECOLOGY: A tree of dry woodland, thickets and grasslands, often at the margin of
dry forest or forest remnants. Prefers rich well-drained forest soil, but also grows
on black-cotton and poor soils in dry sites, 1,100–2,300 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In Tanzania it is found, e.g. in Iringa, Mbeya, Mara, Arusha and
Morogoro Regions. Also known from Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Mo-
zambique and southwards to South Africa.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fresh fruit are edible and have a rather sweetish bitter taste.
Medicinal: Roots are used as medicine for STDs. Roots are pounded and soaked
in hot water and the infusion is drunk, but only in very small quantities as
the plant is poisonous.
Other: Roots, bark and leaves are used for making arrow poison by boiling
them into a thick paste and smearing the extract on spears and arrows. The
makers of arrow poison include Pare, Sambaa, Zigua and Nguu, but the
poison is occasionally sold to other tribes.
SEASON: Fruit are collected from April to July.
STORAGE: Fruit are not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated; can be propagated from seed.
STATUS: Common in its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Known as a poisonous tree.

90
 THE SPECIES

Acokanthera schimperi Apocynaceae

Flower heads

Fruit

91
 THE SPECIES

Adansonia digitata Bombacaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Arusha: Masera, Mesera; Bondei: Mbuyu; Chagga: Mkuu; Digo:
Mbuyu; English: Baobab; Gogo: Mpela; Gorowa: Dakaumo; Hehe: Mkondo;
Iraqw: Gendaryandi; Luguru: Mpela; Maasai: Olmesera; Mbugwe: Muwiye,
Mwiwiye, Mwuwiye; Nyamwezi: Mpela; Nyasa: Mabuyu, Malembe; Pare:
Mramba; Rangi: Mwiwi; Sambaa: Tebwe; Sandawi: Gele; Sangu: Mkondo;
Sukuma: Mwandu, Ngwandu, Ng’wandu; Swahili: Mbuyu, Mkuu hafungwa,
Mkuu hapingwa, Muuyu.
DESCRIPTION: A large deciduous tree, the trunk diameter may reach 8 m and the
tree is often 20 m high. Bare up to 9 months, the stiff bare branches resemble
roots (“upside-down tree”). The trunk is sometimes hollow. LEAVES: Mature
leaves with up to 9 lobes arranged like the fingers of a hand. FLOWERS:
Large and white opening at night; the unpleasant-smelling nectar attracts
pollinating fruit bats. FRUIT: Hairy, yellow-brown, very big capsules hang
on long stalks on the bare tree. About 100 seeds lie in white-pink dry pulp.
ECOLOGY: Coastal woodlands, bushlands and wooded grasslands, sometimes a
riverine tree. Grows in well-drained soils, 0–1,300 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania and generally in tropical Africa south of
the Sahara and also in Madagascar.
USES:
Food:
– The leaves and/or flowers are collected, chopped and boiled, sometimes
pounded groundnuts added, and served with a staple.
– The fruit pulp, which is obtained after breaking the hard shell, is eaten as a
snack by herdsmen and many people in Tanzania.
– The fruit pulp is soaked in water, pounded, filtered and cooked with por-
ridge (Gogo). The filtered juice of the fruit pulp, with some sugar added, can
be drunk hot or cold. Or the sweetened juice is frozen in small polythene
packets and used as an iced lollipop where refrigeration is available.
– Seeds are cooked and eaten.whole or roasted, pounded and added to
vegetables, like sunflower seed.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are pounded, soaked in water and the infusion used as a remedy for
stomach-ache, fever, diarrhoea, filariasis, intestinal worms, wounds, asthma,
eye and ear diseases, and also as an expectorant, astringent and diuretic.
– The bark is used for treating menstrual problems, diarrhoea, scorpion bites,
coughs, diabetes, anaemia; also an antidote to a variety of ingested poisons.
– Roots are used to treat fatigue.
Commercial: The fruit and fruit pulp are sold in township markets.
Other: The bark is used for fibre and the tree for shade and planted as an

92
 THE SPECIES

Adansonia digitata (contd) Bombacaceae

avenue. The fibre is used for making ropes, baskets, carpets, mats, strings for
musical instruments, cloths, hats, snares and brooms. The bark produces a red
dye. The tree is used for fodder and religious ceremonies and is a source of bee
forage. Oil from seeds can be used in making soap, and the fruit cases as ladles,
ashtrays and earrings. The trunks are used for making canoes.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rains and the fruit during the dry season.
STORAGE: Leaves are not stored, while the fruit or fruit pulp can be stored for about
a year.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and often protected by local people in home-
steads and farms. Easily propagated from seeds.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: One of the largest and longest living trees in the world (about 3,000
years). One large baobab was used by the German colonial administration as a
lock-up cell for prisoners in Kondoa, Tanzania.

Flower

Leafy shoot

Fruit capsule

93
 THE SPECIES

Adenia gummifera Passifloraceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES : Digo: Munua-nyoka; English: Monkey rope, Wild grenadilla;
Luguru: Gole; Sambaa: Kungu-mti, Lukenda; Swahili: Mandali, Mkengeti.
DESCRIPTION: A woody climber and scrambler, 5–30 cm, with a tuberous stem
up to 10 cm thick at the base, hairless, the grey-green stems sometimes pow-
dery white. LEAVES: Alternate, simple or shallowly 3-lobed, rounded to
kidney shaped, with 3 clear veins from the base, 2.5–11 cm long, lobes often
rounded, tip notched, edge wavy, on stalks to 11 cm. FLOWERS: Axillary on
loose drooping heads, male and female on separate plants, green-yellow,
the slender stalks to 12 cm ending in weak tendrils, sterile tendrils to 20
cm, tip split into 3. Male flowers bell-like with 5 narrow petal lobes, up to 35,
female flowers 2–6, similar but shorter petals. FRUIT: 1–4 together, oval, hang-
ing down, yellow-orange-brown to 4 cm long, somewhat 3-angled, the
shell leathery to woody, smooth, pitted or rough, containing 30–40 flat white
pitted seeds.
ECOLOGY: Dry and moist forest, and bushland; 1–500 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Most lowland parts of Tanzania; Uganda, Kenya; from southern
Ethiopia to South Africa, west to the Congo basin and also on the Seychelles.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are used as a vegetable. Young leaves are chopped and cooked alone
or mixed with other vegetables such as amaranth or spinach. Coconut juice
or pounded groundnuts may be added and the dish eaten with ugali or rice.
Medicinal: A decoction of the roots is taken as a remedy for malaria, diar-
rhoea, leprosy and STDs. The decoction is also taken with milk to treat
anaemia. Roots are chewed to treat snakebite.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The whole plant is pounded and used as fish poison. Burning roots are
used to smoke out bees. The stem, when heated, produces an exudate which
is used to glue knives on to their handles.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season, December–April.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people. The plant can be propagated by seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Common.
REMARKS: A. racemosa (Gogo: Gole; Hehe: Nyang’oleko; Zigua: Gole) has similar
uses to A. gummifera. Its tubers are used as a remedy for chickenpox. The
flexible stems are used as string. The plant is also used for fodder and orna-
mental purposes.

94
 THE SPECIES

Adenia gummifera Passifloraceae

Buds

Flowers

Fruit capsules

Tendril

A. racemosa

Tendril

Flower cluster on stem

Fruit capsule

95
 THE SPECIES

Aerva lanata Amaranthaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Tebwa; Digo: Chivwa kuku, Tebwe; Hehe: Kaganza ka
mwana, Nyakaganza ka mwana; Maasai: Ediati-ormwaate, Eleturot;
Nyamwezi: Kaganza ka mwana; Sambaa: Kidelele, Paramoyo, Tebwa;
Sukuma: Luwecha; Swahili: Kinonga.
DESCRIPTION: A trailing or erect woody herb or shrub to 1 m with rather few branches,
quite distinctive due to the white woolly hairs. LEAVES: Usually alternate,
sometimes opposite on the lower part of the stem, stalkless, spoon shaped,
long-oval or wider at the tip, covered with grey-white hairs, to 2 cm long.
FLOWERS: Tiny yellow-white flowers grow on axillary, stalkless spikes,
usually 1–3 together, only 8 mm long, the tiny flowers have no sepals but stiff
papery sepals, bracts have dense woolly hairs. FRUIT: Tiny, 1-seeded cap-
sules.
ECOLOGY: This plant grows in a great variety of habitats, from cultivated and dis-
turbed ground to open woodland, bushland, grassland, swamp and forest edges,
on open lava screes, boulder-covered hillsides or coastal sands, 0–2,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: A common plant in all parts of Tanzania, from the coast to the high-
lands. Widespread in the drier parts of both tropics and subtropics, common
throughout eastern Africa; extending from Sierra Leone to Egypt, south to South
Africa, eastwards through the Arabian peninsular into Asia, the Philippines
and New Guinea.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are eaten as a vegetable. They are collected, chopped and boiled
alone or mixed with other vegetables such as mnavu (Solanum nigrum),
peas or mgagani (Cleome gynandra) and served with a staple such as ugali,
rice or bananas. Sometimes tomatoes, onions, coconut juice or pounded nuts
of Telfairia pedata (oyster nut; Swahili: kweme) or groundnut paste may be
added to make the sauce more palatable (Bondei, Digo, Hehe, Sambaa, Zigua).
Medicinal:
– The leaves are crushed and the juice is applied to sore eyes.
– Roots are used for treating snakebite and constipation (Bondei, Zigua).
Commercial: Usually not marketed.
Other: Used for ornamental purposes and fodder.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by local peo-
ple. Propagated easily from seed.

96
 THE SPECIES

Aerva lanata (contd) Amaranthaceae

STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.

REMARKS: A notorious weed on farms.

Enlarged flower head

Flowering shoot

97
 THE SPECIES

Aerva leucura Amaranthaceae

Indigenous

L OCAL NAMES : Bende: Kilindila, Mfungu, Mwenza, Mweza; Hehe: Lifweni;

Nyamwezi: Kilindila; Swahili: Kinonga.
DESCRIPTION: A perennial woolly herb, often woody at the base, erect or low and
spreading, slender stem simple or branched, all densely white hairy. LEAVES:
Alternate, long-oval, varying in size along the stem, up to 10 cm x 3 cm,
narrowed at the base to a stalk about 1 cm, all more or less hairy. FLOWERS:
Tiny, without petals, of several types, petals about 2 mm, flowers in sepa-
rated groups along the spikes, mostly about 4 cm long, both terminal
and beside leaves, all white hairy and stalked. FRUIT: Round, flattened
capsules containing shiny black seeds.
ECOLOGY: Found in a variety of habitats from disturbed ground to deciduous
bushland, woodland and forest edges, rocky places, open streamsides, 600–1,700
m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania, e.g. Tabora, Rukwa and Dodoma Regions.
Also found in Uganda, Kenya; south to Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana
and South Africa.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are used as a vegetable. Young leaves are chopped and boiled alone
or mixed with other vegetables such as peas or pumpkin leaves and served
with ugali. Sometimes tomatoes, onions, edible oil or a paste of groundnuts
are added in order to improve palatability. These leaves are only used sea-
sonally before cultivated vegetables are in good supply on farms. It is a sub-
stitute for other preferred vegetables.
Medicinal:
– Roots are used for treating snakebite.
– Pounded leaves are mixed with porridge and drunk in order to curtail lacta-
tion in women who have lost their babies (Bende, Nyamwezi).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used as an ornamental and for fodder.
S EASON : Leaves are collected at the beginning of the rainy season (Bende,
Nyamwezi).

STORAGE: Not stored.

MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by local peo-
ple.
STATUS: Very common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: An invasive weed in areas where it occurs.

98
 THE SPECIES

Aerva leucura Amaranthaceae

One male flower enlarged

Flowering stem
One female flower enlarged

99
 THE SPECIES

Aframomum angustifolium Zingiberaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Msamaka; English: Wild cardamom; Ha: Itungulu; Haya:
Omushaasha; Hehe: Mtweve; Luguru: Gobeni; Matengo: Matungula;
Sambaa: Msamaka; Swahili: Mtuguu, Mtunguru, Tungulu, Tunguru; Zigua:
Samaka.
DESCRIPTION: A herb, 1.5–4 m, growing in dense stands, with erect leafy shoots,
the “stem” consisting of long tubular, sheathing leaf bases. Leaves arise in two
ranks from underground rhizomes (often fleshy, aromatic, or rich in oils; one
member of the family is ginger). In this species the rhizomes, up to 15 mm
across, are extensive and covered with stiff red-brown scales to 7 cm long.
LEAVES: Leaf blades slightly pleated, about 40 cm x 12 cm, tip suddenly
narrowed to a point, leaf base slightly asymmetrical. A small outgrowth where
the blade grows out from the leaf sheath, the ligule, is tough, rounded, 4–10
mm long. FLOWERS: Thick flower stalks, 30–70 cm, emerge from the
base of the leafy shoot; 4–10 large flowers grow in a head of overlapping
bracts about 6 cm across. The unusual flowers are very striking, red-maroon-
yellow-pink. A boat-shaped calyx, 3–4 cm, splits on one side. Each flower has
a hooded or concave red-maroon petal, 4 cm x 2 cm, 2 narrow pale pink lateral
petals, and a yellow-orange lower lip (labellum), about 7 cm long x 4 cm
across, which curls under. A central filament ends in a triangular lobe and
bears 2 anther lobes of the single fertile stamen. A thin style passes between
these lobes to end in a trumpet-shaped stigma. FRUIT: A tough orange-red-
black berry with a smooth fleshy wall, round to oval, 7–9 cm including the
calyx beak, 3 cm across. Oval dark brown seeds, hard and smooth, surrounded
by masses of white sweet-acid pulp inside 3 membranes.
ECOLOGY: Common in moist areas in forest undergrowth, in riverine vegetation or
at swamp edges. Does well at medium altitudes, 1,000–1,700 m; rainfall 900–
2,200 mm. Adaptable to various soil types, but does well in sandy clay loams
and sandy loams.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in tropical Africa from the Sudan south to Mozambique
and Madagascar. In Tanzania it is common in moist areas at suitable altitudes.
USES:
Food:
The ripe fruit are collected and the sugary pulp eaten frequently as a snack.
It is sweet and liked by all, but particularly by children. Crushed seeds are
used as a substitute for pepper (Zigua).
Medicinal: Crushed seeds are boiled with roots of Piper capensis and drunk as
an aphrodisiac (Sambaa, Bondei).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Ornamental.

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 THE SPECIES

Aframomum angustifolium (contd) Zingiberaceae

SEASON: Ripens throughout the year since it grows in habitats that are always
damp.
STORAGE: The fruit is not stored, but dried seeds can be stored for medicinal use.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild and not protected or planted by the
local people. Easily propagated from seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.

Fruit head

Ligule

Fruit section

Complex flower

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 THE SPECIES

Aframomum angustifolium (contd) Zingiberaceae

REMARKS: Drainage of swamps and cutting of riverine forests is a threat to this

plant’s survival. The dense stands formed by the plant are a favoured habitat
for snakes, especially green mamba. Two other related species are used in the
same way as A. angustifolium. These species are:
1. A. albiflorum (Bondei: Msamaka; English: Wild cardamom; Sambaa:
Msamaka; Swahili: Mtuguu, Mtunguru, Tunguru; Zigua: Tunguru) is a herb
1.5–4 m high which is widespread in Tanzania, and also from Sudan south-
wards to Mozambique and Madagascar.
2. A. mala, with the same local names as A. albiflorum, is a herb 2–4 m tall. This
species is also widespread in Tanzania. It is also found in Kenya and south-
western Sudan.

102
 THE SPECIES

Aframomum angustifolium (contd) Zingiberaceae

A. mala

Leafy shoot and flowers

Fruit capsules

103
 THE SPECIES

Allanblackia stuhlmannii Clusiaceae (Guttiferae)

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Mkanye; Luguru: Mkani; Sambaa: Mkanyi, Msambu;
Swahili: Mkange, Mkimbo, Msambu, Mshambo, Mwaka; Zigua: Msumbu-
bwiti, Msambu-mzazi.
DESCRIPTION: A tall evergreen tree, 12–36 m, with a clear bole to 9 m, the droop-
ing branches hollow and ridged. BARK: Sometimes buttressed, dark grey,
smooth or flaking, a yellow resinous sap if cut. LEAVES: Opposite, dark
green and stiff, long oval, 5–19 cm, the tip pointed, the midrib yellow be-
low, base narrowed to a stalk about 1.5 cm. FLOWERS: Male and female
flowers on different trees, both large and fleshy, solitary, beside leaves, on
stalks 6–8 cm, male flowers numerous and clustered at the ends of branches,
with 5 unequal pale yellow-red sepals, the outer ones rounded, the 5 rounded
petals cream with red at the base, or all red, about 3 cm long, red stamens
are in 5 fleshy unequal bundles about 2 cm long, yellow anthers lie on the
inner surface. Female flowers have larger petals, a few reduced stamens, 5
green disc glands, a conical ovary bearing a stigma to 9 mm across. FRUIT:
Variable but large red-brown berries hanging down, 16–34 cm x 15–17
cm across, oblong to cone-like, the 5 fruit sections contain 12–28 seeds each.
Seeds about 4 cm long with a tough skin, angled with a fleshy aril on one
corner. One fruit can weigh 2.5–5.8 kg.
ECOLOGY: Rainforests, 500–1,200 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Endemic to Tanzania. Known only from the forests of East and West
Usambara, Nguru and Uluguru Mountains and in the eastern parts of Iringa
Region.
USES:
Food:
Seeds are pounded and cooked to extract an edible fat. Seeds of mature fruit
are extracted from the pulp, dried in the sun, pounded and boiled. After
cooling, the fat floats to the top, is skimmed off, heated and filtered. This
white fat is used for cooking.
Medicinal:
– Fresh leaves are chewed to treat coughs.
– The oil from seeds is drunk in small quantities twice a day to treat rheuma-
tism.
– Leaves and roots are used as medicine to treat impotence—they are boiled,
honey added and the liquid drunk 3 times a day in a teacup.
Commercial: Seeds are sold in markets for oil making.
Other: The wood is used for furniture, firewood, boxes, crates, beehives and
water containers. The bark and fruit produce a yellow dye. The tree is used
for shade, as an ornamental and is a source of bee forage.

104
 THE SPECIES

Allanblackia stuhlmannii (contd) Clusiaceae

SEASON: Seeds are collected from December to February.

STORAGE: Dried seeds can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated but usually retained in farm-
land. It can be propagated using fresh seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution. Endemic to Tanzania.

Branch with female flowers

Leaves with seed section

Fruit and seeds

Enlarged female flower

Tree in fruit

105
 THE SPECIES

Allanblackia ulugurensis Clusiaceae (Guttiferae)

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Mkanye; Luguru: Mkani; Sambaa: Mkanyi, Msambu;
Swahili: Mkange, Mkimbo, Msambu, Mshambo, Mwaka; Zigua: Msumbu-
bwiti.
DESCRIPTION: A tall evergreen tree, rarely shrubby, 15–30 m with spreading open
branches, the trunk clear to 7.5 m. BARK: Trunk slightly buttressed, brown-
grey to red-brown, finely squared, a sticky yellow sap if cut. LEAVES: Simple,
opposite, deep green, curved upwards from the midrib but edges curled
under, long oblong 8–19 cm long, very leathery, vein network clear on both
sides when dry, stalk barely 1 cm. FLOWERS: Male and female trees, the fleshy
flowers clustered at ends of branchlets, beside leaves but on short stalks up
to 1 cm long. Male flowers red-pink, the 5 sepals red-brown, longer outer ones
1.2 cm across, 5 petals pink-red-purple, about 1 cm diameter, the 5 sta-
men bundles split, to 1.4 cm long. FRUIT: Yellow-brown (smaller than A.
stuhlmannii), conical oblong, 10–13 cm long, containing fewer seeds than
A. stuhlmannii, each to 3.6 cm long, irregular in shape, a fleshy aril on one
angle.
ECOLOGY: Occurs in the rainforests of Tanzania, 700–2,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Endemic to the Uluguru and Nguru Mountains, in Morogoro Region
and in Ruaha Valley in Iringa Region.
USES:
Food:
Seeds produce edible fat. They are dried in the sun, pounded, boiled and
cooled. The suspended fat is skimmed off, heated, filtered and used in cooking.
Commercial: Seeds are sold in markets.
Other: The wood is used for furniture, crates, boxes and beehives. The tree is
used for shade and as an ornamental. The sap produced from the fruit and
bark provides a yellow dye.
SEASON: Seeds can be collected during December–February and June–August.
STORAGE: Dried seeds can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated or protected by the local peo-
ple, but can be propagated using seed.
STATUS: Endemic to Tanzania. Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Not easily accessible due to the steep slopes of the mountains where it
grows.

106
 THE SPECIES

Allanblackia ulugurensis Clusiaceae (Guttiferae)

Branch with young fruit

Section of fruit and seeds

Section of male flower enlarged

107
 THE SPECIES

Aloe nutii Aloaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Chagga: Iratune; Gogo: Itembwe, Kidingulio; Hehe:
Litembwetembwe; Luguru: Kongokowe; Nyamwezi: Itembwe; Rangi: Ikori,
Ikuri; Sandawi: /a./da; Swahili: Kisimamleo, Mshubili, Msubili.
DESCRIPTION: A herb with a short thick stem, to 20 cm long and 3 cm thick, often
shortly branched with up to 3 whorls of leaves at the base. LEAVES: Erect,
bright green and grass-like, to 50 cm, 8 cm across at the base, somewhat fleshy,
the upper surface concave, white spots below, the leaf margins densely
crowded with tiny white teeth about 1 mm long, more at the base. FLOW-
ERS: Arise from an axillary spike up to 75 cm, large cream-orange-brown
bracts wrap around the stem, well spaced below, overlapping at the tip, flow-
ers arise beside each bract on a stalk to 3 cm, corolla tubular, orange-red-
pink, all lobes green tipped, to 4 cm long, lobes rounded, a somewhat 3-
sided cylinder. FRUIT: An ovoid capsule, pale brown, 2.5 cm long contain-
ing many dark brown seeds.
ECOLOGY: Mountain grasslands, often on rocky slopes, 1,600–2,700 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Western Tanzania and in the Southern Highlands; Malawi, Zam-
bia, the southern part of the Congo basin and eastern Angola.
USES:
Food: Flowers are used as a vegetable. Mature flowers are washed and cooked
alone or with other vegetables such as peas or pumpkin leaves. Then either
cooking oil, coconut milk or groundnut paste is added and the dish eaten
with ugali or rice.
Medicinal:
– The juice of leaves is rubbed on the skin to treat ringworm.
– Roots are used as treatment for kidney problems and as an aphrodisiac.
Roots are boiled, honey added and the decoction drunk.
– A decoction from the leaves is drunk to treat diarrhoea. Leaves are also used
for heart pains and to treat spleen problems.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used as an indoor or outdoor ornamental.
SEASON: Flowers are collected at the end of rainy season, April–June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people, but can be propagated by seed and suckers.
STATUS: Common.
REMARKS: Several other Aloe species are edible and are used as ornamentals, in
herbal medicine and for demarcation of farm boundaries in semi-arid areas.

108
 THE SPECIES

Aloe nutii Aloaceae

Flowering spike

Habit

Bracts

Fruit capsule

Tubular flowers

109
 THE SPECIES

Alsodeiopsis schumannii Icacinaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Fipa: Mbululu; Hehe: Muvalambe, Muvulambe; Sambaa:
Mmavimavi; Munozambeyu, Muozambeyu, Swahili: Mkaranga mwitu.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen shrub or tree to 12 m. The first-year branches are cov-
ered with golden brown hairs. LEAVES: Long-oval, 5–12 cm, the tip long-
pointed, 6–8 pairs lateral veins clear on both sides, membranous, dark green
above but yellow-green on the underside, which is covered with many
flat, golden-brown hairs, base narrowed or rounded to a short stalk. FLOW-
ERS: Beside leaves in loose, branched heads, the stalks densely hairy, 5
narrow sepals united at the base, 5 free stamens on very short filaments, 5
free narrow petals, yellow, a style to 4 mm from the conical hairy ovary.
FRUIT: An oblong drupe, orange-red when ripe, about 2 cm long, the tip
beaked, somewhat hairy, a stalk reaching 2 cm. A woody stone inside has
longitudinal ridges.
ECOLOGY: Lowland and upland rainforest, 900–2,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In Tanzania this species is found in East Usambara, the Uluguru
Mountains and the Southern Highlands.
USES:
Food:
The fruit are edible and much liked by children. Ripe fruit are picked from
the tree and the juicy and sweet pulpy seeds eaten.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and is used for building poles, firewood, charcoal,
pestles, carvings, tool handles and spoons. The tree is suitable for shade and
as an ornamental.
SEASON: Fruit in May–July.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people. It can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Endemic to Tanzania and common within its area of distribution.

110
 THE SPECIES

Alsodeiopsis schumannii Icacinaceae

Enlarged flower

Flowering branch

Enlarged fruit

111
 THE SPECIES

Alternanthera tenella var. bettzickiana Amaranthaceae

Brazil
LOCAL NAMES: English: Border plant, Joseph’s coat; Swahili: Mchicha, Mchicha
maua.
DESCRIPTION: An erect, bushy or prostrate perennial, 4–45 cm, the stems red
and knobbly, swollen at each node. Stems and young branches with some
long hairs disappearing with maturity, these stems more or less 4-angled, later
cylindrical, woody at the base. LEAVES: Opposite, entire, long-oval but vari-
able, the tip pointed, narrowed to the base with a slender indistinct stalk,
often white hairy, to 5 cm long, wider at the tip. In var. aureus, brightly
coloured, variegated pink-red or yellow-green. FLOWERS: Round clus-
ters of white flowers with silver-white bracts beside leaves, only 6 mm
across, no petals but 5 stiff, papery sepals to 4 mm, sharply pointed, edges
toothed. FRUIT: Thin-walled capsules which do not open if dried, 1 seeded,
remaining in the flowers, all falling together.
ECOLOGY: In cultivated areas and at roadsides.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in Mwanza, Shinyanga, Tanga and Dar es Salaam Regions;
Zanzibar and Pemba Islands. Also recorded in Uganda, Rwanda and Mozam-
bique.
USES:
Food:
Tender leaves and shoots are cooked alone or mixed with other vegetables
such as cowpeas or amaranth, coconut milk added and served with a staple—
rice or ugali (Zanzibar).
Medicinal: The cooked vegetable is given to anaemic children in order to im-
prove their health (Zanzibar).
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The plant is a popular ornamental and border plant in gardens and
also used as an ornamental indoors. A good fodder for goats and rabbits.
SEASON: Leaves and shoots are collected during the rainy season, December–June.
STORAGE: Dried leaves can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, but also planted using seeds, suckers and
cuttings.
STATUS: Common in abandoned farms in areas where it occurs.
REMARKS: This plant is widely used as an ornamental because of its variegated
leaves.

112
 THE SPECIES

Alternanthera tenella var. bettzickiana Amaranthaceae

Flower or fruit clusters

Swollen stems

113
 THE SPECIES

Amaranthus spinosus Amaranthaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Buuza, Bwache, Bwache-katonge; Chagga: Kiyana kya

mburu; English: Careless weed, Prickly amaranth, Spiny amaranth; Hehe:
Chamilang’uku, Lichamilang’uku, Lifweni; Nyamwezi: Kapokole, Ntungu;
Pare: Buruja; Sambaa: Bwache; Swahili: Mchicha; Zigua: Bwache.
DESCRIPTION: An annual herb, usually erect, with few branches, to 1.5 m, easily
recognized by the pairs of green spines at the nodes, slender or stout, to 2.5
cm long, occurring especially beside the lower leaves. Stems red-purple-green,
usually stout and hairless. LEAVES: Long and oval, 2–12 cm, on long stalks
up to 9 cm, sometimes longer than the blade, the tip slightly notched with
a sharp colourless tip in the notch, lower surface often darker with some
hairs. FLOWERS: Green, in cylindrical spikes at the end of stems and
branches, to 15 cm long x 1 cm wide, upper parts of the spikes all male. The
lower part of the plant has axillary flower clusters about 1 cm across, all
females. Membranous bracts are wide. FRUIT: A small capsule 1.5 mm across,
breaking open at the base to set free dark brown shiny seeds.
ECOLOGY: Common on waste ground, roadsides and cultivated land; also occurring
in open grassland, swamps and along rivers. It does well in secondary regrowth
after cultivation, around cattle enclosures and on urban refuse dumps, 0–1,800
m; rainfall 800–1,300 mm. Prefers red sandy clay loams and yellowish sandy
loams.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread throughout the warm tropical and subtropical regions
of the world. Common in all parts of Tanzania.
USES:
Food:
– The young shoots and leaves are chopped and fried or steamed with coconut
milk or groundnut paste and served as a vegetable. It tastes bitter and is
usually eaten in small quantities as a substitute when no other vegetables
are available. It is also used in emergency and famine situations.
– Young shoots and leaves also used as a substitute for bicarbonate for soft-
ening vegetables.
– Dried leaves are cooked, groundnut paste or coconut milk added and served
with a staple.
Commercial: The young shoots and leaves are sold in local markets.
Other: Leaves are used for fodder.
SEASON: Shoots and leaves are collected during the early rains before the plants
mature and develop spines.
STORAGE: Leaves are dried for storage before or after being steamed.

114
 THE SPECIES

Amaranthus spinosus (contd) Amaranthaceae

MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild but sometimes protected by local peo-
ple around their homesteads.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: It is easily collected while young, i.e. before development of the spines.
An important source of vitamins (e.g. A and C). Also rich in minerals, e.g. iron
and calcium.

Flower spikes

Spines

115
 THE SPECIES

Ampelocissus africana Vitaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Sambaa: Ghoe; Swahili: Mzabibu mwitu.

DESCRIPTION: A shrubby climber or extensive liana reaching 9 m. Stems often
red, striped, hairy at first. A thick root can reach 1 m and looks like cassava
with a red outer skin. LEAVES: Large, alternate, simple, oval to rounded,
entire or 3–5 lobed, 5–20 cm long, base heart shaped, edge often softly
toothed, soft brown and hairy when young, stalk 3–15 cm. Leafy stipules to
3 mm, soon fall. FLOWERS: Small, in dense round heads, 5–10 cm across,
the loosely branched stalks to 6 cm. Branched tendrils grow out of these
stalks. Each flower has 5 petals, 1.5 mm, green-yellow to red-brown. FRUIT:
Round berries about 1 cm in diameter, red-blue-purple-black, on red
stalks, containing many shiny brown seeds in green pulp.
ECOLOGY: Seasonally wet grasslands, deciduous thickets, wooded grassland, wood-
land, riverine forests, old termite mounds and rocky hillsides; also found as a
remnant of cleared natural vegetation; 0–2,200 m; rainfall 900–1,500 mm.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread all over Tanzania. In the rest of Africa found from West
Africa to the Sudan and south to southern Africa, including Kenya and Uganda.
USES:
Food:
– The fruit are collected when ripe and the pulp is eaten. It tastes sweet and is
rich in vitamin C.
Medicinal: Roots are pounded, soaked in water, boiled and drunk to treat in-
testinal worms and leprosy (Sambaa).
Other: The plant can be used for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Fruit are collected between April and August.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple. It can be propagated by seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
Remarks: Two varieties occur in Tanzania: var. africana which occurs in all parts
of mainland Tanzania, Zanzibar and Pemba Islands, and var. migeodii in Lindi
Region.

116
 THE SPECIES

Ampelocissus africana Vitaceae

Ripe fruit

Fruiting branch

Dense flower heads in bud

117
 THE SPECIES

Ancylobotrys petersiana Apocynaceae

(Landolphia petersiana)
Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Digo: Mbooya, Vibooya, Vitoria; Swahili: Mtoria, Mtowe; Sambaa:
Vitoria.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen liana, climbing with tendrils, 2–12 m. Tendrils are
present at forks of branches (flower branches in origin which turn into woody
hooks). LEAVES: Opposite, simple, long-oval, 5–12 cm to 6 cm wide, tip pointed
or blunt, the base rounded to a short stalk, some hairs which disappear with
age. Secondary veins 5–20 mm apart. FLOWERS: A long terminal branched
head bears fragrant cream-white-yellow tubular flowers, “star-like”, about 3
cm across, the 5 narrow pointed lobes 1–2 cm, fringed with hairs. Flowers
open in the evening. A green calyx with brown hairs surrounds the pink tubu-
lar bud. FRUIT: Rounded to pear shaped, grey-green at first, ripening dull
yellow-orange, 3–5 cm across with short soft hairs, containing about 12
seeds, each 1 cm covered in sticky edible pulp.
ECOLOGY: A climber found in open bushland or woodland, coastal evergreen forest,
dry forest, 0–400 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Most lowland parts of Tanzania. Common in Pemba, Zanzibar and
Mafia Islands. Also found in Kenya and Somalia, and south to Mozambique,
Zambia and South Africa.
USES:
Food:
– The pulp of ripe fruit is edible. They are collected from the vines or fresh
fallen fruit are collected from the ground and eaten raw. The pulp is ob-
tained by cutting the fruit in half. The juicy pulp has a sour taste and only
moderate amounts are eaten (Bondei, Zigua, Zaramo).
– The pulp of the fruit is soaked in water, squeezed and filtered. The juice is
then sweetened with sugar and drunk after being cooled. Alternatively, the
sweetened juice may be packed in small polythene packets, frozen and eaten
as an iced lollipop (Bondei, Zaramo).
Commercial: Fruit are sold in most rural and urban markets for juice making
(Bondei, Digo, Zaramo).
Other: The stem produces white latex, which is tapped and used for making
balls and birdlime (Bondei, Digo). The stems are flexible and used for ropes.
SEASON: Fruit are collected in April and June and again in November and Decem-
ber (Coastal areas).
STORAGE: Fruit can only be stored for about two weeks.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, but often protected by local people in

118
 THE SPECIES

Ancylobotrys petersiana (contd) Apocynaceae

steads and fields. It regenerates easily from root suckers. Can also be propagated
from seeds.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.

Opposite leaves
Tendril

Fruit

Flower branches become

woody hooks

119
 THE SPECIES

homeAnisophyllea boehmii Rhizophoraceae

Indigenous

L OCAL NAMES : Ha: Umushindwi; Nyamwezi: Mnemvi, Mnyemvi; Sukuma:

Mshindwi; Tongwe: Lusindwi.
DESCRIPTION: An untidy evergreen or semi-evergreen tree up to 16 m tall with a
short, usually crooked, bole. The erect branches form a rounded heavy crown.
BARK: Rich red-brown at first, becoming grey-brown, irregularly cracked and
flaky. LEAVES: Thin and leathery, finely hairy both sides, oval, to 9 cm long
with very distinctive venation. FLOWERS: Cream coloured and small
on woolly stalks, 4–11 cm. FRUIT: Plum-like, to 3.5 cm long, turning shiny
red-yellow when ripe in March–July. The edible pale yellow flesh is tasty
and contains a hard stone around a single seed.
ECOLOGY: Occurs in miombo woodland and wooded grassland, 900–1,100 m; rain-
fall 800–1,000 mm. Grows in various soil types from sandy loams to sandy clay
loams. Thrives in sandy soils.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in north-west and south-west Tanzania; e.g. in Mwanza,
Tabora and Rukwa Regions. Also occurs in the Congo basin and Zambia.
USES:
Food:
The ripe fruit are edible. They are picked from the tree or fresh ones col-
lected from the ground and the pulp is eaten while rejecting the seeds. They
are sweet and are eaten by herdsmen and farmers to quench thirst and
hunger (Bondei, Nyamwezi, Sukuma).
Commercial: Fruit are sometimes sold in local markets.
Other: The wood is used for firewood, tool handles and poles. The tree is also
useful for shade and as an ornamental. Ash from the wood is used as an
insecticide for stalk borers.
SEASON: Fruit are collected between April and June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people. Seeds germinate with difficulty, but it is easily propagated from root
suckers.
STATUS: Uncommon within its habitat.

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 THE SPECIES

Anisophyllea boehmii Rhizophoraceae

Flowering branch
with young fruit

Enlarged flower section

Mature fruit

Seeds

121
 THE SPECIES

Anisophyllea pomifera Rhizophoraceae

Indigenous [Plate 1]
L OCAL NAMES : Ha: Umushindwi; Nyamwezi: Mnemvi, Mnyemvi; Sukuma:
Mshindwi, Nsindwi.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen shrub or small tree. All young parts with few or many
yellow-brown curly hairs. LEAVES: Simple, opposite, leathery, shiny above
with 2–4 strongly marked pale side veins in parallel to the midrib, dull
with some hairs below, leaves on upper branches oval to 6.5 cm long, narrowed
to a very short stalk. FLOWERS: Small and rounded, along several spikes, 5–
12 cm long, arising beside smaller leaves on lower part of branches, petals
and sepals rather similar, 5 lobed around many stamens, stalks and buds hairy.
FRUIT: A berry about 4 cm long when dry, edible tasty flesh around one
hard stone within.
ECOLOGY: An associate of Brachystegia–Isoberlinia woodland, 1,200–1,600 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania and in Kigoma Re-
gion. Also found in Zambia and Malawi.
USES:
Food:
– Ripe fruit are edible. The pulp is sweet and eaten fresh.
– Ripe fruit are soaked in warm water, squeezed and filtered. Then sugar is
added to obtain a refreshing drink.
Commercial: Sold in local markets (Ha).
Other: The wood is used for firewood, charcoal, poles, tool handles and wooden
spoons. The leaves are used for enriching the soil. Wood ash is used as white-
wash and as an insecticide for stalk borers.
SEASON: The fruit are collected from September to December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated but normally retained by farm-
ers in their farms. Seeds germinate with difficulty, but the plant is easily propa-
gated from root suckers.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: A. pomifera is very similar to A. boehmii with the exception of the larger
fruit, which are better liked than those of A. boehmii.

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 THE SPECIES

Anisophyllea pomifera Rhizophoraceae

Flowering head

Fruiting branch

123
 THE SPECIES

Annona senegalensis (A. chrysophylla) Annonaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bende: Mfila; Bondei: Mbokwe, Mtonkwe; Chagga: Ichawele,

Mrisirisi, Mtomoko; Digo: Mbokwe; English: Wild custard apple; Ha:
Umukanda; Matengo: Mandopi, Mtopetope; Ndendeule: Mlombelombe,
Mlopelope; Ngindo: Mpunju; Ngoni: Mlombelombe, Mlopelope; Nyamwezi:
Mfila, Mkonola, Mtopetope; Rufiji: Mtopetope; Sambaa: Mbokwe, Mtonkwe;
Swahili: Mchakwe, Mchekwa, Mtomoko mwitu, Mtopetope; Tongwe: Lufila;
Zaramo: Mtopetope, Topetope; Zigua: Mtomoko, Mtonkwe; Zinza: Mkonyo.
DESCRIPTION: A shrubby deciduous tree, usually 2–6 m. Bark grey and smooth,
thick and folded when old, young stems hairy and orange. LEAVES: Oval and
rounded, blue-green, to 18 cm long, hairy below, a peculiar smell when
crushed. FLOWERS: 1–3 small flowers hang down below twigs, yellow-
green, petals and sepals in threes. FRUIT: Rounded, 2–7 cm, smooth with
divisions. Green when unripe, turning orange-yellow when ripe and smell-
ing like pineapple. The sweet pulp surrounding many seeds is edible.
ECOLOGY: Common in open woodlands and grassland savanna, thickets, at forest
edges and frequent in places subjected to burning. Mainly found at lower and
medium altitudes, 0–1,500 m; rainfall 700–2,000 mm. It grows well in a variety
of soils, mostly as an under-storey shrub. Prefers red sandy loam, but tolerates
a wide range of soil types.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania and in other drier parts of the tropics, Sen-
egal to Cameroon, the Congo basin, Sudan and Kenya and extending to Zim-
babwe and the northern parts of South Africa; also in Madagascar.
USES:
Food:
– The ripe yellow fruit may be harvested from the trees, or more rarely col-
lected from the ground. Eaten immediately after removing the hard coat.
Sometimes green but almost mature fruit are collected and stored for some
days to ripen. It tastes sweet and has a pleasant pineapple-like odour.
Medicinal:
– The bark and the roots are crushed together and applied to snakebite wounds.
– The bark is used against intestinal worms as well as for treatment of dysen-
tery. The bark is also chewed and smeared on fresh wounds.
– Roots are washed, boiled with finger millet flour and used to treat sterility
(Nyamwezi). Roots are also used as a treatment for stomach-ache, flatu-
lence, diarrhoea and colds.
– The gum is applied to cuts and wounds to seal them.
– Fruit are used to treat diarrhoea, dysentery and vomiting.
Commercial: Reportedly sold in local markets.

124
 THE SPECIES

Annona senegalensis (contd) Annonaceae

Other: The wood is used for firewood, tool handles, and wooden spoons. The
tree is suitable for shade and as an ornamental.
SEASON: Fruit are collected from August to December, at the end of late rains.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple. Seeds are difficult to germinate but the tree easily regenerates by coppice
shoots and root suckers.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: This species has a potential for domestication.

Fruiting branch

Flowering branch

One flower

Fruit and section

125
 THE SPECIES

Annona stenophylla Annonaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Nyamwezi: Mfila, Mtopetope; Sambaa: Mshofu; Swahili:
Mtopetope; Zigua: Mshofu.
DESCRIPTION: A low shrub with annual shoots to 1 m arising from under-
ground rhizomes, the stems simple or branched; branchlets red-brown, hairy
at first, sometimes persisting. LEAVES: Alternate, usually very hairy, the
blade 4–18 cm, wide or narrow, often wider towards the tip, which is
usually rounded, the base narrowed or rounded to a short stalk, the blade bright
or blue-green, paler below with dense hairs, marked by green-red-purple
nerves, a dense network of smaller veins above and below. FLOWERS: Usually
solitary, above leaves, hanging down on hairy stalks, 3 small free sepals,
petals fleshy, 3 outer thick petals, concave, rounded, about 1 cm, 3 smaller
inner petals all cream-yellow-brown inside and hairy outside. FRUIT:
Orange-yellow when ripe, 2.5–4.5 cm long on a stalk to 4 cm, the com-
pound fruit contains soft edible pulp full of numerous black, shiny seeds.
ECOLOGY: Usually found growing in Brachystegia woodland, on sandy or frequently
burnt ground such as Acacia grassland. Also found on sandy, grassy slopes at
the edge of wetlands, 500–1,600 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in western Tanzania, Rukwa, Tabora and Iringa Regions,
the Southern Highlands; also found in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, An-
gola and the Congo basin.
USES:
Food:
– The pulp of ripe fruit is sweet and eaten fresh. It has a pleasant smell and
taste and is much sought after by herdsmen and children.
– Ripe fruit are soaked in water, squeezed and filtered for juice.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Ornamental and a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Ripe fruit are collected from September to January.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated, but can be propagated by
seed.
STATUS: Common within its habitat.
REMARKS: It resembles A. senegalensis but all parts of the plant are smaller. The
fruit are said to be more tasty than those of A. senegalensis.

126
 THE SPECIES

Annona stenophylla Annonaceae

Flower

Fruit

127
 THE SPECIES

Antidesma venosum Euphorbiaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bende: Msekela, Mselala; Digo: Chikura, Kihuro, Mzangatchango;

English: Tassel berry; Ha: Umuziaziga; Haya: Musivya, Umusivya,
Umutoketoke; Kerewe: Mtokitoki, Ntokitoki; Ngindo: Mkunda hobi;
Nyamwezi: Msekela; Nguu: Mawejameno, Mgwejameno; Rangi: Mudualo;
Rufiji: Mjembajemba; Sukuma: Mgamzabakama, Mugamzabakama; Swahili:
Mbua nono, Mkaracha, Msaga, Msasuzi, Msisimizi, Msuaga, Mtimagoa,
Mwinamia ziwa, Mziwaziwa; Tongwe: Mtimpu, Mtipo; Zaramo:
Mnyembelezuwa, Nyembelezuwa; Zigua: Mgwejameno.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or small tree to 5 m, occasionally reaching 7 m. BARK: Grey
or grey-brown, smooth to rough and flaky. LEAVES: Oval to elliptic, usually 2–
10 cm, leathery, bright glossy green above, pale green and hairy below,
apex tapering to rounded, base rounded; margin entire, very short stalk. FLOW-
ERS: Male and female trees: male flowers dull yellowish, female reddish
and not so fluffy, in catkin-like spikes up to 8 cm in length, unpleasantly
scented; appear October–January. FRUIT: Small, fleshy, oval, about 6 mm,
white when young, becoming bright red and finally shiny purple-black
when mature (March–May) on long hanging spikes to 12 cm.
ECOLOGY: Found in miombo woodland, wooded grassland and forest edges, 0–1,200
m; rainfall 700–2,000 mm. Tolerant of various soil types, including sandy soils,
sandy loams, sandy clay loams and red loams.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in all parts of Tanzania. Also from West Africa eastwards to
Ethiopia and southwards to South Africa.
USES:
Food:
The ripe fruit are edible. They are collected from the tree, sorted out in hand-
fuls and chewed. The juice is swallowed and the pulp remnants and seeds
rejected. They are sweetish and usually eaten by children, herdsmen and
farmers in order to quench thirst and hunger (Bondei, Nyamwezi, Zaramo,
Zigua).
Medicinal:
– The leaves and roots are used for treating snakebite, poisoning, abdominal
pains, hookworm and as a business charm (Bondei, Nyamwezi, Sambaa and
Zigua).
– Seeds are steeped in water and drunk to treat liver complaints.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Wood is used for firewood, tool handles and knife sheaths (scabbards).
The plant is also used for shade, fodder and as an ornamental, and is a
source of bee forage.

128
 THE SPECIES

Antidesma venosum (contd) Euphorbiaceae

SEASON: Fruit are collected during and after the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people. Easily propagated by seed, and also produces root suckers.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Roots are believed to be poisonous (Nyamwezi). An invasive weed in
fallows.

Leaves

Fruiting and flowering branch

129
 THE SPECIES

Asparagus africanus (A. abyssinicus) Asparagaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Nyamwezi: Kasesanhanga, Kasolanhanga; Sandawi: Konkór/

.intsha; Swahili: Mwinika nguu; Tongwe: Lukungwisa.
DESCRIPTION: A scrambling woody shrub growing from a fibrous rootstock from
which shoots arise. Stems smooth or grooved, grey-brown and twisted, larger
stems spiny and branches with tiny bristles. Climbing to 3 m and sometimes
forming low bushes to 1 m. LEAVES: True leaves are small and scale-like with
clusters of leaf-like needles growing from their axils. These cladodes (modi-
fied branches) are straight and cylindrical, about 1 cm long. Recurved
spines have brown structures, “spurs”, beside them. FLOWERS: Small, white–
pale pink, on jointed stalks, in clusters among the cladodes. Flower parts in
threes and spreading. FRUIT: Small green berries, ripen red and fleshy
and contain one seed.
ECOLOGY: Frequent at forest edges, in bushy wooded areas and grasslands, often
on rocky ground, up to 2,500 m; rainfall 1,000–1,700 mm. Common especially
after burning. Thrives in sandy clay loams.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in Sudan, the Congo basin, Ethiopia, south to Zimbabwe and
Botswana. Occurs in many areas of Tanzania, e.g. Tabora, Dodoma, Kigoma,
Morogoro and Mtwara Regions.
USES:
Food:
– Ripe fruit are collected from the plant in handfuls and the juice sucked out
while the solid part is discarded. Eaten only by children and used especially
in famine periods. It is highly nutritious and therefore important during
such times of famine.
– Young shoots are dug out, washed, peeled and chewed by children and
herdsmen in order to quench thirst and hunger.
Medicinal: Roots are collected, washed, pounded, boiled and the decoction drunk
to treat STDs (Bondei, Nyamwezi, Zigua). Seeds swallowed as a prevention
for eye diseases (Nyamwezi).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Used for ornamental purposes and is also a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Fruit collected during the dry spells in June–July and December. Shoots
collected during rainy seasons.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple. It can be propagated by seed and root suckers.
STATUS: It is common, especially after bush fires, within its area of distribution.

130
 THE SPECIES

Asparagus africanus (contd) Asparagaceae

REMARKS: Frequently planted as an ornamental. The food uses of this plant are not
known by many people even in areas where it occurs commonly. The young
shoots which grow out of the woody root crown just below the surface of the soil
are eaten (as in the cultivated asparagus species).

Scale (true leaf)

Flowers
Zigzag section of
older twisted stem

Fruit

Leaf-like needles
(cladodes), straight or
curved

Recurved spines

131
 THE SPECIES

Asparagus flagellaris (A. nudicaulis) Asparagaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Nyamwezi: Kasesanhanga, Kasolanhanga; Sandawi: Konkór/

.intsha; Swahili: Mwinika nguu; Tongwe: Lukungwisa.
DESCRIPTION: An erect or scrambling woody perennial shrub to 1 m, with twisted
branches bearing strong spines, the stems grey-white and hairless.
Branchlets simple but in different planes. LEAVES: Scale-like, leafy needle-
like cladodes (modified branches) grow in clusters along stems, with recurved
spines having white spurs beside them (seen clearly on flowering branches).
Stems densely covered with cladode needles as the 2-cm needles are longer
than the internodes. FLOWERS: Fragrant, white, 4 mm across, on jointed
stalks, 2 or more together on flowering stems, with few or no cladodes, very
attractive in flower. The 6 flower parts persist around the berry. FRUIT: Small
orange berries, round or slightly 3-part, contain 1 seed.
ECOLOGY: Occurs in wooded grasslands at low and medium altitude, up to 2,100 m;
rainfall 1,000–1,800 mm. Thrives in a variety of soil types.
DISTRIBUTION: From Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia south to Malawi and Mozambique,
including East Africa, Rwanda and parts of the Congo basin. Found in many
areas in Tanzania.
USES:
Food:
The fleshy orange fruit are collected from the plant, the juice sucked out and
the solid part discarded. They have a sweet taste.
Medicinal: The roots are crushed and boiled. The liquid is drunk to treat STDs
(Sambaa).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Ornamental.
SEASON: Fruit collected during dry spells in June–July and December. Shoots col-
lected during rainy seasons.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple. Can be propagated by seed and root suckers.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.

132
 THE SPECIES

Asparagus flagellaris (A. nudicaulis) Asparagaceae

Fruit

Groups of flowers

Recurved spines

Fruit

Fruiting stem

133
 THE SPECIES

Asystasia gangetica Acanthaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES : Bondei: Tikini; Digo: Futsure, Futswe, Tala-kushe; Maasai:
Enkosida, Gosida; Pare: Ikobito; Sambaa: Tikini; Swahili: Mchicha, Mfuchwe,
Mtikini; Tongwe: Katikamonga; Zigua: Tikini.
DESCRIPTION: A trailing perennial herb from a woody rootstock, quite small to over
1 m, often rooting at the nodes, the stems square and often hairy. LEAVES:
Generally oval, to 10 cm long, the base round to heart shaped. FLOW-
ERS: Grow on short stalks from one side of a terminal stalk, each funnel
shaped, 2.5 cm long, mauve-white with purple markings, wrinkled at the
mouth, 2 upper petal lobes and a 3-lobed lower lip. The 5 sepals are 4.5 mm
and there are four 2-celled stamens. Flowers have a short stalk: bracts and
bracteoles narrower than sepals. FRUIT: Hairy capsules to 3 cm, flattened
from side to side, containing 1–4 seeds.
ECOLOGY: It occurs as a weed in cultivation from low altitudes up to 1,900 m; rain-
fall 1,200–2,100 mm. Also in disturbed soil in forests, e.g. after being dug up by
bush pigs. Tolerates a variety of soils.
DISTRIBUTION: Common in West Africa, the Congo basin, in the Sudan and in East
Africa. Found in many parts of Tanzania including Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Tanga,
Morogoro, Kigoma and Iringa Regions.
USES:
Food:
Leaves and young stems are edible. They are collected, chopped and boiled
with a little potash to tenderize them. Eaten together with the staple food
when more preferred vegetables are not available. Sometimes mixed with
other vegetables such as peas or pumpkin leaves and coconut milk, and
pounded oyster nuts (Telfairia pedata) or groundnuts may be added.
Medicinal: The leaves are collected, washed, pounded and boiled. The decoc-
tion is drunk to eradicate intestinal worms (Bondei, Digo).
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: Ornamental, fodder and a source of bee forage.

SEASON: Leaves and young stems are collected in the early rainy season.
STORAGE: The leaves are sometimes dried for storage before or after being steamed
(Zigua, Hehe).
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by local peo-
ple. Easily propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: A serious weed.

134
 THE SPECIES

Asystasia gangetica Acanthaceae

Fruit capsules

Flowering shoot

135
 THE SPECIES

Asystasia mysorensis (A. schimperi) Acanthaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Tikini; Pare: Ikobito; Sambaa: Tikini; Zigua: Tikini.
DESCRIPTION: An erect annual plant, or later scrambling on the ground, shortly
hairy. LEAVES: In opposite pairs, oval, the tip often wider. FLOWERS: In a
short terminal spike, each flower stalkless and almost enclosed in a green
bract. Bracts are well pointed, longer and wider than the 5 sepals. The
tubular white flower, 1.5 cm, has 5 petal lobes, 2 above and 3 below, the lower
centre lobe has green veins, the outer lobes brown ones. The throat may be
green spotted. FRUIT: A capsule about 2 cm long with tiny glands, contain-
ing 1–4 angular or toothed seeds.
ECOLOGY: Occurs at forest edges and thickets and in secondary regrowth after
cultivation or other disturbance of the soil. Often a weed in arable land or along
paths. Abundant at altitudes up to 2,200 m; rainfall 1,000–2,100 mm. Toler-
ates a wide range of soil types.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in all parts of Tanzania except Mbeya, Iringa and Songea
Regions. Also found in Ethiopia, Somalia, southern Sudan and in the Congo
basin.
USES:
Food:
– Leaves and young shoots are eaten as a vegetable.
– The leaves are collected, boiled alone or mixed with other vegetables such as
cowpeas or mnavu (Solanum nigrum). The leaves can also be mixed with
tomatoes, onions, coconut milk, pounded oyster nuts (Telfairia pedata) or
groundnuts and served with a staple food—ugali, rice, bananas or potatoes
(Bondei, Sambaa, Zigua).
Commercial: Sold locally.
Other: Ornamental and fodder.
SEASON: It is mainly collected in the early rainy season since it is one of the first
plants to grow after the start of the rains.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Regarded as a weed in cultivated areas.

136
 THE SPECIES

Asystasia mysorensis (A. schimperi) Acanthaceae

Bracts

Enlarged fruit capsules and seeds

Fruiting shoot

Flowering shoot

137
 THE SPECIES

Azanza garckeana Malvaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Arusha: Emotoo; Bena: Mtowo; Bende: Mtobo; English: Snot ap-
ple, Tree hibiscus; Gogo: Mtoyo; Gorowa: Thogi, Tlaghay; Hehe: Mtowo;
Kimbu: Mutogo; Maasai: Emoloo, Olmatawayu, Olmotoo; Mbugwe: Mutogo;
Ngindo: Mtobo; Nyamwezi: Mtowo; Nyasa: Mtoo; Nyaturu: Mutrogho;
Nyiramba: Mtogho; Pare: Mtakataka; Rangi: Matua, Matwa, Mchagai, Mchai,
Msembere, Mtowo, Mtula, Mtwa, Muchagai, Mutwa; Sandawi: Dong, Xaxabo;
Swahili: Mnduwe, Mwatata; Tongwe: Mtobo.
DESCRIPTION: A deciduous tree, 3–8 m, with rounded crown. BARK: Brown rough,
branchlets have woolly hairs. LEAVES: Simple, alternate, distinctively
rounded, 8 x 12 cm, long stalks, 3–5 lobes, rough hairs above, soft below.
FLOWERS: Large, showy, single, yellow, turning red-orange, petals over-
lap and do not open. FRUIT: Rounded and woody, 2–8 cm, 4–5 parts, yel-
low-brown and hairy, the whole fruit except the seed eaten for the sweet sticky
flesh.
ECOLOGY: Common from low to higher altitudes as a scattered tree in several types
of woodland; also on termite mounds.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in Africa, from the Sudan to southern Africa. Common all
over Tanzania.
USES:
Food:
– The ripe fruit are collected and the thick carpels separated from the fruit
and eaten. They are sweet but glutinous and are much favoured by herds-
men (Gogo, Hehe, Nyamwezi, Nyiramba, Nyaturu).
– The dry fruit may be cooked and eaten in large quantities during famine
and peak farming periods (Gogo, Hehe).
Medicinal: Roots are boiled and drunk to treat infertility and constipation.
Commercial: It is sold in local markets in many towns in Tanzania (Bena,
Gogo, Hehe, Nyamwezi).
Other: The wood is used for timber, firewood, spoons, poles, carvings, combs,
bows and tool handles. The tree is also used as an ornamental (Gogo, Hehe,
Nyamwezi, Zigua).
SEASON: Fruit are collected during the dry season, usually from May to November.
STORAGE: The fruit are boiled with a little salt, dried in the sun and stored for about
four months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated by local people, but occa-
sionally protected in the farms and around homesteads. Fast growing and eas-
ily raised by seed.

138
 THE SPECIES

Azanza garckeana (contd) Malvaceae

STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.

REMARKS: The only species in the genus Azanza. It is attacked by a host of cotton
stainers and other bugs, thus not to be grown in cotton-producing areas.

Flowers

Young fruit

Root suckers

Fruit and section

139
 THE SPECIES

Balanites aegyptiaca Balanitaceae

Indigenous

L OCAL NAMES : Arusha: Olngoswa; Barabaig: Ganyamda, Hawi; Chagga:

Mohoromo; Digo: Mwambangoma; English: Desert date; Fiome: Mjirya; Gogo:
Mduguyu, Mwambangoma; Hehe: Mduguya; Ngindo: Mnuwili; Nduguyu;
Gorowa: Hawi; Iraqw: Hawi, Hotlimo; Isanzu: Mudugunga; Luguru:
Mkongo; Maasai: Ilokwa (fruit), Olng’oswa, Olokwai, Osaragi; Mbugwe:
Modori; Nguu: Mkonga; Nyamwezi: Mduguyu, Mjuguyu, Muvambang’oma,
Myuguyu; Nyaturu: Mfughuyu; Nyiramba: Mudugunga; Pare: Iteru,
Mkisingo, Mkonga; Rangi: Kivambang’ombe, Mdori, Mjijiva, Mjijiwa, Nyijiva;
Sukuma: Myuguyugu, Nyuguyu; Swahili: Mchunju, Mjunju; Zigua:
Muwambangoma; Zinza: Mruguhu.
DESCRIPTION: A medium-sized semi-deciduous tree about 6 m, rounded crown
consisting of a tangled mass of thorny branches. BARK: Dark, cracked
and corky with age. THORNS: To 8 cm, soft at first, then woody. LEAVES:
Distinctive pairs of grey-green leaflets, ovate. FLOWERS: Fragrant yel-
low-green clusters, 1.5 cm across, 4–5 petals to 1 cm long, with 8–10 long
central stamens. FRUIT: Date-like, about 5 cm long, both ends rounded,
yellow when ripe, a hard pointed seed 4 x 2 cm within surrounded by yel-
low-brown, bitter-sweet flesh, seed easily separated.
ECOLOGY: Occurs from arid and semi-arid areas to sub-humid savanna. Also found
in dry wooded grasslands in low and medium-altitudes up to 2,000 m; rainfall
200–800 mm. Prefers valley soils; common in sand, clay, black-cotton, alluvial
and stony soils.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in most parts of Africa and in the Middle East. Widespread in
dry areas of Tanzania.
USES:
Food:
– Fruit are edible. The ripe fallen fruit are collected and the pulp eaten fresh.
They have a bitter taste (Gogo, Zigua).
– Cooking oil can be extracted from the seed. Seeds are collected, roasted,
pounded and boiled in water, allowed to cool and the oil skimmed off. The oil
is used for cooking vegetables such as peas, sweet potatoes or cassava (Zigua).
Medicinal:
– A decoction of the roots is used to treat abdominal pains, intestinal worms,
diarrhoea and as an antidote for poisoning (Maasai, Zigua).
– Gum from wood is mixed with maize-meal porridge and eaten to treat chest
complaints.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Livestock eat fallen fruit on the ground and browse the leaves. The
wood is used for timber, poles, firewood, charcoal, combs, spoons, tool handles,

140
 THE SPECIES

Balanites aegyptiaca (contd) Balanitaceae

fencing, nails for native drums and carvings. The tree is also an important
source of bee forage.
SEASON: Fruit are collected between April and June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and often protected by local people in home-
steads, fields and at trading centres. Regenerates easily from root suckers and
can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.

Enlarged flower

Thorns
Young flowers and fruit

Mature fruit

141
 THE SPECIES

Balanites rotundifolia (B. orbicularis) Balanitaceae

Indigenous

L OCAL NAMES : Bena: Mvanga ng’oma; Digo: Mkonga; Hehe: Mvambandusi;

Maasai: Olkwai, Olngoswa; Sambaa: Mkonga; Swahili: Mbamba ngoma,
Mkonga; Zigua: Mkonga.
DESCRIPTION: A spiny multi-stemmed evergreen shrub or tree, 2–5 m. BARK: Grey,
later rough and furrowed. THORNS: Unusually dark green, stout, to 3 cm
and straight. LEAVES: Small, in pairs with no stalks, round to heart shaped,
grey-green, hairy. FLOWERS: Small, green-yellow, in small bunches along
the thorns. FRUIT: Oval, hairy, to 2 cm (fruit and seed more rounded and
smaller than in B. aegyptiaca).
ECOLOGY: Found in very dry wooded savanna and grassland up to 2,000 m. Thrives
in a variety of soils.
DISTRIBUTION: Occurs in Africa from Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda west to
West Africa. Found in north and north-east Tanzania, e.g. in Kilimanjaro and
Tanga Regions.
USES:
Food:
The pulp of the fruit is edible and sweet. The ripe reddish brown fruit are
either picked from the tree or collected from the ground. They are eaten as a
snack, especially by herdsmen (Maasai, Zigua).
Other: The wood is used for poles, firewood, charcoal, tool handles, spoons,
combs and carvings. Leaves and fruit are eaten by livestock. The tree pro-
vides shade and is a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Fruit collected September–December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Fruit are collected from the wild and it is not cultivated or protected
by the local people. It can be propagated by seed and root suckers.
STATUS: Uncommon.

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 THE SPECIES

Balanites rotundifolia (B. orbicularis) Balanitaceae

Flowers

Thorn

Fruit

143
 THE SPECIES

Balanites wilsoniana Balanitaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Mkonga; Digo: Mkonga; Luguru: Mngalangala; Mwera:

Mmera; Ngindo: Mnuwili-msitu; Sambaa: Mbambangoma, Mkonga; Swahili:
Mguguni, Mkonga; Zaramo: Nyakahamba, Popoma.
DESCRIPTION: A large semi-deciduous forest tree, the trunk generally 6–12 m high
(to 30 m in rainforest), girth to 3 m, crooked or fairly straight with large as-
cending branches to a spreading crown, often densely interlocked. The
young trunk may have ring-like markings. The tree has conspicuous long
buttresses, continuing upwards as deep twisted fluting, sometimes with
compound thorns in the hollows. BARK: Yellow to grey-green or light brown,
generally smooth but rough with age; some flaking. Branchlets with forked
spines, very hard and sharp, arising above leaf axils and reaching 15 cm in
length, always absent from the flowering branches. LEAVES: 2 leaflets
on a common stalk to 2.5 cm, each leaflet stalked to 1 cm, wide oval, to 8.5
cm x 5 cm, rather thin and fleshy, tip more or less long pointed. New leaf
growth bright green. FLOWERS: Yellow-green, in stalked clusters, above
a leaf axil, growing from side shoots on older branches. Buds round, with 5
sepals, the 5 green petals, 7 mm long, surround a conspicuous central disc of 8–
10 stamens. FRUIT: A drupe, green, ripening yellow, 6–10 cm long, with 5
shallow ribs and an unpleasant smell; the fibrous coat surrounds the hard
inner stone. The seed kernel is edible and contains oil.
ECOLOGY: A tree of evergreen coastal forest and coastal thickets, 0–400 m; rainfall
1,000–1,800 mm. Tolerates a wide range of soil types, but does best in rich loam
soils.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in West Africa from Senegal to Cameroon, eastern Af-
rica and south to Zambia and Botswana. In Tanzania this species occurs along
the coast from Tanga southwards to Mtwara, e.g. in Banda Forest Reserve and
Kisarawe (Pwani Region), Kwamarukanga Forest Reserve (Tanga Region), and
Rondo escarpment in Lindi Region.
Uses:
Food:
– The fruit are eaten occasionally during the fruiting season.
– Edible oil is extracted from seeds and used for cooking. Seeds are pounded
and boiled in water, allowed to cool and the oil skimmed off.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The oil from the seeds is also used as a lubricant. Wood is used for
firewood, charcoal, building poles, carvings, tool handles, spoons, walking
sticks, furniture, grain mortars and stools. Leaves and fruit are used for
fodder. Also a good source of bee forage.

144
 THE SPECIES

Balanites wilsoniana (contd) Balanitaceae

SEASON: Fruit are collected August–October.

STORAGE: Seeds can be stored for months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and is not protected. It can be propagated by
seed and also produces root suckers.
STATUS: Common.
REMARKS: The fruit pulp is toxic to the snails which carry bilharzia. Decaying fruit
smell of acetic acid. Elephants relish the fruit and so disperse the seed.

Flower clusters

Inner stone

Fruit

Forked spines

145
 THE SPECIES

Bauhinia kalantha Caesalpiniaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Hehe: Mtema; Nyamwezi: Kitemba; Swahili: Mchekwa.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub to 3 m, very attractive in flower, the branchlets without
hairs. LEAVES: Bilobed leaves, unusually deeply divided to four-fifths of the
depth with a flat boat-shaped scale-like projection at the bottom of the
divide, 2–4 mm. Whole leaf 1–4.5 cm x 1.5–8 cm across, the lobes rounded at
the apex. FLOWERS: Solitary, yellow, the 5 petals to 3.7 cm long, 5 nar-
row sepals outside and 10 fertile stamens around the centre, the stigma rounded,
to 3 mm. FRUIT: Thin woody pods about 10 cm long x 1.5 cm across contain
dark brown seeds.
ECOLOGY: Found in deciduous thicket and woodland, 600–1,000 m. Mainly found
in stony areas.
DISTRIBUTION: Endemic to Tanzania, found only in Dodoma, Iringa and Morogoro
Regions.
USES:
Food:
Tender leaves are used as a vegetable. Leaves are collected, chopped and
cooked alone or with other vegetables such as pumpkin leaves. Then pounded
groundnuts are added and the vegetable eaten with ugali or rice.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Ornamental; bark fibre is used for ropes and the wood is good for fuel.
Produces a dye used in basketry.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season, November–April.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by local peo-
ple.
STATUS: Common.

146
 THE SPECIES

Bauhinia kalantha Caesalpiniaceae

Flower

Deeply divided leaf

147
 THE SPECIES

Berchemia discolor Rhamnaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: English: Bird plum, Brown ivory, Wild almond; Gogo: Mgandu;
Hehe: Mgandu; Luguru: Nyahumbu; Matengo: Njerenje; Ngindo:
Mkelienge; Nyamwezi: Mkuni; Sandawi: Okoo, Ooko, Thokoi; Swahili: Mkulu,
Mnago; Yao: Njerenje.
DESCRIPTION: A semi-deciduous shrub or tall tree to 18 m with erect spreading
branches making a heavy rounded crown. BARK: Grey-black, cracking and
scaly, corky spots on young greenish branches. LEAVES: Simple, alternate,
shiny dark green, sticky when young, oval, to 11 cm, lateral nerves
making a clear pattern. FLOWERS: Small yellow-green, stalked, in loose
clusters, attracting bees. FRUIT: Date-like, yellow, about 2 cm long with 1–
2 flat seeds in sweet edible flesh.
ECOLOGY: Found in wooded grassland and open woodland, especially on termite
mounds. Also occurs along river valleys. Widely spread in miombo woodlands,
0–2,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania, e.g. Tabora, Dodoma and Morogoro Re-
gions; Yemen, Ethiopia, Somalia, south to Angola, Namibia, South Africa and
Madagascar.
USES:
Food:
– Fruit are edible. The ripe fruit are usually collected from the tree and eaten
raw, but fallen fruit which are sound can also be collected and eaten. They
are sweet and very much favoured by children, herdsmen and farmers to
assuage hunger (Gogo, Hehe, Nyamwezi).
– Ripe fruit can be soaked in water, squeezed and the juice drunk or used for
making porridge (Gogo).
Commercial: Fruit are occasionally sold in local markets because the trees are
not easily accessible.
Other: The wood is used for timber, tool handles, pestles, fuel, poles and
gunstocks. The ash from burnt wood is used to produce a substitute for white-
wash (Nyamwezi). Ash is mixed with water, the liquid filtered and used as a
tenderizer for vegetables.
SEASON: Fruit are collected in March–April; in Iringa in November–December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated, but sometimes retained
in farms and homesteads. It can be propagated by seed and root suckers.
STATUS: Common in its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Fast growing and a suitable species for agroforestry.

148
 THE SPECIES

Berchemia discolor Rhamnaceae

Fruit

Leafy shoot

149
 THE SPECIES

Bidens pilosa Compositae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bende: Nsanda; Bondei: Twanguo; Chagga: Imbar’a; English:

Blackjack; Gogo: Mhangalale; Gorowa: Ghalmi; Hehe: Livanivani; Luguru:
Nyaweza; Makonde: Ntwanguo; Maasai: Inderepenyi; Matengo: Inyule,
Kisosoki, Manyonyoli, Nungunungu; Ndendeule: Kinywegerere; Ngoni:
Kisosoki, Manyonyoli, Nungunungu; Nyamwezi: Lekalamata, Nsanda;
Nyaturu: Mpangwe; Rangi: Pumbuji; Sambaa: Kitojo, Mbwembwe; Swahili
Kishonanguo; Tongwe: Kalasa.
DESCRIPTION: An erect and prolific annual herb, much branched above, to 1 m, but
may fruit when quite small, stem 4-angled. LEAVES: Compound, to 8.5 cm
long, variable in size and shape, 1–3 ovate toothed leaflets, lower leaves usu-
ally stalked with 3 leaflets. FLOWERS: In heads 1.2 cm across, the central
disk florets yellow, outer florets with white rays, sometimes absent. Head
tubular, surrounded by 2 rows of softly hairy bracts, only 6 mm long. FRUIT:
Black achenes, about 1 cm long, tipped with 2–4 barbed bristles which
catch on fur and clothing, aiding dispersal. They project above the shorter
bracts.
ECOLOGY: Common on cultivated land, paths and disturbed areas in forests and
grasslands, 0–2,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in all parts of Tanzania. Widespread in tropical Africa.
USES:
Food:
The leaves and young shoots are chopped, mixed with other vegetables and
boiled. Chopped leaves and young shoots can also be added to beans or peas
at the end of cooking. Simsim or groundnut paste may be added. It is eaten
occasionally with the staple as a substitute for other more preferred veg-
etables.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are used as medicine to treat stomach-ache and intestinal worms
(Pare, Sambaa). Also used to treat wounds and recurrent fevers in children.
– Roots are used to treat constipation and malaria.
– A herbal tea prepared from the leaves is drunk to relieve excessive gas in
the stomach.
Commercial: Leaves are sold in local markets (Sambaa).
Other: The plant is used for fodder and is a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Leaves are collected in the early rainy seasons.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: It is not cultivated or protected by local people.

150
 THE SPECIES

Bidens pilosa (contd) Compositae

STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.

REMARKS: A troublesome weed.

Fruiting head

Barbed fruit, enlarged

Disk florets

Enlarged ray floret

151
 THE SPECIES

Bidens schimperi Compositae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Nyahedja, Nyahedza; Hehe: Nyatwanga; Luguru: Mangwe,

Mbangwe, Nyaweza; Sambaa: Mwitango.
DESCRIPTION: An annual herb, much branched, erect or straggling to about 1 m,
stems often reddish. LEAVES: Opposite, pinnately lobed, deeply indented,
often into 3 sections, usually stalked. FLOWERS: Conspicuous bright yel-
low, terminal with scattered heads, each one with about 8–10 ray florets,
broad and blunt at the tip, very many central more orange disc florets, the
green bracts around each head with brown tips to 8 mm, in 2 rows.
FRUIT: Small achenes, the pappus of barbed bristles stick to clothing.
ECOLOGY: Common in dry grassland, black-cotton soil, old cultivation, Brachystegia
woodland in grassy glades, overgrazed or recently burnt soils, 0–2,400 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania; found also in Kenya, Uganda, Somalia,
Burundi, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are eaten as a vegetable. They are collected, chopped and cooked
alone or mixed with other vegetables such as peas, pumpkin leaves or mnavu
(Solanum nigrum). Coconut milk or groundnut paste, tomatoes and onions
may be added in order to make it more palatable (Bena, Hehe).
Medicinal: Roots are used as medicine to treat coughs and colds (Bena, Hehe).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used as an ornamental, for fodder and is a source of bee
forage.
SEASON: Leaves are collected at the beginning of the rainy season, i.e. November–
January.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people.
STATUS: Common in its area of distribution.
REMARKS: A serious weed in all areas where it occurs.

152
 THE SPECIES

Bidens schimperi Compositae

Central disc florets

8 ray florets

Enlarged barbed fruits

Deeply divided leaf

153
 THE SPECIES

Bombax rhodognaphalon var. tomentosum Bombacaceae

Indigenous [Plate 1]

LOCAL NAMES: English: East African cotton tree, Wild kapok tree; Matengo:
Mkaranga mti; Mwera: Mng’uma; Ngindo: Msufi pori; Nguu: Mwale;
Nyakyusa: Msyavala; Rufiji: Mfuma; Sambaa: Mfuma, Mwale; Swahili:
Mkaranga mti, Msufi mwitu; Zigua: Mwali.
DESCRIPTION: A tall tree to 36 m with a straight bole and medium crown. BARK:
Yellow-green, smooth. LEAVES: Compound, with 3–7 leaflets like fin-
gers of a hand, each to 4 cm long. FLOWERS: 5 petals, pale yellow, red or
white, numerous anthers with red stamens; calyx bell shaped. FRUIT: Oval
brown woody capsule about 6 x 3 cm, which splits open to set free many
seeds in dark red-brown fluffy kapok.
ECOLOGY: Found in woodland and riverine forest, 600–1,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In Tanzania it is known from Mbeya Region. Also occurs in Mozam-
bique.
USES:
Food:
– Seeds are roasted and eaten like groundnuts.
– Seeds are roasted, pounded and the powder used for cooking with vegetables
or meat.
Medicinal: The bark is used as medicine to treat diarrhoea (Sambaa). Leaves
and roots are also used as a charm against witchcraft.
Commercial: Seeds are sold in local markets.
Other:
The wood is soft and is used for timber, plywood and pulp. The bark produces
fibre and a red dye. Fluffy kapok surrounding the seeds is used to stuff pil-
lows and mattresses. The tree is used for shade and as an avenue tree.
SEASON: Fruit mature from October to December.
STORAGE: Seeds can be stored for about four months but are susceptible to fungal
and insect damage.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, but also cultivated in some areas of Mbeya
and Ruvuma Regions. Generally, female plants are protected by local people.
Easily propagated by seed.
STATUS: Natural and domesticated.
REMARKS: This species has been introduced to other areas of Tanzania, e.g. Ruvuma
Region. There is a second variety, var. rhodognaphalon, which occurs in low-
land rainforests, especially along the coast. Its uses are similar to those of var.
tomentosa.

154
 THE SPECIES

Bombax rhodognaphalon var. tomentosum Bombacaceae

Leaf and mature

capsule splitting open

Leafy shoot

Seed

Segment of split
capsule
Kapok and seed

155
 THE SPECIES

Borassus aethiopum Arecaceae (Palmae)

Indigenous [Plate 1]

LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Mvuma; Digo: Dzova, Mvumo, Ngolokolo (fruit); English:
African fan palm, Borassus palm, Debeb palm, Palmyra palm; Nyamwezi:
Mhama, Muhama; Nyaturu: Mfama; Nyiramba: Mpama; Sambaa: Vumo;
Sukuma: Muhama; Swahili: Mchapa, Mtapa, Mvuma; Ngindo: Mvumo.
DESCRIPTION: A straight tall palm to 20 m with a swollen bole. TRUNK: Smooth
grey, thickened above the middle, dead leaves remain on the young trunk,
old trunks up to 80 cm across. LEAVES: Large, fan shaped, to 4 m long x 3 m
across, deeply divided into leaflets, thorny at the base. FLOWERS: Male and
female on different trees, male producing branched spikes up to 2 m carrying
the pollen. FRUIT: Large, in bunches, round, up to 15 cm diameter, orange-
brown, in the enlarged calyx cup, fibrous oily pulp around 3 seeds, each 8 cm
brown, woody. (A fruit cluster may weigh 25–50 kg; one ripe fruit weighed 1.3
kg—see illustration.)
ECOLOGY: Found where the water-table is high in wooded savanna grassland. It is
usually found in sandy soil and in floodplains in dense stands, 0–1,200 m;
rainfall 900–1,400 mm.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread throughout the less dry areas of tropical Africa. Found
in all parts of Tanzania except Arusha and Kilimanjaro.
USES:
Food:
– Fruit are edible. The ripe fallen fruit are collected, peeled and the juicy pulp
is squeezed in water to form a solution which is added to porridge during
cooking to improve the flavour (Nyamwezi, Nyiramba).
– The fruit are collected and the pulp eaten in small amounts as a snack. It is
slightly sweet, but with a mild turpentine-like flavour (Nyamwezi, Nyiramba).
– The tip of the trunk is cut and excavated so that a bowl-shaped depression is
made where sap accumulates. The sap is then collected and slightly fer-
mented into a refreshing drink.
Commercial: Fruit are sold on the roadside and in open markets.
Other: Provides good timber for off-ground construction purposes and is also
used for beehives. Leaves are used to make mats and baskets.
SEASON: Fruit are collected when they fall in July–December.
STORAGE: Fruit can be stored in the ground for 2–3 months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild. Generally, female plants are protected by
local people. It can be propagated using fresh seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: The tree takes 10–15 years to produce fruit.

156
 THE SPECIES

Borassus aethiopum Arecaceae (Palmae)

Leaf

Young fruit (6 sepals, 3 + 3

form a calyx cup)

Ripe fallen fruit

(12 cm across, I
kg)

157
 THE SPECIES

Brexia madagascariensis Brexiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Swahili: Mfukufuku, Mfurugudu, Mkurufu, Mkuvufu, Mpumbuti.
DESCRIPTION: A much-branched, dense evergreen shrub or small tree, 2–3 m. BARK:
Grey-brown, striated. LEAVES: Alternate, variable in shape, narrow oblong to
broad, wider at the tip, 3.5–14 cm long, thick and leathery, tip rounded or
deeply notched, edge wavy, slightly rolled under, base tapering or rounded to a
stalk 1–2 cm. FLOWERS: In rather loose branched clusters, beside leaves,
sometimes on old wood, each flower to 2 cm diameter, the 5 spreading petals
pale yellow or green-white, thick and fleshy, curling backwards, 4–5
stamens arise between the 5 lobes at the central disc with several stiff pointed
filaments at the base. FRUIT: Woody, rather fibrous tapering cylinders
about 4–10 cm long, with 5 definite ridges, said to become soft, pulpy and
edible with age. The fruit can float in sea water for many months and the
numerous dark seeds within remain viable.
ECOLOGY: Coastal evergreen bushland on coral or coarse, rocky ground, edges of
saline water, swamp forest, mangrove swamp, on eroded ridges near the sea,
0–100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread along the coast, from Tanga southwards to Mtwara and
on Zanzibar and Pemba Islands. Found in Mozambique, the Comoro Islands,
Madagascar and South Africa.
USES:
Food:
Fruit are edible. The pulp of ripe fruit is eaten raw.
Medicinal: Roots are boiled and the liquid drunk to treat stomach-ache and
yaws.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for poles, charcoal, firewood, yokes, spoons and tool
handles.
SEASON: Ripe fruit are available in November and December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated, but can be propagated
using fresh seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Only one species occurs in Africa.

158
 THE SPECIES

Brexia madagascariensis Brexiaceae

Flowering shoot

Fruit and enlarged seed

Enlarged flower

159
 THE SPECIES

Bridelia micrantha Euphorbiaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Mwiza; Chagga: Marie, Monde, Mwaru; Fipa: Mlangali,
Munyamaji; Haya: Mshamako, Mshumako, Mukuwe, Mushamako, Omukuwe,
Omusha mako; Hehe: Mpalang’anga, Mwesa; Iraqw: Intsalmo, Isalmo;
Luguru: Msumba, Mwiza; Matengo: Mayenda, Mnyenda, Myenda; Nguu:
Mkolakole; Nyakyusa: Mwisya; Nyiha: Munyeraminu, Munyeraminzi,
Sengamino; Pare: Mwira; Sambaa: Muiza, Mwiza; Swahili: Mkarakara,
Mkarati, Mtutu; Tongwe: Kamembe; Zaramo: Mkarangatanga; Zigua:
Mweza, Mwiza; Zinza: Msamiko.
DESCRIPTION: A medium-sized leafy evergreen tree with dense spreading crown,
to 13 m. BARK: Grey-brown, flaking with age, young stems zigzag, dotted with
paler breathing pores. LEAVES: Appear compound but actually alternate along
branches, dark shiny green above, about 12 cm long, veins parallel, ex-
tending along margin, leaf stalks slightly hairy. FLOWERS: Small and yel-
lowish, bunched in leaf axils, male and female flowers on different trees.
FRUIT: Soft, purple-black, oval, up to 8 mm, sweet and edible when ripe.
ECOLOGY: Found in forests by rivers, forest edges or open woodland, 0–2,200 m. It
does well in a wide variety of climates.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in all parts of Tanzania, including Zanzibar and Pemba Is-
lands. Also widespread in the rest of Africa from Senegal eastwards to Ethiopia
and southwards to South Africa; also in Reunion.
USES:
Food:
Fruit are edible. Ripe fruit are collected from the tree and eaten. They are
much eaten by children and herdsmen in order to quench hunger and thirst
(Bondei, Pare, Sambaa, Zigua).
Medicinal:
– The bark is used as medicine to treat stomach-ache, diarrhoea, dysentery
and intestinal worms (Maasai).
– Roots are used to treat allergy, STDs, headache and prolapsed rectum
(Sambaa).
– The bark is mixed with soup and given to children as a tonic (Maasai, Pare).
– The leaf sap is used to treat sore eyes.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for timber, poles, firewood, grain mortars, spoons, tool
handles and charcoal. Leaves are used for fodder for goats. The tree is used
for shade and is a source of bee forage. The bark produces a red dye.
SEASON: Fruit are collected during and at the end of the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.

160
 THE SPECIES

Bridelia micrantha (contd) Euphorbiaceae

MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, but also from people’s farms where it is planted
as one of the important agroforestry species. Can be propagated by fresh seed
and root suckers.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: A popular and fast-growing agroforestry species.

Tiny flowers in leaf axils

Fruit

Marginal veins

161
 THE SPECIES

Bussea massaiensis Caesalpiniaceae

(Peltophorum massaiense)
Indigenous [Plate 1]
LOCAL NAMES: Gogo: Mubefu; Nyamwezi: Mbetu; Nyaturu: Mfetru; Sandawi: /
”Ánka.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub, small- or medium-sized tree with a spreading crown,
2–12 m, the young shoots and flower stalks typically covered with spreading
rusty brown hairs. BARK: Smooth and grey. LEAVES: Usually opposite, with
only 2 pairs of pinnate leaves, each pinna stalk with 5–8 pairs of oval leaf-
lets 1.3–6 cm long, tip notched or rounded, base unequal, with flattened hairs
below and hairy stalks. FLOWERS: Yellow in dense terminal heads, the
rounded buds and flower stalks covered with coarse rust-brown hairs; 5 sepals
open to display 4 + 1 crinkly petals, the 4 longer petals 1–3 cm long; 10 sta-
mens, hairy at the base. FRUIT: Distinctive erect pods, hard, woody and
rusty hairy, 7–12 cm long x 2 cm across, with a clear groove down the
centre, splitting into 2 sections which bend back to set free 1–3 seeds.
ECOLOGY: Thickets, deciduous bushland and woodland, 1,100–1,400 m, sometimes
a dominant species in thickets.
DISTRIBUTION: Endemic to Tanzania. Found only in Dodoma, Singida and Tabora
Regions.
USES:
Food:
– Seeds are collected, roasted, a little salt added and eaten like groundnuts.
– Seeds are roasted and pounded. The powder is used in making soup with
vegetables or meat.
Commercial: Seeds are sold in local markets.
Other: The wood is hard and termite resistant so used for building poles, pestles,
tool handles and carvings. Leaves and seeds are used as fodder for goats
and sheep. The tree has bright yellow flowers and is suitable as an orna-
mental, for shade and as an avenue tree.
SEASON: Fruit and seeds are collected from May to July.
STORAGE: Seeds can be stored up to two years.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, but is also retained in farms by the local
people. The tree can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Endemic to Tanzania. Often restricted to small localities within its area of
distribution, where it may be abundant.
REMARKS: Establishment of this tree outside its habitat requires mycorrhizal inocu-
lation using soil from a natural stand.

162
 THE SPECIES

Bussea massaiensis Caesalpiniaceae

(Peltophorum massaiense)

Flowering branch

Upright pods

Seeds

Young fruit pod and section Pods: split and twisted

163
 THE SPECIES

Canarium schweinfurthii Burseraceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: English: African canarium; Haya: Mbafu, Mubafu; Swahili: Mbani,
Mpafu; Tongwe: Sigonfi.
DESCRIPTION: A massive deciduous tree to 40 m, the bole often clear to 30 m.
Large branches reach to a spreading rounded umbrella crown. In young
trees branches are whorled at right angles to the trunk and curve up-
wards. The base may have slight blunt buttresses, and overground roots
may spread out to 10 m from the tree base. BARK: Thick and rough,
grey-red-brown, flaking in pieces up to 30 x 10 cm. Young branchlets
hairy red-brown. When cut, the fragrant resin smells of incense. LEAVES:
Odd pinnate, tufted at the ends of branches, usually 6–10 pairs of leaflets plus
1, each with a short stalk, oval to oblong, stiff, long pointed to 15 cm,
base rounded, about 15 pairs side veins, vein network dense below, sur-
face dull green-brown with a few hairs but more hairy below, especially veins.
FLOWERS: Creamy white in axillary sprays to 30 cm long, 3 petals and
a 3-part calyx, funnel shaped with rust-red hairs inside and out. FRUIT:
Smooth and oblong, soft and purple when ripe, 2.5–4.0 cm long. A 3-
ridged stone inside as long as the fruit, eventually splits to release 3 seeds.
ECOLOGY: Common in tropical lowlands and medium-altitude rainforest, thickets
and cultivated land, up to 1,600 m; rainfall 900–2,200 mm. Tolerates a wide
range of soil types, but prefers sandy clay loams and sandy loams.
DISTRIBUTION: Widely distributed from Senegal east to the Sudan, Ethiopia, and
south to Angola and Zambia. In Tanzania it is common around Lake Victoria
and Lake Tanganyika.
USES:
Food:
– The ripe fruit are harvested and immersed in hot water to soften the rind
and flesh and then eaten. Seeds are rejected. They taste similar to olives and
are very popular as a snack among herders and children.
– Fruit are collected and depulped. When dry the inner stone is cracked and
the seed (kernel) eaten (Haya, Tongwe).
Medicinal:
– The leaves are boiled with other herbs and the decoction used to treat coughs.
– The seeds are roasted and pounded and the resulting powder mixed with
skin oil or jelly to treat wounds.
– The bark is boiled and the decoction drunk for treatment of hypertension.
Commercial: Salted fruit are sold in major markets.
Other: The crystallized resin is used as incense that has both cultural and
religious significance. The wood is soft and used for timber, firewood, char-
coal and veneer. The tree is also used as an ornamental and for shade.

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 THE SPECIES

Canarium schweinfurthii (contd) Burseraceae

SEASON: Fruit are collected from August to December in Kagera.

STORAGE: The dry inner stone can be stored for about two years (Haya).
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, but also protected by local people wherever
it occurs. Can easily be propagated using fresh seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: This is an excellent shade tree and has been planted for reforestation.
The wood is suitable for construction work, but should be seasoned with care.
A related species with similar uses is C. madagascariense (Sambaa: Mpafu:
Swahili: Mpafu; Zigua: Mpafu) which is rare and found along the coast from
Tanga southwards to Kilwa. It is a large tree up to 12 m high.

Flowering shoot C. schweinfurthii

Young fruit

Stone

C. madagascariense Leaf tip

Buds
Mature fruit

165
 THE SPECIES

Canthium burttii Rubiaceae

Indigenous

L OCAL NAMES : English: Mottled-bark canthium; Gogo: Mbahuza mtwe,

Mbwanhubwanhu, Mpakapaka; Nyamwezi: Mgubalu, Mkamu, Msongwa-
nsimba; Rangi: Kiviruviru; Sandawi: Namu; Sukuma: Ngubalu, Nkamu;
Zinza: Mgango.
DESCRIPTION: A leafy shrub or small tree to 8 m. BARK: Young twigs green, old
branches smooth red-grey, darker, rough and peeling with age. LEAVES: In
opposite pairs, oval to almost circular, about 5–10 cm long, the tip well
pointed, the base usually narrowed to a short stalk, the leaf surfaces may
have small rough hairs and there are 5–6 pairs of side veins, rather darker
than the leaf. Between young leaves are a pair of oval pointed stipules,
membranous, to 1 cm, but soon falling. FLOWERS: Axillary, growing from
the leaf nodes of last season’s growth, small green-yellow, in clusters of 3–11
on a stalk to 2 cm, sometimes forked. Each flower tubular, less than 1 cm
long, the style shaped like a match head in the hairy opening of the tube.
FRUIT: Fleshy and oblong, up to 1 cm long, yellow-orange ripening
black, in dense clusters, containing 1 seed.
ECOLOGY: Found on rocky hills of dry woodland areas and in dense vegetation by
roadsides, 800–2,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania except the coastal areas. Also in the Congo
basin, Zambia and South Africa.
USES:
Food:
Fruit are edible. Ripe fruit pulp is eaten raw and tastes like chocolate.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: Poles, firewood, tool handles, ornamental and is a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Fruit can be collected in February–April.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated or protected locally.
STATUS: Common.
REMARKS: A popular fruit for herdsmen and game hunters.

166
 THE SPECIES

Canthium burttii Rubiaceae

Flower clusters

Fruit

167
 THE SPECIES

Canthium lactescens Rubiaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES : Gorowa: Fraaki; Haya: Msangati; Iraqw: Tlerghw; Maasai:

Olkumi; Matengo: Mapendo; Rangi: Kiviruviru.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or tree, 3–12 m, the short leafy shoots with only one
pair of leaves, young branches hairy. BARK: Grey–dark grey–red, rough
with age. Yellow gum oozes from damaged branches. LEAVES: Well spaced,
dull dark green, softly leathery, wide oval, 6–16 cm long, 4–14 cm wide, tip
shortly pointed, hairs on midrib and on 8–10 pairs of lateral veins below,
base broadly rounded to a stalk to 2 cm. Stipules leathery, triangular to 1
cm. Leaves often turn black when dry. FLOWERS: Sweet smelling, cream-yel-
low, 5 mm with 5 triangular petal lobes, up to 50 flowers on one side of
much-branched hanging stalks to 3 cm, usually from old nodes of the pre-
vious season’s growth. FRUIT: Oval, asymmetric, strongly 2-lobed, apex
notched, fleshy and edible, yellow turning brown-purple when ripe, about 1
cm long, containing 1 seed.
ECOLOGY: Dry savanna grassland, often associated with Acacia tortilis, up to 1,500
m; rainfall 1,000–1,300 mm. Thrives in well-drained sandy loams.
DISTRIBUTION: From West Africa to the Sudan, Ethiopia, East Africa and south to
Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia. Widespread in Tanzania.
USES:
Food:
The small fruit are collected especially by children and herdsmen and eaten
raw. They taste sweet but slightly acidic. They are eaten as snacks.
Medicinal: Roots are pounded and soaked in warm water. The decoction is
drunk twice a day as a purgative.
Other: The wood is hard and used for firewood, building poles, withies and tool
handles.
SEASON: Fruit are collected from April to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple, but can be propagated by fresh seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.

168
 THE SPECIES

Canthium lactescens Rubiaceae

Enlarged flower

Flowering branch

Young fruit

Flower heads

Seeds

Fruit

169
 THE SPECIES

Canthium oligocarpum subsp. oligocarpum Rubiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Fipa: Msanda; Haya: Mtabagira; Hehe: Mhamamala, Mhomanga,
Mhomang’ambako; Sambaa: Mdaia, Ntula-vuha.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or tree 1.5–20 m, the trunk, coppice shoots and young
branches armed with thin spines to 2 cm long, arising in twos or threes. BARK:
Grey. LEAVES: Opposite or in a whorl of 3–4, narrow oval, 3–14 cm, the tip
long but blunt, stiff or papery, hairy pits in the axils below, clearly dark
above and pale below when dry, on a stalk to 1.5 cm, sheathing stipules at
the nodes bear a thin tip to 3 mm long. FLOWERS: White-yellow-green, in
loose drooping heads to 3 cm long; about 25 small flowers, each tubular, about
9 mm, the style protruding from 5 triangular lobes. FRUIT: In loose bunches,
more or less oblong, tip notched, 2-lobed, about 2 cm long, containing 2
seeds, green-grey, sometimes with paler marks, flattened.
ECOLOGY: Moist forest, forest edges, valley forest remnants, 1,800–2,600 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Western Tanzania, e.g. around Mpanda and in Mbizi Forest Re-
serve, Rukwa Region. Also found in Uganda, Kenya, the Congo basin, Rwanda,
Burundi, Sudan, Ethiopia.
USES:
Food:
Fruit are fleshy and eaten raw as a snack.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and used for building poles, fuelwood and tool handles.
The tree is a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Fruit are collected from April to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not planted or protected by the local
people, but can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Two other subspecies occur in Tanzania which are also edible:
1. Subsp. captum is found around Lushoto, Iringa and Morogoro, and also in
Malawi and Mozambique.
2. Subsp. intermedium is found around Kilimanjaro, Same and Morogoro.

170
 THE SPECIES

Canthium oligocarpum subsp. oligocarpum Rubiaceae

Stipule Young spiny shoot

Enlarged flower

Seeds

Fruit
Lower leaf, hairs in axil

171
 THE SPECIES

Cardamine trichocarpa Brassicaceae (Cruciferae)

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Chagga: Ngombo; Maasai: Ingoomba; Pare: Kisegeju; Swahili:

Kisegeju.
DESCRIPTION: An annual herb with a taproot; can be well branched and erect, 5–50
cm, leaves spread at the base and along the stems. LEAVES: Alternate, di-
vided and lobed, up to 5 pairs of leaflets plus a terminal leaflet, each oval
and toothed, with a leaf stalk. FLOWERS: Numerous and tiny, green (white-
pink) on branched heads, often not opening, 4 sepals 2 mm, 4 smaller petals.
FRUIT: Long thin capsules, to 2.6 cm, tapering and flat, with scattered hairs,
red-brown seeds in rows each side.
ECOLOGY: Moist ground, clearings, roadsides, farmland, apparently increasingly
spreading as a weed, 2,000–3,000 m; rainfall 1,200–1,800 mm. Tolerates a wide
range of soil types.
DISTRIBUTION: From West Africa to the Sudan, the Congo basin and in the Central
African Republic, Cameroon, Burundi, Ethiopia, Angola and India. Widespread
in Tanzania, including Arusha, Tanga, Kilimanjaro and Ruvuma Regions. Also
in Kenya and Uganda.
USES:
Food:
The leaves are picked, wilted and chopped. They are then boiled and added
to bean or pea stew and served with a staple; or served as a vegetable alone
with the staple.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used as fodder for goats and rabbits.
SEASON: Collected in the early rains.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: A bad weed in rice fields.

172
 THE SPECIES

Cardamine trichocarpa Brassicaceae (Cruciferae)

Fruit capsules

173
 THE SPECIES

Carissa edulis Apocynaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Barabaig: Qach; Chagga: Machame, Manka; English: Simple-

spined carissa; Fipa: Msuuku; Gorowa: Titiwi; Ha: Umuyonza; Haya:
Moyonzaki, Muyanza, Muyonza; Hehe: Mfumbwe, Mvambandusi; Iraqw:
Quach, Titiyo; Kerewe: Mkanga onza, Mkangayonza; Kuria: Munyore,
Rinyore; Maasai: Olamuriaki, Olyamliyak; Nguu: Mkumbaku; Nyamwezi:
Mfumbeli; Pare: Mchofwe; Rangi: Mkabaku; Sambaa: Mfumba. Mkumbaku;
Swahili: Mtanda mboo; Zaramo: Mukambaku.
DESCRIPTION: A spiny shrub or small tree to 5 m, sometimes a climber. BARK: Dark
grey, smooth, with straight woody spines to 5 cm, often in pairs, rarely
branching. Has the milky latex characteristic of all members of this family.
LEAVES: Opposite, leathery, shiny, dark green, to 5 cm, tip pointed,
base rounded, stalk very short. FLOWERS: Fragrant, in pink-white termi-
nal clusters, each flower to 2 cm, 5 petal lobes overlap to the right. FRUIT:
Rounded berries, about 1 cm, purple-black when ripe, sweet and edible,
2–4 seeds.
ECOLOGY: Occurs in savanna woodland, in thickets, forests, disturbed areas and on
termite mounds at medium altitudes, 1,100–1,600 m; rainfall 1,000–2,100 mm.
Thrives in a variety of soil types.
DISTRIBUTION: Found throughout the drier parts of tropical Africa, and also across
Asia. Widespread in Tanzania.
USES:
Food:
The fruit are collected directly from the plant when ripe (black or purple)
and the pulp is eaten. It is very sweet with a lot of white sap. The seeds are
discarded.
Medicinal: A decoction of the roots is used to treat malaria in children and also
to increase lactation in women.
Other: The plant provides firewood, is a source of bee forage and is good as an
ornamental.
SEASON: Fruit are collected during the dry season, October–December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and usually not protected or cultivated by
local people
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Two other Carissa species have edible fruit:
1. Carissa bispinosa (English: Y-thorned carissa; Maasai: Olyamliyak;
Nyamwezi: Mfumbeli; Sambaa: Mfumba; Zigua: Mkumbaku) a shrub or tree

174
 THE SPECIES

Carissa edulis (contd) Apocynaceae

to 5 m with thick spines, usually once- or twice-forked but sometimes simple (to
8 cm long). Small flowers, white and star-like, grow in dense heads, 5 tiny petal
lobes overlap left. Leaves usually oval–round, small and shiny. Fruit usually
red. Widespread in Tanzania, coastal Kenya and southwards to South Africa.
2. Carissa tetramera (Maasai: Olyamliyak; Sambaa: Mkalakala: Swahili:
Mtanda mboo; Zigua: Mkalakala) a shrub or tree to 4 m, with strong spines,
usually forked; leaf shape variable but margins often slightly round toothed or
finely sharp toothed. The small flowers have only 4 lobes, overlap left, fruit
small and black. Found in Tanga, other coastal areas of Tanzania and in Kenya.

C. edulis

Flower
Fruit

Spines

C. tetramera
C. bispinosa
Many forked spines
Flowers

Divided
spines

Fruit
Flowers

Variable leaf shapes

Fruit

175
 THE SPECIES

Carpodiptera africana Tiliaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Mwera: Mkongolo, Mmilambutuka; Rufiji: Mnanga; Sambaa:

Mfesti; Swahili: Mkikoma, Mkongoro, Mwangamaima; Zaramo: Mlanga.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or tree, commonly 1–5 m but reaching 12 m. BARK: Smooth,
silvery grey at first, later grey-brown, long-fissured and rough. LEAVES: Al-
ternate, large and oval, 5–25 cm, with star-shaped hairs when young,
base rounded to a hairy stalk 1–2 cm, veins raised below. FLOWERS: Small,
fragrant, white or pink, in large dense bunches, from branched axillary
hairy stalks, buds rounded with 5 sepals joined to the calyx, 5 petals only 6 mm
long. FRUIT: Pale at first then a dull pink-brown, tinged red, very charac-
teristic papery winged capsules, to 1.5 cm long, each half with a pair of
unequal wings spreading sideways to 5 cm, covered with short soft hairs. The
capsule breaks open to set free seed.
ECOLOGY: Confined to coastal areas, found in open wooded grassland, dry forest
and at forest edges, in dense bushland where it is a colonizer; also recorded on
coral limestone, in sandy soils and fringing swamp forest, 0–100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in Tanga, Coast, Lindi and Mtwara Regions, Zanzibar. Also
found in Kenya, Mozambique and southwards to South Africa.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are used as a vegetable. Tender leaves are collected, cut into pieces,
washed and cooked alone or mixed with other vegetables such as peas, coco-
nut milk added and then served with ugali or rice.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Wood is used for poles, tool handles and spoons.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season, i.e. December–June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not planted or locally protected.
STATUS: Common within its habitat.
REMARKS: Eaten during times of food scarcity.

176
 THE SPECIES

Carpodiptera africana Tiliaceae

Winged fruit capsules

Fruit capsules (with wings

removed)

Flower heads

177
 THE SPECIES

Carpolobia goetzii Polygalaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Swahili: Msiki, Mtindapo, Mzukizuki; Zaramo: Mzukizuki.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen shrub with many slender branches or a small tree, 1–
5 m, occasionally a scrambler. BARK: Smooth, grey. LEAVES: Alternate, gen-
erally oval, 4–9 cm long, stiff and leathery, shiny green both sides, tip pointed,
base usually narrowed to a very short stalk. FLOWERS: Green-white with
mauve markings, a few flowers on slender stalks to 3 cm, beside leaves, buds
to 19 mm, red-purple with 5 almost equal sepals, pale green, corolla tubular,
lower 3 lobes white, upper 2 variable, brown-purple with white edges or
white with purple tips, stamens cream-white, stigma green. FRUIT: 3-angled,
to 1 cm across, lime green at first, turning pale yellow to orange and very
shiny when ripe, edible.
ECOLOGY: Found in mixed forest, or bushland, margins of lakes or rivers, ever-
green thicket; an under-storey shrub in forest, even in grassland with scat-
tered trees. It may be locally dominant on sandy soils, e.g. in abandoned culti-
vated areas, 0–1,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In Tanzania this species is found in eastern, western and southern
areas and has been recorded in Coast, Tanga, Kigoma, Lindi, Mtwara, Dar es
Salaam, Kagera and Mwanza Regions. Also found in Kenya, Uganda and the
Congo basin.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruit are fleshy, sweet and eaten raw.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant has white, fragrant flowers and is used as an ornamental; it
is also a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Fruit are collected from April to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people but can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Much foraged by bees, hence its name Mzukizuki. The fruit are much
liked by chimpanzees.

178
 THE SPECIES

Carpolobia goetzii Polygalaceae

Bud and flowers enlarged

Flattened dry fruit

Enlarged fruit Cross-section

179
 THE SPECIES

Caylusea abyssinica Resedaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Lukalifya, Mkalifya; Hehe: Lukalifya, Mkalifya.
DESCRIPTION: An erect or short-lived perennial herb, occasionally bushy, to 1 m
high, stems usually with a few rough hairs on the angles. LEAVES:
Long and thin, often wavy, 2–8 cm long, rough hairs on nerves and edges.
FLOWERS: Very small and white, 5 mm across, in long dense terminal
heads 5–40 cm, 5 sepals, 5 petals, some deeply divided, bracts at the base, 10–
15 stamens as long as petals, about 3 mm. FRUIT: An open star-like cluster
of small woody fruit, each 4 mm in diameter, containing 7–12 tiny rough
seeds, surrounded by the persistent calyx, with hairy edges.
ECOLOGY: A weed of secondary grassland, abandoned cultivation, disturbed or waste
places and riversides, 1,200–3,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In northern, central and southern highlands of Tanzania, e.g. around
Moshi, Dodoma, Mbeya and Kondoa. Also found in Uganda, Kenya, Eritrea
and Ethiopia.
USES:
Food:
Tender leaves and stems are collected, chopped, washed, mixed with other
vegetables then cooked; pounded seeds of pumpkin, sunflower or Cannabis
sativa or groundnut paste added and then eaten with or without a staple
(ugali).
Medicinal: Boiled leaves are used to treat stomach pains and to eliminate in-
testinal worms.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The plant is used as fodder for goats and rabbits. It is also used as an
ornamental.
SEASON: Leaves are mostly collected during the rainy season, December–April, but
can be collected throughout the year where moisture in the soil is sufficient for
growth.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but sometimes retained around home-
steads. Can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common.
REMARKS: C. abyssinica is a very popular vegetable in Iringa Region. However, the
use of pounded seeds of Cannabis sativa as an important cooking ingredient in
preparing the mkalifya vegetable dish is problematic because Cannabis sativa
is a prohibited drug plant in Tanzania.

180
 THE SPECIES

Caylusea abyssinica Resedaceae

Enlarged one-sided flower

A single and a divided petal

Stem section

Enlarged views of fruit

181
 THE SPECIES

Celosia trigyna Amaranthaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Funga-msanga; Chagga: Mrowe; Hehe: Lifweni likomi;

Luguru: Songoro-malidadi; Matengo: Libonongo, Ndewele; Ngoni:
Libonongo, Ndewele; Pare: Mbwete; Sambaa: Funga-msanga, Saza; Swahili:
Mchicha pori; Tongwe: Mfungu.
DESCRIPTION: An annual herb, erect and simple or branching from the base, from
30 cm to over 1 m, the stems often green-red, striped. LEAVES: Alternate and
simple, narrow to broad oval, 2–8 cm long x 1–4 cm wide, the edges quite
rough and the blade running down into a slender 5 cm stalk. Upper and branch
leaves often smaller. Most leaves fall as the fruit matures. FLOWERS: Each
flower tiny, 2.5 mm, with pink-white sepals and red anthers, but the ter-
minal head is 20 cm long, with widely spaced clusters to 2 cm across, male
and female flowers together. FRUIT: Tiny ovoid capsules contain shiny black
seeds.
ECOLOGY: Widespread at low altitudes as a weed of abandoned or cultivated land,
forest clearings, along woodland paths and roadsides, in grassland with short
grass, doing well in damp ground by rivers, 0–1,500 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found throughout tropical Africa; widespread in Tanzania, Kenya,
Uganda, Namibia and from the southern part of the Arabian peninsular.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are used as vegetables. Tender leaves are mixed with other veg-
etables (e.g. pumpkin leaves), cooked, coconut milk or cooking oil added and
eaten with rice or ugali.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The plant is used as fodder for rabbits and as an ornamental.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season, i.e. November–June.
STORAGE: Can be dried in the sun and stored for up to six months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated or protected by local people,
but can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common.
REMARKS: Two other Celosia species are also used as vegetables:
1. C. argentea (Luguru: Songoro-malidadi; Sambaa: Funga-mizinga) is an an-
nual herb, 30–180 cm high, which is widespread in Tanzania, Kenya and
Uganda. It is also common throughout tropical Africa, also in Namibia, South
Africa, Madagascar, the southern part of the Arabian peninsular, Madeira and
Florida in the USA.
2. C. schweinfurthiana (Bendi: Tebwa; Luguru: Songoro-malidadi; Sambaa:

182
 THE SPECIES

Celosia trigyna (contd) Amaranthaceae

Yang’andu; Zigua: Funfu) is a herb up to 15 cm high; sometimes occurs as a

climber up to 5 m on other plants. It is very similar in appearance to C. trigyna.
It is widespread in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. It is also found in Angola,
Ethiopia, Sudan and in the Congo basin.

C. schweinfurthiana

C. argentea

Flower section and one

tepal much enlarged

183
 THE SPECIES

Ceratotheca sesamoides Pedaliaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Mlenda; Hehe: Chambata, Mgambata; Nyamwezi: Mlenda-

gwa-mbata, Mlenda-gwa-tyege; Nyasa: Chitelelu; Sambaa: Mlenda; Sandawi:
Betabeta; Swahili: Mlenda mbata.
DESCRIPTION: A small hairy annual herb, erect to 90 cm or along the ground.
LEAVES: Usually opposite, variable in shape, the lower leaves triangular–
ovate, up to 8 cm long by 4.5 cm across, tip pointed, toothed or lobed at the
base, hairy and glandular below, on a hairy stalk to 6 cm, upper leaves
much narrower with only a few teeth. FLOWERS: Pink-lilac-mauve-pur-
ple, tubular, to 4 cm long, the throat and larger lower lip often cream
with darker lines, all solitary in leaf axils, almost stalkless, 5 narrow
hairy calyx lobes. FRUIT: A hairy capsule, oblong, flattened, about 2 cm
long with 2 horns, but not always clear, containing numerous dark seeds.
ECOLOGY: A weed of cultivation and wasteland near villages on sandy soils, 800–
1,600 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Common in Tanzania, excluding northern and southern highlands.
Found in Uganda and Kenya. It is also found in West Africa, Sudan, Mozam-
bique, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
USES:
Food:
– Leaves are collected, wilted in the sun, cooked alone or mixed with other
vegetables such as peas or amaranth, groundnut paste added and eaten
with ugali as the staple.
– Leaves are dried in the sun with those of peas or amaranth and pounded.
The vegetable powder is then boiled into a thick paste, mixed with ground-
nut paste and eaten with ugali.
Medicinal:
– Leaves eaten as a vegetable act as a laxative.
– Leaves are soaked in warm water and used as a lubricant by women during
labour in order to hasten childbirth. The resulting slippery liquid is applied
on the walls of the birth canal to facilitate passage of the baby.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The plant is used as an ornamental and hair lubricant (leaf powder).
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season, December–May, but can be
collected throughout the year where soil-moisture and fertility conditions are
sufficient for growth.
STORAGE: Leaves are dried and stored before or after being pounded.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, but can be propagated from seed.
STATUS: Common within its habitat.

184
 THE SPECIES

Ceratotheca sesamoides Pedaliaceae

Leafy shoot with flowers and fruit

Flower

Flower opened

Capsule open to
show seeds
Fruit capsule

185
 THE SPECIES

Chenopodium opulifolium Chenopodiaceae

Indigenous

L OCAL NAMES : English: Round-leaved goosefoot; Gogo: Mfungulo; Hehe:

Nyalufungulo; Sambaa: Kapugutilo, Lushemu.
DESCRIPTION: A grey-mealy erect annual or short-lived perennial herb, the branches
spreading, often woody below, 60–150 cm high. Mealy on all young parts with
grey-white swollen hairs. No aromatic smell. LEAVES: The small alternate,
stalked leaves of the upper stem have rounded lobes, wavy, even-toothed
edges, diamond to oval in shape, 1–4 cm long. Lower leaves are larger, nearly
as broad as long, to 5 cm. FLOWERS: Tiny flowers, only 1 mm, grow in a
large, dense, rounded terminal head—normally very grey-mealy—which
has rounded clusters of grey-green flowers, no leaves. FRUIT: Small capsules
contain tiny black seeds. Capsules are surrounded by the dry, enlarged flower
parts.
ECOLOGY: A widespread weed of cultivation and around settlements, at roadsides
and on waste ground, 800–2,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: From Europe and the Mediterranean region, eastwards to India.
This weed is found throughout eastern Africa, south to Angola. Found in all
parts of Tanzania.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are cooked in a mixture with other vegetables such as cowpeas, Bidens
or Cleome and eaten with ugali, rice or potatoes.
Medicinal: The roots are boiled and the decoction drunk as an emetic. Leaves
are used in a steam bath to treat fever and colds.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used as an ornamental and for fodder.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season between December and May.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated but can easily be propagated
by seed.
STATUS: Common.

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 THE SPECIES

Chenopodium opulifolium Chenopodiaceae

Clusters of tiny fruit capsules

187
 THE SPECIES

Chytranthus obliquinervis Sapindaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Digo: Mpwakapwaka.
DESCRIPTION: A tree, usually 2–6 m (15 m) with a mostly unbranched trunk
topped by a crown of very large pinnate leaves. BARK: Grey-brown,
smooth or somewhat wrinkled. LEAVES: Alternate, with 7–12 pairs of leaf-
lets, opposite or alternate, around a long stalk 35–100 cm, lower leaf-
lets smaller, down to 2 cm long, while the largest upper leaflets reach
to 45 cm, each one oval and wider towards the shortly pointed tip, base nar-
rowed to a swollen stalk about 1 cm, leaflets stiff, the midrib sunken above, a
few simple hairs on the lower veins. Leaf buds purplish and young leaves
the same colour and drooping down. FLOWERS: Small, in clusters along
spike-like heads 5–15 cm, which grow out directly from the old wood of
the lower trunk or branches near ground level to just below the leaves.
Buds cream, 5 sepals softly hairy, pale green, the 4 petals white-yellow-green,
oblong to 5 mm, 8 stamens and a 3-lobed ovary. FRUIT: A 3-lobed drupe
which does not split open, softly hairy at first, some longer white hairs.
ECOLOGY: Lowland evergreen forest on sand and coral, evergreen rainforest or
moist riverine forest, 0–900 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in the East Usambara mountains in Tanzania and in coastal
forests of Kenya.
USES:
Food:
Fruit are edible. Ripe fruit are collected and eaten raw as a snack.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and tough and used for firewood, poles, snare traps,
pegs and charcoal.
SEASON: Fruit are collected from May to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated but can be propagated from
seed.
STATUS: Listed among rare species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants.
REMARKS: The species is endemic to East Africa, found only in the East Usambaras
and along the coast in Kenya.

188
 THE SPECIES

Chytranthus obliquinervis Sapindaceae

Two large leaflets

Flower heads on old stem

189
 THE SPECIES

Cissus cornifolia Vitaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: English: Wild grape; Nyamwezi: Mpangamwaka, Mtandamwaka.

DESCRIPTION: An erect shrub to 2 m, or a scrambler arising from a large swol-
len, fire-resistant rootstock, sometimes watery. The thick hairy shoots have
very swollen nodes, stems woody at the base, all parts with few to many red-
brown hairs. Tendrils absent. LEAVES: Simple, membranous, oval to 9 cm
long, tip rounded or blunt, edge toothed, underside red hairy, especially
on veins, stalk very hairy to 1 cm, small round stipules having a fringed edge.
FLOWERS: Very small, 4 hooded petals, green-yellow-cream, triangular 2
mm, flowers appearing well before the leaves in stalked clusters, 2–10
cm across, opposite the leaves, on a woody stem, flower buds hairless,
conical, each flower stalk hairless. FRUIT: Red-purple-black, smooth hair-
less berries about 1 cm, juicy when ripe, containing one seed; very many, in
stalked bunches.
ECOLOGY: Brachystegia woodland, thickets, grasslands, often on granite outcrops,
sometimes on black soil, occasionally found in cultivated land, 100–1,500 m.
Conspicuous growth is noted after bush fires.
D ISTRIBUTION : Widespread in Tanzania, e.g. in Tabora, Kigoma, Shinyanga,
Mwanza, Rukwa, Iringa and Lindi Regions; Kenya, Uganda, West Africa, Cen-
tral Africa and south to Botswana and South Africa.
USES:
Food:
Fruit are edible. Ripe fruit, which resemble grapes and are borne in large
clusters, are eaten raw by squeezing the fruit into the mouth, swallowing
the sweet pulpy seeds and discarding the outer skin.
Medicinal:
– The rootstock is used as medicine for stomach-ache.
– Roots are used to treat hernia and bilharzia.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used as an ornamental and as a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Fruit are collected during the dry season, September–December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated but can be propagated by
seed and suckers.
STATUS: Common.
R EMARKS : A favourite wild grape for children and herdsmen. C. quarrei
(Nyamwezi: Mtanda-mwaka; Swahili: Mzabibu mwitu) is another wild vine
which has edible fruit. It is an erect herb or a climber up to 1 m high, found in

190
 THE SPECIES

Cissus cornifolia (contd) Vitaceae

Dodoma, Singida, Rukwa and Iringa Regions. It is also found in Zambia and in
the Congo basin.

Bud and flower with petals removed

Fruiting branch

Fruit

191
 THE SPECIES

Cleome hirta Capparidaceae (Capparaceae)

Indigenous

L OCAL NAMES : Bena: Nyausako; Gogo: Mhilile; Hehe: Mhilili, Nyausako;

Nyamwezi: Kakunguni; Sandawi: Kekeneka.
DESCRIPTION: A bushy herb with erect, much-branched stem, to 1.5 m, an annual
or short-lived perennial, stem sticky, densely covered with glandular hairs
and stalked glands, also found on other plant parts. LEAVES: Alternate, com-
pound, like fingers of a hand (digitate) with 5–7 narrow leaflets, each 1–
5 cm, sparse to densely hairy on a short stalk. FLOWERS: Pink-purple, to 1.2
cm, on a leafy stem 10–30 cm, crowded towards the tip, with persistent bracts,
narrow and pointed; 4 petals and 10–12 stamens, the ovary only shortly
stalked. FRUIT: A glandular capsule 6–12 cm long, splitting down the mid-
dle to set free many 2-mm ridged seeds.
ECOLOGY: Disturbed areas in dry savanna grassland, particularly along roadsides.
A farm weed and common near cattle enclosures; grows in shallow red clay
loams, 0–1,800 m; rainfall 600–1,700 mm.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in east, central and southern Africa. Found in low and
medium altitudes of Tanzania.
USES:
Food:
The young shoots are collected, wilted, chopped and cooked alone or with
other vegetables such as peas or amaranth and then served with a staple.
Medicinal:
– The leaves are eaten to reduce hypertension.
– Roots and leaves are boiled and used as medicine for measles.
Commercial: Not marketed.
SEASON: Young shoots are collected in the early rains.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by local peo-
ple but can be propagated from seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
Remarks: A common weed of farms.

192
 THE SPECIES

Cleome hirta Capparidaceae (Capparaceae)

Fruit capsule

193
 THE SPECIES

Cleome monophylla Capparidaceae (Capparaceae)

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Hehe: Nyakamage.

DESCRIPTION: An annual herb, 1 m, erect or spreading, usually fewer branches
than C. hirta but very variable; stems, fruit and leaves hairy with a mixture of
short sticky hairs and longer hairs without glands. LEAVES: Characteristic,
simple, long and narrow, 1.4–7 cm, hairy both sides, upper leaves crowded,
clasping the stem. FLOWERS: On terminal stalks to 30 cm, mauve-pink, 4
tiny sepals and 6 stamens. FRUIT: Narrow spindle-shaped capsule, 3–8
cm, on a short stalk or none, containing numerous small flat seeds.
E COLOGY : Common in moist Hyparrhenia grasslands, deciduous woodland,
bushlands, lake shores, and as a weed of cultivation and on disturbed ground.
It does well in low- and medium-altitudes, 30–2,100 m; rainfall 700–1,200 mm.
Prefers red sandy loams and yellowish sandy sediments, although it tolerates a
wide range of soils.
DISTRIBUTION: Occurs in India and Africa. Widespread in Tanzania and other parts
of East Africa, Sudan, West Africa and South Africa.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are chopped and cooked on their own, or together with beans and
peas. As they are slightly toxic, it is advisable to eat them a day after cooking
to allow for the toxic enzymes to break down.
SEASON: Collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple. It can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common.
REMARKS: It has been reported that in Nigeria the finely ground leaf is used for
removing irritating particles from the eye.

194
 THE SPECIES

Cleome monophylla Capparidaceae (Capparaceae)

Flower

Fruit capsule

195
 THE SPECIES

Coccinia grandis Cucurbitaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Ivy gourd, Scarlet gourd; Gogo: Lyungulyungu; Maasai:
Enkaiserariai, Ndegegeya, Olamposhi; Nyamwezi: Lyungu-lya-nzoka;
Swahili: Mboga mwitu; Sandawi: Kóbá.
DESCRIPTION: A perennial climber to 20 m, from a tuberous rootstock, young stems
green, angular, dotted white when older, soon becoming woody with thin, grey-
brown papery or corky bark. LEAVES: Broad oval to rounded in outline, 3-
5 lobed, variable, often broader than long, 4–10 cm, with glands at the
base of the midrib below, base cordate, roughly warty below, edge some-
times wavy with red glandular teeth. Simple tendrils. FLOWERS: Sexes on
different plants, corolla bell shaped, orange-yellow, petal lobes longer
than the tube. Female flowers 2–3 cm, solitary on stalks about 2 cm. Male
flowers smaller, 2 or more, the anthers joined in the flower centre, petal lobes
often green veined, red tipped. FRUIT: Smooth and egg shaped, thin
skinned, to 6 cm long, 3.5 cm across, green with white markings, red
when ripe, leaving a green area around the stalk.
ECOLOGY: Secondary regrowth in highlands and at medium altitudes, 0–2,000 m;
rainfall 1,000–1,600 mm. Often associated with Arundinaria alpina. Tolerates
a wide variety of soils.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in the Arabian peninsular, tropical Asia from Pakistan to
China, tropical Australia and Fiji. Also introduced in the West Indies and tropi-
cal South America. In Africa, found from Senegal to Somalia and in East Af-
rica. Widespread in Tanzania.
USES:
Food:
– The ripe red fruit is collected, peeled and cut into small pieces and mixed
with porridge.
– Ripe fruit are eaten raw.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fodder.
SEASON: The fruit are collected in June–August.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, but can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: C. adoensis (Bena: Tambalanjoka; Hehe: Nyayambo), a related species,
also has edible fruit. It is a creeping or climbing herb up to 3 m, found in most
parts of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. Also found in Nigeria, eastwards to
Ethiopia and south to Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and South Africa.

196
 THE SPECIES

Coccinia grandis Cucurbitaceae

Tendril

Fruit

Flower

C. adoensis

Fruit

197
 THE SPECIES

Coffea eugenioides Rubiaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Sambaa: Kikwandie; Swahili: Mkahawa mwitu.

DESCRIPTION: Usually a shrub, but may become a small tree, 1–4.5 m. BARK: Shiny,
light brown. LEAVES: Opposite, long oval, 2–12 cm with a long pointed tip,
dull or slightly shiny above, veins raised both sides, base narrowed to a
stalk to 7 mm. Interpetiolar stipules triangular with a fine tip to 3 mm.
FLOWERS: Cream-white, tubular, to 1 cm with 5 pointed lobes 5–12 mm;
usually only 1–2 flowers in a leaf axil, stalks to 6 mm. FRUIT: A 2-seeded
drupe, 8–10 mm long, with a ripe red soft skin, the fruit stalk 2–5 cm long.
Seeds yellow-green-brown, to 8 mm long.
ECOLOGY: Found in the under-storey vegetation in forests, 1,000–2,100 m; rainfall
800–2,100 mm. Thrives in sandy clay loams and sandy loams, but tolerates a
wide range of soil types.
DISTRIBUTION: In Tanzania, this species is found in Minziro Forest in Kagera Re-
gion and Mahali Forest in Rukwa Region. Also occurs in Kenya, Uganda, Su-
dan and in the Congo basin.
USES:
Food:
The ripe red fruit are collected from the shrub and eaten as a snack, mostly
by children. Eaten frequently in moderate amounts.
Beverage: Seeds are ground and used as coffee.
Commercial: It has been sold in local markets.
Other: The wood is used for poles, firewood and tool handles. The tree is suit-
able for shade and as an ornamental.
SEASON: Fruit are collected in June–July and December–January.
STORAGE: Boiled fruit may be dried and stored for use later.
MANAGEMENT: Collected in the wild, but has also been cultivated using nursery
seedlings.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: A promising wild coffee which should be developed. This species has
been cultivated on trial at Amani Botanic Garden in Tanga Region.

198
 THE SPECIES

Coffea eugenioides Rubiaceae

Long-pointed leaf tip

Fruiting branch

One flower

199
 THE SPECIES

Coffea mufindiensis Rubiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Wild coffee; Hehe: Kahawa-msitu, Mkahawa-musitu,
Mpacha; Sambaa: Kikwandie; Swahili: Mkahawa mwitu.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen shrub or small tree 0.5–4.5 m, mature stems evenly
hairy (not in lines). BARK: On very young branches hairy, pale grey-brown.
LEAVES: Opposite, narrow oval and small, 2–6 cm, crowded together,
papery to stiff, usually dull above, drying grey-green-brown, edges often wavy
or crinkly, side veins clear on both sides, shortly stalked to 5 mm, stipules 2–7
mm, triangular with a fine point. FLOWERS: White, sometimes reddish in bud,
tubular to 6 mm, with 5 oblong petals to 1 cm, 1–2 together, shortly stalked,
in leaf axils, the calyx limb 2.5 mm, shorter than the disc, 2 bracteoles at
the base with very small lobes. FRUIT: Orange-red oval berries to 1 cm
long, sometimes with a few hairs, on stalks 2–8 mm, containing 2 pale brown
seeds.
ECOLOGY: Found in moist forest from 1,600 to 2,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Endemic to Tanzania; found in central, eastern and southern high-
lands, e.g. around Mpwapwa, Ulanga and Iringa.
USES:
Food:
Berries are collected and eaten raw as a snack, especially by children and
herdsmen.
Beverage: Seeds are roasted, ground and used for coffee.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for poles, fuelwood, pegs, withies and tool handles.
The tree is suitable for shade, hedges and as an ornamental.
SEASON: Fruit are collected from April to June.
STORAGE: Dried seeds can be stored for more than a year.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people. This species can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common within its habitat.
REMARKS: This wild coffee has a potential for cultivation and breeding.

200
 THE SPECIES

Coffea mufindiensis Rubiaceae

Stipule

Fruit and seeds

Tubular corolla

201
 THE SPECIES

Cola scheffleri Sterculiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Msamaka; Sambaa: Msamaka, Msasami.
DESCRIPTION: A tall evergreen tree 8–20 m, lightly or much branched to an oblong
or pyramid-shaped crown, the trunk to 60 cm across or more. Young shoots
red–purple–dull green, covered with dark brown star-shaped hairs. BARK: Grey-
brown, patchy, with inconspicuous close longitudinal lines. LEAVES: Alternate
or whorled, at the ends of branches, very variable in shape, simple or 3–4
lobed, sometimes very large, 7.5–23 cm long x 4–40 cm across, leaf lobes
with long pointed tips, the bases round to heart shaped, all papery to
stiff, shiny green above, midrib red-purple when young and prominent
with raised veins both sides, about 7–9 primary veins either side of the
midrib. A leaf stalk varying in length from 4 to 10 cm, brown-red-purple
and thickened just below the blade (pulvinus). FLOWERS: Sexes sepa-
rate, grow in dense clusters on old wood or beside leaves, no petals but dull
pink-brown sepals form softly hairy cups about 2 cm across, 4–8 lobes,
shortly stalked. Inside the cup a 1-cm stalk bears a ring of 5–12 anthers.
FRUIT: 2 free carpels of the female flowers become 2 orange-brown leath-
ery capsules 6 cm long (dry), splitting longitudinally to release a few large
seeds.
ECOLOGY: Ground-water forests, riverine and in evergreen montane rainforest.
Prefers open areas in forests, usually associated with dense undergrowth and
soils rich in humus.
DISTRIBUTION: Endemic to the Tanga Region of Tanzania (Amani, Segoma, Longuza
and Kwamkoro Forest Reserves).
USES:
Food:
Fruit are edible. The pulp of ripe fruit is sweet and eaten raw.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The tree is used for shade. The seeds contain the alkaloid caffeine and
are chewed as a stimulant.
SEASON: Fruit are collected in May and June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people. The species can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Uncommon within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: This species is endemic to the east Usambara Mountains.

202
 THE SPECIES

Cola scheffleri Sterculiaceae

Leathery capsules

Flower clusters on old wood

203
 THE SPECIES

Combretum padoides Combretaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Thicket combretum; Sambaa: Msangate; Yao: Mkowatama;
Zigua: Mgona-nkolongo.
DESCRIPTION: A many-stemmed deciduous shrub or small tree, 1–12 m, often using
its long trailing branches to scramble into tall trees nearby. BARK: Rough,
dark brown-grey. LEAVES: Opposite, long oval 5–10 cm, rather thin and
papery, dull green with yellow veins and conspicuous hairs only on veins be-
low, tip rather long pointed, base narrowed to a thin stalk about 1 cm. FLOW-
ERS: White-cream-yellow, tiny, sweet-scented and often massed together,
usually on single, simple or branched loose spikes 3–10 cm, from the
axils of upper leaves (which may have fallen). FRUIT: 4–winged, rounded
to 2 cm diameter, very many together, pale yellow-green with golden scales,
drying light brown, wings 7–9 mm wide, sometimes reddish, on a stalk to 3
mm.
ECOLOGY: Riverine, coastal and swamp forests, also deciduous thickets, on rocky
hills, along escarpments in mixed woodlands, often forming thickets, 0–1,500
m.
DISTRIBUTION: In most parts of Tanzania except the west, e.g. found in Pare and
Uluguru Mountains and around Lushoto and Morogoro; Kenya, the Congo
basin, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa.
USES:
Food:
Tender leaves are collected, chopped up and cooked alone or with other veg-
etables such as peas or amaranth, pounded simsim or groundnut paste added
and then eaten with a staple.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are used as a remedy for snakebite and wounds.
– Roots are used to treat hookworm infection.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for poles, fuelwood, tool handles and pegs. The tree is
important as a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Leaves are collected from October to December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people.
STATUS: Locally common.

204
 THE SPECIES

Combretum padoides Combretaceae

Papery 4-winged fruits

Flower head

205
 THE SPECIES

Commelina africana Commelinaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Likolovega; Chagga: Ikengera, Mkole; Digo: Dzadza, Hehe:
Likolowoga; Matengo: Ndilia; Sambaa: Nkongo; Swahili: Kongwa.
DESCRIPTION: A very variable small herb growing in open sunny places, stems
trailing along the ground with some erect branches. Thickened fibrous
roots. LEAVES: Simple and alternate, entire, the veins all parallel, the base
sheathing the stem, up to 8 cm long x 2 cm wide. FLOWERS: A folded leafy
green spathe 2.5 cm, contains several yellow flowers growing singly. The
spathe is free to the base. Flowers small, about 8 mm, appearing one at a
time, soon collapsing, 3 petals, 2 large and 1 small. The spathe may have short
white or grey hairs. Sterile stamens “x” shaped. FRUIT: A small capsule con-
tains the seed, often only 1.
ECOLOGY: Secondary regrowth and disturbed areas, a weed on farms. Thrives in
sandy clay loams and sandy loams, up to 1,800 m; rainfall 900–1,900 mm.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in West Africa, east to the Sudan and East Africa and
south to Mozambique.
USES:
Food:
The leaves are collected, chopped and boiled in water or fresh or sour milk.
Simsim or groundnut paste is added. It is eaten with the staple and as a
substitute for more preferred vegetables.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Leaves are palatable to livestock, especially pigs and rabbits. A source
of bee forage.
SEASON: Leaves are collected in the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: It is collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by local
people.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: It is reported that in South Africa a root decoction is taken as a treatment
for STDs and for menstrual problems. The same preparation is also used for
pelvic pain and bladder complaints.

206
 THE SPECIES

Commelina africana Commelinaceae

Flowers

Spathe

207
 THE SPECIES

Commelina benghalensis Commelinaceae

Indigenous, cosmopolitan

LOCAL NAMES: Chagga: Ikengera; Digo: Dzadza, English: Blue commelina; Hehe:
Likolowoga, Ngorowoga; Maasai: Enkaiteteyiai; Pare: Ikongwe; Sambaa:
Mkongo; Swahili: Mpovupovu.
DESCRIPTION: An annual herb, with long creeping succulent stems and ascending
jointed branches, rooting where nodes touch the ground, fibrous roots. LEAVES:
Oval and pointed to 7 cm, the leaf sheath clasping the stem often has reddish
or purple hairs to 3 mm long. Leaves are shortly stalked, oblique at the base.
FLOWERS: Boat-shaped leafy spathes are joined at least at the base, the
angle there less than 90 degrees, spathes crowded at the end of shoots on
stalks to 15 mm long. This spathe contains a clear liquid around the flower
buds. The fragile deep blue flowers have 2 large petals and 1 tiny petal, to
15 mm across, they stand up in the spathes but fade in a few hours. Staminodes
4-lobed. FRUIT: A 5-seeded capsule to 5 mm long contains ovoid seeds.
ECOLOGY: Common in disturbed areas, at forest edges, in homegardens and sec-
ondary regrowth. It does well at medium altitudes, up to 1,600 m; rainfall 1,000–
2,100 mm, but can withstand prolonged drought. Thrives in sandy loams, but
tolerates a wide range of soil types.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in India and Africa. From West Africa to Central and
East Africa and south to southern Africa, including Madagascar. Found in most
low- and medium-altitude areas of Tanzania.
USES:
Food:
Tender leaves and stems are chopped and cooked alone or with other veg-
etables such as Bidens pilosa or Cleome hirta. Then it is served with a staple,
i.e. ugali or rice.
Medicinal:
– The sap is used for treatment of eye ailments, sore throat and burns and
topical application for thrush in infants.
– Leaves are pounded and soaked in warm water and the solution is drunk to
treat diarrhoea.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Leaves are palatable to livestock, especially pigs and rabbits. Flowers
provide bee forage.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the early flush of the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple. A very serious weed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

208
 THE SPECIES

Commelina benghalensis (contd) Commelinaceae

REMARKS: Two other species of Commelina are used as a vegetable:

1. C. imberbis (Bondei: Nkongo; Chagga: Ikengera; Matengo: Lukolowa;
Sambaa: Nkongo; Tongwe: Lumpepete; Yao: Lukolowa; Zigua: Nkongo)
which is widespread in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, is used in the same way
as C. benghalensis.
2. C. latifolia (Bondei: Nkongo; Sambaa: Nkongo; Zigua: Nkongo) is also wide-
spread in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

C. benghalensis
C. imberbis

Capsule

C. latifolia

Capsule

209
 THE SPECIES

Commiphora africana Burseraceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Arusha: Osilalei; Barabaig: Naamo; Bende: Siponda; Bena: Mtono;
English: Poison-grub commiphora; Gogo: Msilale, Msomvugo; Gorowa: Niimo;
Iraqw: Backchandi, Niimo; Isanzu: Muzuhu; Luguru: Kologwe; Maasai:
Oloishimi; Mbugwe: Tundulu; Nyamwezi: Msagasi; Nyaturu: Mujuhu;
Rangi: Ibwebwe, Idaki, Ijovya, Iponde, Mpome; Swahili: Mbambara, Mkororo,
Mponda, Mturituri; Zinza: Mawezi.
DESCRIPTION: Usually a spiny shrub, but may become a tree to 10 m. Deciduous,
bare for many months. BARK: Grey-green, peeling to show green be-
low, when cut a yellowish gum drips out, branchlets thorn tipped.
LEAVES: Soft, hairy and bright green, compound with three leaflets, edge
wavy, fragrant when crushed, central leaflet much longer than the other
two. FLOWERS: Small, red, in tight clusters, often on thorns, on the bare tree.
FRUIT: Pink-red, soft, about 1 cm, pointed, stony seed inside.
ECOLOGY: It grows on rocky sites, clay or sand with minimal rainfall, typical of
much thorn bush in Tanzania and Kenya, open savanna and desert, 500–
1,900 m.
DISTRIBUTION: A shrub found in the driest areas all over Africa.
USES:
Food:
Swollen rootstock from young plants are dug up, peeled and chewed raw
like cassava. It is eaten by children and herdsmen.
Medicinal:
– Roots are collected and boiled in water and the decoction drunk as a remedy
for fever, leprosy and stomach-ache.
– Bark and roots are boiled and used as steam bath for fevers and colds.
– The bark is chewed or pounded then mixed with tobacco and applied on
snakebite. The resin is used for disinfecting wounds.
– Fruit are used for treating typhoid.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is soft and used for beehives, stools, domestic utensils and
wheels for carts. The tree is used as a live fence.
SEASON: Rootstock collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people. It can be propagated from seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Common and easily available within its habitat.

210
 THE SPECIES

Commiphora africana Burseraceae

Fruit

Tiny flowers

211
 THE SPECIES

Commiphora mossambicensis Burseraceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Soft-leaved commiphora; Iraqw: Intiwi; Nyamwezi:
Mtonto; Nyaturu: Mutonto; Rangi: Ikwandaja; Swahili: Mponda.
DESCRIPTION: A much-branched deciduous tree to 10 m, branches stiff and crooked,
to a spreading crown up to 6 m. BARK: When young smooth and grey,
becoming rough, brown-yellow, bark peeling, sometimes with spines on the
trunk. A yellow gum oozes out if cut, becoming a hard clear resin. Leaf bases
persist on the bare tree. LEAVES: Usually with 3 leathery leaflets (up to 7), on
a hairy stalk about 11 cm, the leaflets broad oval to rounded, up to 8 cm
long, all stalked, shiny above, dull below, veins clear, sometimes hairy, es-
pecially lower midrib, and fine hairy edges to the leaflets. FLOWERS: Tiny,
yellow-green on axillary stalks, flowering with the first new leaves before
they are fully open. Branched flower stalks to 9 cm, with many male flow-
ers, buds tiny, round, the female flowers clustered on stalks to 3 cm (the flower
stalks sometimes have brown hairs), reflexed bud scales can be prominent.
FRUIT: A single-seeded soft drupe about 1 cm long when dry, with a pointed
tip. The fruit are often in dense rounded clusters.
ECOLOGY: Wooded grassland, open woodland, thickets, 400–1,600 m; rainfall 500–
800 mm.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in most parts of Tanzania except the Tanga area. Also occurs
in Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
USES:
Food:
Roots are edible. The thick rootstock of young trees are dug out, peeled and
eaten by herdsmen to quench thirst and hunger.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The tree is used as a live fence. The resin is used for sealing trays, and
carbon from half-burnt wood for making local gunpowder.
SEASON: Rootstock are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected only from the wild, not cultivated.
STATUS: Locally common.

212
 THE SPECIES

Commiphora mossambicensis Burseraceae

Flowers

Rootstock

213
 THE SPECIES

Convolvulus farinosus Convolvulaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Hehe: Nyakapulikilo, Nyapali.
DESCRIPTION: A perennial herb, the stem twining or growing along the
ground, with long silky hairs when young. LEAVES: The simple blade trian-
gular or oval to 6 cm, shortly hairy, about 3.5 cm across, the base deeply
notched to a thin stalk about 4 cm, the edge with shallow round teeth. FLOW-
ERS: White, with some pink or purple, the tube less than 2 cm long, the 5
short lobes with hairy tips, about 1 cm across, on a thin stalk about 4 cm,
beside leaves, 1–6 flowers together, 5 stiff hairy sepals. FRUIT: A round
pale brown capsule, less than 1 cm across, containing about 4 black seeds.
ECOLOGY: Upland grasslands and in cultivated areas, 1,300–2,600 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In most highland parts of Tanzania including Arusha, Kilimanjaro,
Tanga, Iringa and Kagera Regions. Also found in Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia,
Eritrea, southwards to South Africa, Madagascar, the Mascarene Islands; also
in the western Mediterranean area.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are used as a vegetable. Young leaves are picked, cooked alone or
with other vegetables such as amaranth or cowpeas, coconut milk or pounded
groundnuts added and then eaten with ugali or rice.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used as an ornamental and for fodder.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season, December–May.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated but can be propagated from
seed.
STATUS: Easily accessible within its habitat.
REMARKS: A very troublesome weed in farms.

214
 THE SPECIES

Convolvulus farinosus Convolvulaceae

Flowers

Seeds

Fruit capsules

215
 THE SPECIES

Corchorus tridens Tiliaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES : Bondei: Kibwando; Hehe: Kimulikwi-jike, Kimulikwi kidala;

Nyamwezi: Kaala, Mlenda-gwa-kala; Pare: Mlenda; Sambaa: Kibwando,
Sukuma: Bonani; Swahili: Mlenda.
DESCRIPTION: An erect or low-growing branched annual herb, about 45 cm, with
weak stems, a few or no hairs. Some parts may be red. LEAVES: Long oval,
about 7 cm, shortly stalked, the edge toothed, fine outgrowths at the base of
the blade. FLOWERS: 1–3 tiny bright yellow flowers beside leaves, 5 petals,
8–10 stamens, on stalks about 5 mm. FRUIT: Long green-brown smooth cap-
sules to 4 cm with 3 “horns” at the tip, splitting into 3 sections to release
small seeds.
ECOLOGY: Secondary regrowth in disturbed areas, thickets, forest edges and as a
weed in cultivated areas. It does well in low- and medium-altitude areas up to
1,500 m; rainfall 1,000–1,800 mm. Thrives in moist deep red and brown soils.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania. From West Africa to the Congo basin, East
Africa and the Sudan and south to southern Africa.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are collected, chopped and boiled together with other green vegetables
to improve their consistency and thicken soups. It is then eaten along with a
staple.
Commercial: It is sold in local markets.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Leaves may be dried in the sun and then stored in a cool dry place for use
during the dry season or in famine periods.
MANAGEMENT: Not cultivated but collected from the wild.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

216
 THE SPECIES

Corchorus tridens Tiliaceae

Leafy threads

Fruit capsules

Open ripe capsule

217
 THE SPECIES

Corchorus trilocularis Tiliaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Kibwando; Hehe: Likombe; Nyamwezi: Kala, Mlenda-
gwa-kala; Pare: Mlenda; Sambaa: Kibwando; Sandawi: Sagár; Swahili:
Mlenda.
DESCRIPTION: A much-branched herbaceous or woody annual; may have a few bristly
hairs, up to 90 cm, sometimes purplish. LEAVES: Oblong to narrow-oval, to
11.2 cm, the edge sharp- or soft-toothed with fine bristle-like stipules at the
leaf base. FLOWERS: Yellow, to 8 mm across, a few together in the leaf axil,
30–40 central stamens. FRUIT: A smooth capsule to 8.5 cm, only 2.5 mm
wide, with a short pointed tip, breaking into 3 or 4 sections to set free
tiny seeds.
ECOLOGY: Common as secondary regrowth after cultivation or in disturbed grass-
land. It occurs naturally in lowl- and medium-altitude areas up to 2,100 m;
rainfall 1,000–1,800 mm. Thrives in brown clay loams and black-cotton soil.
DISTRIBUTION: Found from West Africa to the Sudan and south to Botswana and
Angola. Widespread in Tanzania.
USES:
Food:
The leaves are collected, sun dried, chopped, and boiled together with beans,
peas, etc., in order to thicken the dish. It is eaten quite frequently with a
staple.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: Fodder for ruminants.
SEASON: Collected from early in the rains up to middle of the rainy season.
MANAGEMENT: Only collected from the wild. Can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible.
REMARKS: Several other Corchorus species found in Tanzania are used as vegeta-
bles, including:
1. C. fascicularis (Bondei: Kibwando; Hehe: Nyaluhanga; Nyamwezi: Kala,
Mlenda-gwa-kala; Swahili: Mlenda; Zigua: Kibwando) a sub-erect herb up to
40 cm high with yellow flowers found in Kagera, Kilimanjaro and Pwani Re-
gions.
2. C. pseudocapsularis (Hehe: Kimulkwi, Kimulikwi kigosi; Nyamwezi: Kaala;
Swahili: Mlenda) an annual herb about 60 cm high with bright yellow flow-
ers. It is found in most Regions of Tanzania including Kilimanjaro, Arusha,
Iringa, Morogoro and Dar es Salaam.

218
 THE SPECIES

Corchorus trilocularis Tiliaceae

One flower enlarged

Split capsule

Capsules

C. pseudocapularis

Bristly fruit

219
 THE SPECIES

Cordia monoica Boraginaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Arusha: Oseki; English: Sandpaper tree; Gogo: Mdawi, Msenha;
Gorowa: Bagharimo; Hehe: Msena, Msowowi; Iraqw: Bagalmo; Kuria:
Bagharimo, Mushenhu; Maasai: Eseki, Ilseki, Isek, Oltiaska, Oseki; Mbugwe:
Motoasi-mwerema, Mwerema; Nyamwezi: Mlembu; Nyaturu: Mongoongo;
Pare: Mshasha; Rangi: Msasa, Msasha; Sambaa: Magamosi, Mshasa;
Sandawi: Tipa, Tipan; Sukuma: Nembu; Swahili: Msasa; Zinza: Museno.
DESCRIPTION: A multi-stemmed shrub or tree to 6 m, occasionally reaching 12 m.
BARK: Blue-grey, thin and fibrous, peeling in strips—resembling Euca-
lyptus. LEAVES: Broadly oval to almost round, 5–8 cm, margin slightly toothed,
upper surface like sandpaper to touch but softly hairy below with promi-
nent veins, a stalk to 2 cm. Branchlets, leaf and flower stalks densely
covered with rusty hairs. FLOWERS: Pale yellow, sharply fragrant, in dense
terminal clusters, each flower tubular, about 1 cm across, calyx hairy and per-
sistent. FRUIT: Oval, pointed, yellow-orange and soft when ripe, about 2 cm
long, held in a hairy cup-like calyx which loosely covers one-third of
the fruit; the single seed lies in jelly-like edible pulp.
ECOLOGY: This Cordia species grows from Ethiopia to central and southern Africa.
It is found in many habitats from wet or riverine forest to woodland and bush
with Acacia–Euphorbia or grassland, from the coast to 1,800 m and in all areas
of Tanzania except the cool highlands.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Africa from the Congo basin eastwards to Ethiopia,
Kenya, Uganda and southwards to South Africa, Angola and Namibia. Also in
India, Sri Lanka and Mauritius. Common in most parts of Tanzania, e.g. in
Dodoma and Morogoro Regions.
USES:
Food:
Fruit are edible. Ripe fruit are collected and eaten raw as a snack. They are
sweet and liked by children and herdsmen.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are used as medicine to treat eye diseases.
– The leaves and stem bark are used to treat leprosy using a steam bath, and
the body can also washed with a decoction made from pounded bark.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is tough and used for building poles, firewood, bows, withies,
walking sticks, clubs and pestles. The leaves are very rough and used as
sandpaper. Also used as an ornamental tree and is a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Fruit are collected during the dry season.
STORAGE: Not stored.

220
 THE SPECIES

Cordia monoica (contd) Boraginaceae

MANAGEMENT: Only collected from the wild but can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: Known to be cultivated in Mauritius.

Flowers enlarged

Fruit

221
 THE SPECIES

Cordia sinensis (C. gharaf) Boraginaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: English: Grey-leaved cordia, Grey-leaved saucer berry; Fiome:

Baghalmo-lambi; Gogo: Mdawi, Mdawi-sogwe; Gorowa: Hanarmo; Hehe:
Mdawi; Iraqw: Bagalimo, Funidang, Hararmo; Maasai: Oldorko, Oldurgo,
Ololfot; Ololgot; Mbugwe: Mochocho; Nyamwezi: Mlembu, Mnembu;
Nyaturu: Mdumwa-kiguu; Pare: Mpololo; Rangi: Mnembu; Sandawi:
Angweegwee; Swahili: Mkamasi, Mnya mate.
DESCRIPTION: A tangled deciduous shrub or multi-branched tree 3–12 m, often with
drooping branches. BARK: Young bark smooth, grey-white, later yellow-brown
to black, roughly grooved. LEAVES: Grey-green, narrowly oblong to 9 cm
long, feel rough to touch but hairs both sides, tip rounded or notched, on a
stalk about 1 cm. Leaves more or less opposite. FLOWERS: Tubular and
small, fragrant, in cream terminal clusters, on hairy, branched stalks. FRUIT:
Ovoid, to 2 cm, clearly tipped, held in a calyx cup, orange-red, like egg yolk,
with very sticky edible pulp around 1–4 tiny seeds. The calyx has a toothed
edge and covers about one-third of the fruit.
ECOLOGY: Scrubland and grasslands in drier areas of the country up to 1,500 m;
rainfall 600–1,000 mm. Grows in black and red sandy soils.
DISTRIBUTION: Common in Yemen, India and in Africa from West Africa to Ethiopia
and south to Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Also in Israel, Jordan, Pakistan and
Sri Lanka. Occurs in all parts of Tanzania.
USES:
Food:
The tiny orange-red fruit are sweet and are eaten as a snack, especially by
children while grazing animals. Often added to porridge instead of sugar.
Medicinal:
– Roots are used to induce abortion. About 3 pieces of root the size of a finger
when chewed are said to be sufficient for this. A decoction of the root and
bark is used to treat stomach disorders. Roots are boiled and the decoction
used for treatment of malaria.
– A decoction of the root and bark is used to treat conjunctivitis in cattle.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and used for roofing, construction of local houses, tool
handles, walking sticks, clubs and fuelwood. The tree is used for shade and as
an ornamental and for fodder. Fruit are eaten by monkeys, baboons and birds.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected by the local people, but can
be propagated from seed. However, seeds are very difficult to germinate.
STATUS: Locally common.

222
 THE SPECIES

Cordia sinensis (C. gharaf) Boraginaceae

Fruit

223
 THE SPECIES

Cordyla africana Caesalpiniaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Chagga: Mbachanga, Mpachama, Mroma; English: Wild mango;
Gogo: Mkwata; Hehe: Mkwata; Luguru: Mgwata; Mwera: Mtondo, Ntondo;
Ngindo: Mndundu; Sambaa: Mgwata; Swahili: Mgwata, Mroma, Mtigonzi,
Mumbwe, Mvoo.
DESCRIPTION: A large spreading deciduous tree 9–25 m tall with rounded crown.
BARK: Greyish brown and rough, thick and grooved. LEAVES: Alternate, com-
pound, with 11–28 pairs of leaflets plus a terminal leaflet, each one oblong to
2.5 cm, dark green with a short hairy stalk. Held up to the light, unusual
clear dots and streaks can be seen. FLOWERS: Semi-spherical heads of
yellow-orange stamens up to 2.5 cm long on branched stalks. They appear
in axillary sprays or at axils with the new leaves in July–October. No petals but
sepals, ovary stalked. FRUIT: Unusual pods, yellow when ripe, oblong to
spherical, thin walled, about 6 cm long. The 3 flat seeds are contained in
fleshy pulp and appear in November–December. The sticky pulp smells like
beans.
ECOLOGY: Found in riverine vegetation and in forests with a high ground water-
table, swamp forests, at low altitudes in hot dry areas, 0–900 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in eastern and northern Tanzania, e.g. found in Kili-
manjaro, Morogoro and Lindi Regions as well as on Zanzibar; coastal Kenya,
Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe into South Africa.
USES:
Food:
– The fruit are edible. The fleshy pulp of ripe fruit is eaten fresh.
– Mature fruit may be cooked and the pulp eaten, while the seeds are dis-
carded.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The heartwood is brown and hard and is used for heavy construction,
sleepers, bridge timber, wooden spoons, drums and stools. The tree is used
for shade and is suitable for avenue planting.
SEASON: Ripe fruit are collected during November and December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Fruit are usually collected from the wild. The tree can be propagated
easily using fresh seeds.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: The fruit are known to be rich in vitamin C.

224
 THE SPECIES

Cordyla africana Caesalpiniaceae

Ripe fruit

Seed

Flowering branch

Fruit in section

225
 THE SPECIES

Cordyla densiflora Caesalpiniaceae

Indigenous [Plate 1]
LOCAL NAMES: Gogo: Mkwata; Hehe: Mkwata; Kaguru: Mkwata.
DESCRIPTION: A small or large deciduous tree, 4–10 m, the bole often short, much
branched to a rounded, bushy spreading crown. BARK: Smooth, pale grey to
pale brown. LEAVES: Compound, odd pinnate on a stalk 9–21 cm, the 5–9
pairs of alternate leaflets plus one at the tip, often small, oval 2–3.5 cm long,
tip rounded or notched, pale grey-green, no hairs or few, often small
curly hairs below, especially along the midrib, base rounded. FLOW-
ERS: Conspicuous when the cream flowers appear on the bare tree. Flowers in
dense, crowded clusters near the ends of leafless branches or on short side
branches to 2 cm long. No petals, a rounded cup-like green calyx at the
base splits into 3–5 lobes as the flowers open to reveal 50–60 green-white
stamens with pale yellow anthers. FRUIT: Green, rounded but one-sided,
the tip beaked, to 6.5 cm long when fresh (to 5 cm if dry), on a short stalk,
containing 1–6 seeds embedded in pulp, seeds large and thin walled.
ECOLOGY: Deciduous woodland and dry Commiphora–Acacia bushland or savanna
with small trees, 800–1,300 m.
DISTRIBUTION: C. densiflora is known to occur only Iringa and Dodoma Regions,
thus is endemic in Tanzania.
USES:
Food:
– The pulp of ripe fruit is juicy and eaten raw as a snack but has an unpleas-
ant odour.
– Mature fruit are collected and eaten after cooking.
Medicinal:
– A solution of pounded leaves, hot water and salt is allowed to cool until luke-
warm. The solution is then used as an enema to treat severe constipation.
– To treat burns, ground charcoal made from the wood is mixed with sheep fat
and smeared on the wound.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used to make beehives, drums, stools, grain mortars, poles
and pestles. The tree is also used as a live fence.
SEASON: Ripe fruit are collected from October to February.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but can be propagated using seeds
and cuttings.
STATUS: Listed among the rare species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants.
REMARKS: Hehe children call it Miembe dasi, i.e. “wild mango”.

226
 THE SPECIES

Cordyla densiflora Caesalpiniaceae

One flower

Flower head

Fruit and section

Fruit

227
 THE SPECIES

Crotalaria natalitia var. natalitia Papilionaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Hehe: Nyangasi; Nyamwezi: Mchekecheke; Nzegenzege; Swahili:

Marejea.
DESCRIPTION: A perennial woody herb or erect shrub, the stiff branches covered
with short dense hairs. LEAVES: 3–5 leaflets, often crowded on short shoots,
each leaflet narrow oblong or wider at the tip, which has a small point or is
blunt, 0.8–4 cm long x 1 cm wide, hairy below, bases narrowed to a long stalk.
A pair of narrow pointed unequal stipules at the nodes. FLOWERS: Yel-
low, turning orange-red, in short, dense heads, the standard petal almost
circular, over 1 cm long, red-brown outside, the lower keel well rounded about
the middle, to 15 mm long including a beak, white woolly hairs along the
upper edges. FRUIT: Pod inflated, broadly cylindrical and hairless, 2–4
cm, green mottled dark green and blue-black, containing 25–40 small dark
brown seeds with a tiny white aril.
ECOLOGY: A plant of forest edges, bushland, wooded or open grassland, roadsides,
riverine forest, sometimes on cultivated ground, 0–3,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In most parts of Tanzania including Zanzibar, but excluding the
central areas; Kenya, Uganda, eastern Congo basin, Ethiopia, Mozambique,
Malawi, Zimbabwe, south to KwaZulu-Natal.
USES:
Food:
– Tender leaves are chopped, washed and cooked with pounded groundnuts
or coconut milk and served with a staple (ugali or rice).
– Tender leaves are washed, pounded and dried in the sun. The dried veg-
etable, known as nsansa in Nyamwezi, is soaked in hot water, then boiled
and pounded groundnuts added. The vegetable is then ready for eating with
ugali or rice.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The plant is used as an ornamental and for green manure.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season, from December to April.
STORAGE: Leaves can be dried, pounded and stored in airtight containers.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild but can easily be propagated using seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Many species of Crotalaria found in Tanzania are edible, but they need
further identification.

228
 THE SPECIES

Crotalaria natalitia var. natalitia Papilionaceae

Flower enlarged

Keel petal

Inflated pods

229
 THE SPECIES

Cucumis dipsaceus Cucurbitaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Lisapi; English: Teasel gourd; Gogo: Utumbu; Luguru:
Hunduhundu; Maasai: Eng’alayioi-naju, Orng’alayoi-loo-sirkon; Nyamwezi:
Googo, Kasasalya, Katanga; Swahili: Mtango mwitu.
DESCRIPTION: An annual climber or trailing herb, with grey-green angular stems
covered with bristly spreading hairs, almost prickly, mostly on the stem
ridges. LEAVES: Simple or with 3 shallow wide lobes, all rounded, kid-
ney to heart shaped in outline, 18–95 mm long x 27–102 mm wide, the edge
regularly closely toothed, rough hairy above and on nerves below, a hairy
stalk about 10 cm long. FLOWERS: Male and female, both small, yellow-green,
tubular, with pale yellow petals and green veins, about 1 cm long. FRUIT:
Oval to 6 cm x 4 cm, pale green turning yellow when ripe, densely
covered with soft spines, each one ending in a clear bristle, many pointed
seeds inside the soft fruit pulp.
ECOLOGY: Common in dry bushland, especially in disturbed woodland and wooded
grassland, and a weed of cultivation, 400–1,800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in Tanga Region and in northern and western parts of Tan-
zania as well as in the southern highlands; Uganda, Kenya; sometimes culti-
vated in other tropical regions.
USES:
Food:
– Tender leaves and young shoots are chopped, cooked, coconut milk or ground-
nut paste added and served with a staple.
– Tender leaves are dried in the sun and then pounded into powder. The powder
is then soaked in hot water, boiled and stirred. The vegetable is then ready
for eating with a staple.
Medicinal:
– Leaves and roots are pounded and used as a poultice to treat wounds.
– The juice from fruit is used as an antidote for poisoning, but it has to be
supplemented by drinking fresh milk.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: Leaves and fruit are used for fodder.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Dried and pounded leaves are stored in airtight containers.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but can be easily propagated from
seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its habitat.

230
 THE SPECIES

Cucumis dipsaceus Cucurbitaceae

Tendrils

Fruit and section

231
 THE SPECIES

Cucumis figarei Cucurbitaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Hehe: Nyambede; Nyamwezi: Googo, Kasasalya, Katanga;
Nyiramba: Kishasae.
DESCRIPTION: A perennial climbing or trailing herb to 2 m, the stem with short
soft hairs mixed with a few hooked spines, old stems thick, with scaly bark
at the base. LEAVES: Simple, 3 lobed, broad rounded to oval, the base heart
shaped, edge wavy and toothed, all rough to the touch, a long hairy stalk.
Single tendrils beside leaves. FLOWERS: Male and female flowers on the
same plant, both single, beside leaves, a green bell-shaped receptacle tube
and 5 yellow petals joined at the base, female stalk about 4 cm, male stalks
very small, flowers 1 cm long. FRUIT: Distinctive fleshy, oval, round each
end, over 5 cm, green and faintly striped, ripening bright yellow, on a
thick stalk 3–7 cm, the skin has hard, sharp, conical projections to 2 mm
high.
ECOLOGY: Deciduous bushland and grassland, also persisting on cultivated ground.
Does well in medium-altitude wooded grasslands, Acacia woodland, up to 1,300
m; rainfall 600–1,300 mm.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in Yemen and from West Africa to Somalia and East Africa.
Widespread in Tanzania from Mwanza south to Mbeya and from Arusha and
Moshi eastwards to Tanga, also in Morogoro, Dodoma and Iringa Regions.
Uses:
Food:
– Tender leaves are cooked and served with a staple.
– Tender leaves are dried in the sun, pounded and used as a vegetable paste
with pounded groundnuts.
– Young fruit are eaten raw and mature fruit are boiled and eaten.
– Mature fruit are cut into small slices, dried and cooked as a vegetable after
adding a paste of pounded groundnuts.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season, while fruit are collected both
during the rainy season and for several months thereafter.
STORAGE: Dried leaves and sliced fruit can be stored in a dry place.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but sometimes cultivated using seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: C. aculeatus (Hehe: Nyambede; Nyamwezi: Kasasalya; Nyiramba:
Kishasae; Sandawi: Mumbu/he; Swahili: Mtango mwitu) is also used in the
same way as C. figarei. It is a creeping or climbing herb to 3 m with prickly
stems. It is found in Arusha, Dodoma, Singida and Tabora Regions. Also found
in Kenya, Uganda, the Congo basin, Rwanda and southern Ethiopia.

232
 THE SPECIES

Cucumis figarei Cucurbitaceae

Mature fruit

Young fruit
Flower

C. aculeatus

Young fruit and

mature fruit

233
 THE SPECIES

Cussonia spicata Araliaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Chagga: Mporori; English: Cabbage tree, Elephant toothbrush;
Hehe: Mnyonzi; Iraqw: Maneneh, Pohi-aawak; Luguru: Mkonero-wa-nyikani;
Maasai: Oldimaroi, Oljumaroi; Nyakyusa: Mpombo; Sambaa: Mntindi,
Mtendele, Mutundi; Wanji: Limpombo.
DESCRIPTION: Usually a small evergreen tree to 10 m, but up to 17 m, a few
branches near the top of the thick bole or none, topped by large digi-
tate compound leaves. Sometimes the long thin unbranched stem ends in a
small rounded crown of leaves, the “cabbage”. The roots may be large, swollen
and succulent. BARK: Grooved, yellow-grey, rough or corky. LEAVES: Crowded
together in whorls at the top of the trunk or branches, each cluster to 70
cm across, each leaf at the end of a stout stalk to 40 cm, dark to blue-green,
lobed and divided, twice compound, smaller stalks winged, the edges entire or
with sharp teeth, leaflets 5–9, stalked to 5 cm or not, the tips long pointed, 6–
35 cm long, rather stiff, base narrowed right to the main stalk, almost hairless.
FLOWERS: Green-yellow, small, without stalks, closely packed along 8–12
erect thick spikes 5–15 cm long, like a candelabra; only about a quarter
of the spike bears flowers. FRUIT: Small fleshy berries, pale green ripen-
ing brown-black, packed closely along the spikes, almost angular, 4–6 mm
across and 12 mm long, like cells of a honeycomb.
ECOLOGY: A tree of upland rainforest, upland dry evergreen forest, wooded grass-
land, 1,400–2,600 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in most highland areas of Tanzania; also in Uganda, Kenya,
Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, the Comoro Islands and South Af-
rica.
USES:
Food:
A thick root from young trees is dug out from the ground, peeled and chewed
like cassava in order to assuage hunger and thirst (Kinga, Wanji).
Medicinal: Leaves are used to treat snakebite, malaria and constipation.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Wood is white and soft and is used for making temporary stools and
doors, water troughs, beehives and wheels for wheelbarrows. Leaves are
used for fodder. The tree is also used for boundary and grave marking, shade
and as an ornamental.
SEASON: Tubers are dug out from the ground at any time of the year.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild only, but can easily be propagated from seed
and cuttings.
STATUS: Locally common.

234
 THE SPECIES

Cussonia spicata Araliaceae

Flowering heads, thick spikes

Leaf and leaflet

235
 THE SPECIES

Cyathula orthacantha Amaranthaceae

Indigenous

L OCAL NAMES : Hehe: Somwambisi; Iraqw: Muhuhuoi; Nyamwezi: Ilamata;

Sambaa: Muila-ngoto; Sukuma: Namata.
DESCRIPTION: An annual herb, sometimes growing along the ground but usually
erect and much branched, to 1.5 m, the stem and branches coarse, becom-
ing angular, with dense white hairs when young, the swollen nodes also
hairy. LEAVES: Variable, wide or narrow oval to round, 1–15 cm long and up
to 5.5 cm wide, the tip pointed, base narrowed, often along the stalk to 2
cm long, few or many white hairs, especially on veins of the lower surface.
FLOWERS: White–pale green–red, at the end of branches or terminal on the
main stem, each bearing a spike of stalkless flowers in spherical groups
4–6 cm diameter, the entire head to 10 cm long, all stalks with white hairs,
each tiny flower with 5 stiff papery sepals (no hooks). FRUIT: Tiny one-seeded
capsules to 3 mm. Each spherical group falls to the ground as a complete “burr”,
about 1.5 cm across, with tiny spines.
ECOLOGY: Found in many habitats, but most common in grassland with Acacia
scrub on disturbed stony ground, quite often near rivers and waterholes, thrives
in sandy loam or alluvium but also on volcanic or heavy black soils, 600–1,400 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania and Kenya, but only found in certain ar-
eas of Uganda, extending north to Sudan, Ethiopia and south to Angola, Zam-
bia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are used as vegetable. Tender leaves are cut into pieces, washed,
cooked, groundnut paste added and then eaten with ugali or rice.
Medicinal:
– Roots are pounded and soaked in warm water and drunk 2–3 times a day to
treat stomach-ache (Sambaa).
– Leaves are dried and pounded, mixed with pounded castor oil seeds and the
powder applied on wounds twice a day.
Commercial: Leaves marketed in the rainy season, e.g. at Isimani in Iringa
(Hehe).
Other: The plant is used for fodder.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season, February–May.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated. Can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its habitat.
REMARKS: A troublesome weed.

236
 THE SPECIES

Cyathula orthacantha Amaranthaceae

A spiny “burr” Fruit spike

Flowering head

237
 THE SPECIES

Cyphostemma njegerre Vitaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Wild vine; Hehe: Kilya-vahunzi; Sambaa: Mwengele;
Swahili: Mzabibu mwitu; Zigua: Tongotongo.
DESCRIPTION: A perennial herb, climbing with tendrils, to at least 12 m, the slen-
der branches, leaf and flower stalks all densely covered with long
spreading hairs: white-red-purple (drying orange). LEAVES: Usually with
3 leaflets, each broad ovate, 3–13 cm long, to 7 cm wide, the 2 lateral stalked
leaflets one-sided, leaf tips pointed, main stalks 2–5 cm, both leaf surfaces
white hairy except for red nerves and margins. FLOWERS: Cream, in loose
branched heads, 16–21 cm wide, on stalks 3–6 cm, the tiny hairy buds con-
stricted above the middle, narrow triangular petals only 3–4 mm. FRUIT: Ovoid
red berries 1 cm long x 6 mm wide, with hairs (some glandular).
ECOLOGY: Found in rainforests at 700–900 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Only found in the Tanga Region, where it has been recorded, e.g.
near Amani Botanical Garden. Not known from other parts of Tanzania.
USES:
Food:
– Ripe fruit are juicy, sweet and eaten raw as a snack.
– Ripe fruit are soaked in water, squeezed, filtered and drunk as juice.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used as an ornamental.
SEASON: Ripe fruit are collected from February to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but is also known to have been cul-
tivated in Europe using seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Locally common in the East Usambara Mountains, but listed on the IUCN
Red List of Threatened Plants.
REMARKS: C. bullata (English: Wild vine; Nyamwezi: Ikumbusya) is a climbing
herb up to 3 m found only in Tabora region. Its fruit are also edible.

238
 THE SPECIES

Cyphostemma njegerre Vitaceae

Flower head

Tendril

Hairy fruit

239
 THE SPECIES

Dactyloctenium aegyptium Poaceae (Gramineae)

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Nyava; English: Crow-foot grass; Hehe: Nyava; Maasai:
Embokwe, Empokui, Enkampa, Porori aja; Ngindo: Kiaga; Nyamwezi: Nsapa;
Sandawi: Helá; Swahili: Kimbugimbugi.
DESCRIPTION: An annual grass, slender to robust, with spreading stems to 70 cm,
usually bent at the nodes, rooting at lower nodes; can form a mat with short
underground stems. LEAVES: Leaf blades flat, soft, bright green, 3–25 cm by
15 mm across, the edges slightly hairy. FLOWERS: The flowers arise on star-
like heads at the tip of stems, 2–8 spikes usually horizontal, one spike
lower than the rest, each one-sided and dense, to 6.5 cm long, ending in
a bare point, spikelets in 2 rows, quite flattened, 3–6 mm, with bristles to 4
mm. FRUIT: The grass grain is about 1 mm long, somewhat triangular.
ECOLOGY: A widespread weed of open situations, grassland, open woodland, com-
mon by roadsides, on waste ground; a weed of arable land, in shallow soils and
can withstand some salinity, 0–2,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania as well as in many other parts of Africa
and other tropical and warm temperate regions; introduced into America.
USES:
Food:
Seeds are used as a famine cereal. The grains are lightly roasted in a hot pot
in order to soften them. The grain is then pounded or ground into flour,
which is cooked into thin porridge (uji), or ugali to be eaten with vegetables
or meat.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fodder.
SEASON: Seeds are collected during the dry season, April–June.
STORAGE: Seeds can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated. Can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: An important pasture grass.

240
 THE SPECIES

Dactyloctenium aegyptium Poaceae (Gramineae)

Bare tip

241
 THE SPECIES

Dactyloctenium giganteum Poaceae (Gramineae)

Indigenous

L OCAL NAMES : Bena: Nyava; Nyamwezi: Nsapa; Sandawi: Helá; Swahili:

Kimbugimbugi, Mkandi.
DESCRIPTION: A robust annual grass, usually erect to 1.5 m, spreading by
overground stolons, nodes along the stems marked by a brown ring, rooting
from lower nodes. LEAVES: Blades flat, to 45 cm long, about 1 cm across, few
hairs but often along the edges, clasping stems at the base. FLOWERS: A “fin-
ger-like” flower head with 3–9 spikes, each one 4–11 cm, forming a rather
erect brush-like cluster at the tip of the stalk (rarely spreading horizon-
tal), the spike bare at the tip, each flower with a hair-like process. FRUIT:
Rough, angular grass grains, barely 1 mm, like pale brown “sand”.
ECOLOGY: A common grass of roadsides, old cultivation and other disturbed sites,
favouring light sandy soils, 200–2,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Almost all parts of Tanzania; Kenya, south to Namibia and South
Africa.
USES:
Food:
Grains are lightly roasted in order to soften them, then pounded or ground
into flour. The flour is used in making uji, or ugali, which is eaten with
vegetables or meat during famine periods.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fodder.
SEASON: Seeds are collected during the dry season, April–June.
STORAGE: Grains can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated. Can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: An important pasture grass.

242
 THE SPECIES

Dactyloctenium giganteum Poaceae (Gramineae)

Bare tip

243
 THE SPECIES

Dalbergia nitidula Papilionaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Glossy flat-bean, Purplewood dalbergia; Gogo: Mjiha;
Nguu: Mhuga; Nyamwezi: Kafinulambasa, Kapondolampasa, Mfunfu;
Nyasa: Lungwe; Nyaturu: Mobibi; Sangu: Msinatemo; Yao: Unhungu; Zigua:
Mgeja.
DESCRIPTION: A deciduous shrub or small tree, 4–12 m, with stiff erect branches to
an open crown. BARK: Grey-brown to reddish, rough and fissured, flaking
longitudinally, branchlets with dense yellow-brown hairs. LEAVES: Compound,
4–7 pairs leaflets, opposite or nearly so, plus one at the tip; each leaflet
usually 2–3 cm, up to 8 cm, tip round, pointed or notched, base rounded, clear
veins below and very hairy. FLOWERS: White flowers appear before the leaves,
in dense branched heads to 10 cm, each flower small, pea-shaped (often
rounded balls of dark, needle-like growths develop instead). FRUIT: Flat,
thin brown pods, 7 x 1.5 cm, sharply tipped, do not open but rot on the ground
to release 1–2 seeds.
ECOLOGY: A tree of deciduous woodlands, including Brachystegia woodlands,
bushland, thickets and wooded grassland, 300–1,700 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in most areas of Tanzania except Arusha and Kilimanjaro.
Also found in Uganda, the Congo basin, Rwanda, Burundi, Mozambique, Ma-
lawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola and South Africa.
USES:
Food:
Young leaves are chopped, washed, cooked, pounded groundnuts added and
then served with a staple.
Medicinal:
– Roots are pounded and soaked in warm water. The liquid is gargled to treat
toothache. Should not be swallowed since the roots are toxic.
– Leaves are chewed and applied to the site of a snakebite.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and used for building poles, pegs, fence poles, combs,
clubs, tool handles and walking sticks.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people. It can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: The roots are known to be toxic.

244
 THE SPECIES

Dalbergia nitidula Papilionacea

Fruit pod

Flowering and fruiting branch

245
 THE SPECIES

Deinbollia borbonica Sapindaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Soap berry; Iraqw: Tlambi; Hehe: Mlyangola; Luguru:
Mmoyomoyo; Mwera: Mpungamaoka, Mungamaoka; Ngindo: Mpuga mahoka;
Nyasa: Kajambalame; Sambaa: Mkunguma; Swahili: Mkilimu, Mkunguma,
Mwakamwaka; Zaramo: Mmoyomoyo; Zigua: Mmoyomoyo.
DESCRIPTION: A small shrub or tree, 0.5–7 m, with an unbranched trunk bearing a
crown of leaves. Young branchlets golden hairy, later brown–black. LEAVES:
Compound, even pinnate, in terminal bunches on long stalks 20–42 cm,
6–16 alternate leaflets, each leaflet oval, tip rounded, base larger on one
side, on a 4-mm stalk, leaflets about the same on one leaf but vary in length
3.5–17 cm; young leaves with many golden hairs below, a few later remain-
ing along veins which are prominent both sides. FLOWERS: Tiny and white,
male and female flowers on different branchlets growing along loose
terminal branched heads or from leaf axils, 30–60 cm, calyx and flower
stalks densely brown hairy or some silver-cream hairs, white petals to 6
mm, dry red-brown, about 15 stamens with hairy white filaments, pale yellow
anthers, green style and stigma. FRUIT: 1–3 yellow-red fruit together, oval-
round, about 1 cm long, densely covered with golden brown hairs at first,
along a fruiting stalk to 40 cm. Each edible fruit contains seeds in white muci-
laginous flesh.
E COLOGY : Riverine bush, Acacia thorn bush, evergreen coastal thicket,
Commiphora–Acacia woodland, low evergreen forest on limestone outcrops, 0–
1,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: There are two forms in Tanzania, with forma subcordata restricted
to evergreen forest, Mombo Forest Reserve, Lushoto District, and forma glabrata
widely distributed in the northern, eastern and southern parts of the country,
including on Zanzibar and Pemba. The species also grows in Kenya, southern
Somalia, Malawi, Mozambique, and the Comoro Islands.
USES:
Food:
The pulp of ripe fruit is sweet and eaten raw as a snack. Fruit are usually
eaten by children and herdsmen.
Medicinal: Roots are used for preparation of medicine to treat stomach-ache
and boils, especially by the Sambaa.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for firewood, charcoal and to make spoons. The plant
is used for shade and ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Fruit are collected from September to December.
STORAGE: Not stored.

246
 THE SPECIES

Deinbollia borbonica (contd) Sapindaceae

MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated, but can easily be propa-
gated by seed.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.

Fruit

Flower head

247
 THE SPECIES

Deinbollia kilimandscharica var. kilimandscharica Sapindaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Mtambakuzimu; English: Soap berry; Hehe: Mlyangola;

Iraqw: Tlambi; Luguru: Mmoyomoyo; Sambaa: Mbwakabwaka, Mkunguma;
Swahili: Mkunguma; Zigua: Mmoyomoyo.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or tree 2–12 m, the single trunk topped by a crown of leaves,
generally hairless. BARK: Rough. LEAVES: Compound, even pinnate, with 6–
12 pairs of wide oval leaflets, 6–24 cm x 3.5–7 cm, upper leaflets longest,
leaf tip long pointed, base rounded and unequal, no hairs or only a few on
veins below. FLOWERS: Small, along terminal heads 30–60 cm, male and fe-
male branchlets, cream-white, petals to 5 mm, calyx without hairs. FRUIT:
1–3 fruit on a stalk, yellow-red-brown, each 10–14 mm long, edible flesh inside.
ECOLOGY: Evergreen forest, moist or dry riverine forest, and upland rainforest,
1,100–2,300 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Var. kilimandscharica is found in northern, north-eastern and
coastal highlands of Tanzania. Also in Kenya, Ethiopia and in the eastern part
of the Congo basin. Another variety, var. adusta, is found in evergreen
Podocarpus–Ocotea forests, 900–2,000 m in Tanzania and in northern Malawi.
USES:
Food:
The fruit are edible. Ripe fruit are collected and eaten raw as a snack.
Medicinal: Roots are used as medicine for stomach-ache, intestinal worms and
as a purgative.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for firewood, charcoal and spoons. The tree is used as
an ornamental and as a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Fruit are collected from October to December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated. Can be propagated by
seed.
STATUS: Locally common.

248
 THE SPECIES

Deinbollia kilimandscharica var. kilimandscharica (contd)

Enlarged female flower

Enlarged male flower

Flowering and fruiting branches

249
 THE SPECIES

Delonix elata Caesalpiniaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Gogo: Msele; Gorowa: Aarmo-Desu; Hehe: Mseele; Iraqw: Aare-
desu; Mbugwe: Monterere; Nyamwezi: Mlele; Rangi: Ichoro, Msisiviri,
Mterera; Sandawi: Arange; Swahili: Mfausiku.
DESCRIPTION: A deciduous tree, usually 5–7 m, with a rounded spreading crown,
branches drooping. BARK: Quite conspicuous, smooth and shiny, pale yel-
low to grey-white, sometimes flaking. LEAVES: Twice compound, to 15 cm,
with 2–12 pairs of pinnae, each with 10–25 opposite pairs of leaflets, long
oblong, about 1 cm, dull green with tiny hairs both sides. FLOWERS: Flat
green buds open into showy flowers near tips of branchlets, only one of a
group flowering at a time, 4 white petals over 3 cm long with wavy
cut-up edges and one smaller yellow petal, all fading yellow-orange;
10 red stamens to 10 cm hang out of the flower. FRUIT: Red-brown pods
flat and thin, pointed both ends, about 13–20 cm, contain smooth olive-
brown oblong seeds in horizontal pockets.
ECOLOGY: Found in deciduous thickets and bushland, often in hot dry Acacia–
Commiphora bush and on rocky slopes or by streams or dry river beds, 400–
1,400 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Grows throughout Tanzania except eastern and southern coastal
areas. Found, e.g. between Pare and Usambara and around Mwanza, Same,
Tabora, Kongwa, Dodoma, Kondoa, and Iringa. Also in Uganda, Kenya, the
eastern Congo basin, north into Egypt, Eritrea, the Arabian peninsular and
extending to India.
USES:
Food:
– The leaves are edible. Tender leaves are collected, chopped, cooked and served
with ugali (Gogo, Hehe). Edible fat, groundnut paste, tomatoes and onions
may be added.
– The seeds are boiled and eaten during famine.
Medicinal:
– Roots are ground on a stone with a little water and the paste is put on an
abscess to hasten ripening.
– The bark is soaked in warm water and the resulting liquid is drunk for sev-
eral days to treat bilharzia.
– An infusion from the bark is also used to treat diarrhoea.
– Leaves and twigs are chewed and swallowed to treat mouth ulcers.
– A decoction from boiled roots is used as an antidote for a variety of ingested
poisons.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for firewood, tool handles, grain mortars, beer

250
 THE SPECIES

Delonix elata (contd) Caesalpiniaceae

containers, milk pots, beehives, clogs, wooden spoons and cups. The tree is
used for shade and live fences and is a source of bee forage. Leaves are used
for fodder.
SEASON: Leaves are collected at the beginning of the rainy season in November–
December.
STORAGE: Roots to be used for medicine can be stored for half a year or so.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, but also planted and protected by local peo-
ple (Gogo, Hehe). Easily propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: A common live-fence tree in most areas in Tanzania.

Open fruit pod

251
 THE SPECIES

Dialium holtzii Caesalpiniaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Luguru: Mhengere; Mwera: Mkungue, Mpepeta; Nguu:
Mkwazuperere; Sambaa: Mhetele, Mshida, Mshila; Swahili: Mpekechu,
Mpepeta.
DESCRIPTION: A multi-stemmed shrub or a large tree with a spreading crown
12–25 m, the trunk slightly buttressed at the base. BARK: Smooth, grey-brown,
young branches rough hairy. LEAVES: Compound, odd pinnate, the 5–15 leaf-
lets more or less equal, or smaller at the base, often alternate along the
stalk, 5–18 cm long, leaflets oval, 3–7 cm, the tip lengthened but blunt or
notched, blade papery, stiff, few hairs or none, the vein network raised and
clear on both sides. FLOWERS: Masses of small rounded flowers, mainly
cream but also yellow-white, on large branched flowering heads to 30 cm
long and 15 cm across, 5 grey sepals only 2.5 mm, no petals, 2 stamens.
FRUIT: Red-brown rounded pods, covered with velvety soft brown hairs,
to 1.8 cm long, dry and brittle, eventually cracking open to set free 1–2 grey-
brown seeds which are smooth and shiny, in a thin membrane; around them a
mealy edible pulp which dries orange-red-brown.
ECOLOGY: Found in lowland evergreen dry forest, riverine and swamp forest, rarely
in lowland rainforest, also in woodlands, 0–500 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in north-eastern, eastern and southern Tanzania, e.g. on
Mafia Island, in Mtibwa Forest Reserve in Morogoro Region, around Pangani
and Muheza in Tanga Region and in the Pugu Hills near Dar es Salaam. Also
in coastal Kenya and Mozambique.
USES:
Food:
– The white soft pulp of the fruit is eaten like chewing gum and has a sour
taste similar to tamarind. The hard seeds are discarded.
– Ripe fruit are peeled, soaked in warm water and squeezed. Sugar is added to
the thick liquid, which is then filtered. The juice is then ready for drinking
before or after being cooled.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is very hard and heavy and used for firewood, charcoal, tool
handles, dhow ribs, firewood and grain mortars.
SEASON: Fruit are collected from June to September.
STORAGE: Dried fruit can be stored for several years.
MANAGEMENT: Fruit are collected from the wild and it is not cultivated or protected
by the local people. However, the species can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

252
 THE SPECIES

Dialium holtzii Caesalpiniaceae

Fruiting branch

253
 THE SPECIES

Dialium orientale Caesalpiniaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Mhetele; Sambaa: Mhetele, Mshila; Swahili: Mpekechu,
Mpepeta.
DESCRIPTION: A multi-stemmed shrub or tree 6–15 m, the crown flattened or spread-
ing and drooping to the ground. BARK: Smooth, pale grey–white–pink.
LEAVES: Compound, odd pinnate with 7–9 small leaflets, oval, base wide to
rounded, 1.5–5 cm long, midrib hairy, tips rounded to obtuse, not drawn out,
on a stalk to 5 cm long (much smaller than in D. holtzii). FLOWERS: Small,
green-cream-yellow in large dense heads to 30 cm x 20 cm. FRUIT: Round
reddish pods, 1.3–1.8 cm long, containing 1–2 seeds in edible dry pulp.
ECOLOGY: Evergreen dry forests, Brachystegia woodland, evergreen bushland, clump
grassland, coastal riverine vegetation; 0–100 m, often in sandy or alluvial soils.
DISTRIBUTION: This species is endemic in eastern Africa and found only in Tanga
Region of Tanzania, in Coast Province in Kenya and in southern Somalia.
USES:
Food:
– The soft white fruit pulp is eaten raw as a substitute for tamarind. The seeds
are discarded.
– A pleasant juice is prepared by soaking peeled fruit in water and adding
sugar.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and is used for firewood, building poles, charcoal, tool
handles, dhow ribs and grain mortars.
SEASON: Ripe fruit are collected from July to October.
STORAGE: Peeled fruit can be stored for about 2 years.
MANAGEMENT: Fruit are collected from the wild and it is not cultivated or protected
by the local people. Propagation can be done using seeds.
STATUS: Locally common.

254
 THE SPECIES

Dialium orientale Caesalpiniaceae

Flower

Pods

Seed

255
 THE SPECIES

Dicliptera laxata Acanthaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Hehe: Nyamtitu.

DESCRIPTION: A straggling perennial herb or undershrub, 1–5 m. LEAVES: Oppo-
site, stalked, long oval, narrowed both ends, dark green. FLOWERS: In stalked
clusters at a few nodes, surrounded by a “rosette” of green floral bracts
about 1 cm long, each flower between 2 bracts, 5 sepals, the tubular flower
white or pink, streaked purple, the lips to 1 cm, the upper lip bent back, 2
purple anthers, 2-celled. FRUIT: An ovoid capsule about 1 cm long, contain-
ing 4 round black seeds.
ECOLOGY: A herb of high forest, often in deep shade, sometimes dominant in the
under-storey, riparian forest, occasionally in swamp forest, on steep slopes of
well-watered ground, 1,500–2,300 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In the Tanga and Southern Highland areas of Tanzania; uncom-
mon in Uganda, coastal Kenya, Ethiopia.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are used as a vegetable. Tender leaves are cooked, coconut milk or
pounded groundnuts are added and the dish is eaten with ugali or rice.
Medicinal: Roots are used to treat stomach-ache and coughs (Hehe).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fodder.
SEASON: Rainy season, December–April.
STORAGE: After drying the leaves can be stored for up to a year.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.

256
 THE SPECIES

Dicliptera laxata Acanthaceae

Bracts

Flowering stalk

257
 THE SPECIES

Dictyophleba lucida (Landolphia lucida) Apocynaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Milk apple; Ha: Mabungo madogo; Tongwe: Katimba.
DESCRIPTION: A liana, to 20 m, with divided tendrils from between old flower
heads or at forks of branches, copious white sap when cut, stems hairy.
LEAVES: Opposite, stiff, oval and shiny, 7–15 cm long, wider at the tip, which
is long and blunt, a few hairs on the midrib below or none, the base well rounded.
FLOWERS: Sweetly fragrant in loose terminal heads to 17 cm long, buds
dull red, outer surface of petals pink, tube to 18 mm long, the 5 narrow
cream-white lobes overlapping left before they open. FRUIT: A small
rounded berry 3–4 cm long, without hairs, green and purple when young,
ripening yellow-orange-red, containing many seeds in edible pulp.
ECOLOGY: Found in semi-deciduous mixed forest, wet evergreen forest edges, riverine
forest and forest remnants, 1–1,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Eastern, coastal and Southern Highlands as well as western areas,
e.g. in Gombe Stream Forest Reserve, Lusunguru Forest Reserve, Kakombe
Valley and around Kigoma. Also found in coastal Kenya, Burundi and in the
Congo basin.
USES:
Food:
– The pulp of ripe fruit is edible. Fruit are cut in half and the pulp, which is
sweet and rather acidic, is eaten raw.
– Ripe fruit are cut, the pulp soaked in water, squeezed, sugar added and
filtered. The juice is drunk before or after being cooled.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The flexible stems are used for strings.
SEASON: Ripe fruit are collected from February to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Only collected from the wild, but can be propagated using seeds or
cuttings.
STATUS: Locally common.

258
 THE SPECIES

Dictyophleba lucida (Landolphia lucida) Apocynaceae

Fruit

Flowers

259
 THE SPECIES

Dioscorea dumetorum Dioscoreaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Ndiga, Tugu; English: African bitter yam, Cluster yam,
Three-leaved yam; Maasai: Oloibarebare; Matengo: Mpeta; Nyamwezi: Itugu,
Kilumbu; Sambaa: Tugu; Sukuma: Ndiga; Swahili: Kiazi kikuu, Kigongo,
Kikwa, Kinana, Mariga, Ndiga; Tongwe: Lindiga; Zigua: Ndiga.
DESCRIPTION: A climbing yam twining up to 10 m in high bush, hairy with many
prickles. Underground tubers numerous, with short cylindrical lobes about 2.5
cm across, bearing roots, spreading or descending about 30 cm, tubers re-
placed annually. LEAVES: Compound, 3 leaflets, on a main stalk to 20
cm, both hairy and prickly, the central leaflet wider and pointed at the tip,
laterals unequal-sided, on short stalks, paler below with rather long hairs
flat to the surface, usually about 12 cm x 8 cm, 3 nerved from just above
the base. FLOWERS: Small male flowers in dense branched bunches of spikelets
beside leaves. Female flowers arise from a slender hanging spike 5–10 cm.
FRUIT: A sparsely hairy capsule to 4 cm long, seeds about 2 cm with one
wing at the base.
ECOLOGY: It grows on the edges of lowland rainforest, dry evergreen forests, ever-
green bushland, and on termite mounds in Brachystegia woodland, persisting
in plantations, in secondary thickets as well as grasslands, 0–1,700 m.
DISTRIBUTION: This plant is widespread in Tanzania but not found in the northern
and central areas. Also in coastal Kenya; much of Uganda, Senegal to Ethiopia
and south to Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa.
USES:
Food:
– Tubers, which are produced underground, are eaten as famine food. They
are collected, peeled, cut into small pieces and soaked overnight to remove
toxic substances before being cooked.
– Alternatively, tubers are peeled and soaked in water for several days. Then
they are washed, sliced and dried in the sun. The dried slices are pounded
into flour and used for uji or ugali (Bondei, Zaramo).
Medicinal: The powder obtained from dried and pounded roots is soaked in
water and used to treat bilharzia.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Tubers are collected soon after the rainy season.
STORAGE: Dried slices can be stored for several weeks.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not usually cultivated or protected by
the local people. However, it can be propagated using slices of tuber with dor-
mant buds. This is, however, only done during famine periods.

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Dioscorea dumetorum (contd) Dioscoreaceae

STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.

REMARKS: The tubers of this species are known to be toxic.

Flowers

Tuber

261
 THE SPECIES

Dioscorea odoratissima Dioscoreaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Chagga: Kiya; Ha: Itiguligwa; Luguru: Kigonzo; Nyamwezi:

Itugu, Kilumbu; Sambaa: Tugu; Swahili: Kiazi kikuu; Zaramo: Ndiga; Zigua:
Ndiga.
DESCRIPTION: A hairless annual twiner, stems cylindrical, often spiny, with
some bulbils. Underground tubers are replaced annually, to 5 cm diameter,
over 6 cm long, descending vertically and protected above by horizontal thorny
roots. LEAVES: Usually opposite, simple long oval to widely heart shaped,
some notched at the base, a long pointed tip, stalk to 5 cm. FLOWERS: About
5 male spikes ascending to 10 cm, clustered in axils or at leafless nodes on
terminal branches; female flowers on solitary hanging spikes to 15 cm. FRUIT:
A dull grey-green 3-lobed, rounded capsule, to 3.8 cm diameter, contains
winged seeds.
ECOLOGY: Found in woodlands, thickets, rainforest and riverine forest, 800–1,800
m; rainfall 1,400–2,400 mm. Thrives in humus-rich soils.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread from Senegal through West Africa and south to Ma-
lawi, Zambia and Angola. In Tanzania it is found, for example, in Kigoma,
Iringa, Mbeya, Rukwa and Songea Regions.
USES:
Food:
– Tubers, which are produced underground, are eaten as famine food. They
are collected, peeled, cut into small pieces and soaked overnight before being
cooked in order to remove toxic compounds.
– Alternatively, tubers are peeled and soaked in water for several days. Then
they are washed, sliced and dried in the sun. The dried slices are pounded
into flour and used for porridge or ugali (Bondei, Zaramo).
– Tender leaves are mixed with other vegetables, cooked and eaten as a veg-
etable together with a staple (Luguru).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Plants are used for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Tubers are dug up soon after the rainy season.
STORAGE: Dried slices and flour from pounded slices can be stored for several weeks.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple.
STATUS: Uncommon and difficult to access since it occurs in forests. Skill is required
to find the tubers.
REMARKS: Care should be taken during preparation because of the toxicity of the
tubers. They must be peeled and soaked before cooking.

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 THE SPECIES

Dioscorea odoratissima Dioscoreaceae

Variety of leaf shapes

Young fruit
Thorns

Edible tuber

263
 THE SPECIES

Dioscorea quartiniana var. quartiniana Dioscoreaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES : Ha: Ituguligwa; Nyamwezi: Itugu, Kilumbu; Sambaa: Tugu;

Swahili: Kiazi kikuu; Zaramo: Ndiga; Zigua: Ndiga.
DESCRIPTION: A hairy climber with stems twining to the left, reaching 6 m into
trees, over shrubs or trailing on the ground, often with tiny glandular hairs as
well as longer simple hairs (no prickles). Tubers are replaced annually, much
divided with cylindrical root-bearing lobes to 2.5 cm diameter, spreading,
up to 30 cm long. LEAVES: Alternate, compound palmate, on stalks to 10
cm, usually less, 3–5 leaflets, very variable in size and shape, reaching 14 cm
x 11 cm, often densely hairy below, generally oval, wider at the tip. FLOW-
ERS: Male flowers along 3-cm long hanging catkins, the flowers overlap-
ping, from upper leaf axils, 2–5 together. Female flowers on a single hang-
ing spike to 17 cm, flowers very close at first, separated with age, the flow-
ers directed downwards. FRUIT: 3-part capsule, about 2.5 cm long, without
hairs and containing seeds with a basal wing.
ECOLOGY: A species found in openings in upland and lowland rainforest, riverine
forest and at forest edges, termite mounds, scrub and thickets, often on hillsides
and near rock outcrops and grasslands, 100–2,300 m; rainfall 800–1,900 mm.
Tolerates a wide range of soil types.
DISTRIBUTION: From Senegal through West Africa to Ethiopia and southern Africa,
and also Madagascar. Found in all parts of Tanzania except Dodoma and Singida
Regions.
USES:
Food
– Tubers are dug out from the ground, cooked and eaten.
– Tubers are peeled and soaked in water for several days. Then they are
washed, sliced and dried in the sun. The dried slices are pounded into flour
and used for uji or ugali.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The plant is used for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Tubers are collected after the rainy season.
STORAGE: The dried flour can be stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: There are about 13 wild species of Dioscorea found in Tanzania, most of
which are edible. They include the following:

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Dioscorea quartiniana var. quartiniana Dioscoreaceae

Fruit

Tuber

265
 THE SPECIES

Dioscorea quartiniana var. quartiniana Dioscoreaceae

(contd)

1. D. cochlaeri-apiculata (Matengo: Mpeta; Nyamwezi: Itugu, Kilumbu, Numbu;

Sambaa: Tugu; Swahili: Kiazi kikuu; Tongwe: Ntembe, Lindiga; Zaramo:
Ndiga; Zigua: Ndiga) a climbing herb up to 10 m high found in Tabora,
Shinyanga, Dodoma, Iringa, Rukwa and Songea Regions;

D. cochlaeri-apiculata

Flowers

Fruit capsules

Enlarged winged seed

2. D. schimperiana (Ha: Buliga-kubwa, Ituguligwa; Nyamwezi: Itugu, Kilumbu;

Sambaa: Tugu; Swahili: Kiazi kikuu; Zigua: Ndiga) a climber up to 8 m high
found around Ngara, Iringa, Mufundi, Lushoto, Morogoro and Rungwe. Also
found in Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon, east to Ethiopia and southwards to Zim-
babwe;

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 THE SPECIES

Dioscorea quartiniana var. quartiniana Dioscoreaceae

(contd)

3. D. sansibarensis (English: Wild yam; Swahili: Kichochomi, Mchochoni,

Tungunyu) a herb climbing up to 25 m high on other trees and found in Tanga,
Iringa, Songea, Zanzibar and Pemba. It is also found in south-western Uganda,
coastal Kenya, from Ivory Coast to Sudan, south to Angola, Zimbabwe, Mo-
zambique and Madagascar.

D. sansibarensis

Variety of shapes
in young leaves

3. D. longicuspis, with the same local names as D. cochlaeri-apiculata, a climber

up to 6 m high found only around Lushoto and Morogoro;

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 THE SPECIES

Diospyros kirkii Ebenaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: English: Pink diospyros; Matengo: Mngulaka, Nsakala; Mwera:

Mng’akora; Ngindo: Mkalakawa-bonde; Nyamwezi: Mnumbulu; Tongwe:
Ikongwa; Vidunda: Mkokokivu.
DESCRIPTION: A semi-evergreen tree to 11 m, usually smaller, the spreading branches
forming a rounded open crown. Young branchlets covered with rusty-pink
hairs. BARK: Dark grey-black, very rough, flaking in squares. LEAVES: Thick,
leathery, wide oval, up to 15 cm x 8 cm across, tip rounded, on a short thick
stalk which is hairy, as are young leaves below. FLOWERS: In flower heads
of 1–3 on male or female trees, all covered with woolly pink hairs. FRUIT:
Rounded yellow when ripe, 3–4 cm across with 5–6 narrow calyx lobes
tightly pressed half way up to the fruit. The fruit contains sweet edible
flesh around 4 dark brown, angled seeds.
ECOLOGY: Found in woodlands, including miombo, on termite mounds, often on
rocky ridges, secondary woodland, open forest and savanna woodland, 1,200–
1,500 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widely distributed in Tanzania with the exception of the northern
part, e.g. found in Morogoro, Iringa and Tabora Regions. Also in Zambia, Ma-
lawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Angola and the Congo basin.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruit are collected from the tree or from the ground and eaten raw.
They are sweet and are much liked by both children and adults.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The wood is used for firewood, tool handles, gunstocks, grain mortars,
bedsteads and spoons. The tree is suitable for shade and is a source of bee
forage. Fruit are used as fodder for goats.
SEASON: Ripe fruit are collected from April to July.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Ripe fruit are usually collected from the wild. However, it can be
propagated using fresh seeds.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: D. kirkii can be easily hybridized with D. mespiliformis. Hybrids pro-
duce smaller but sweeter fruit.

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 THE SPECIES

Diospyros kirkii Ebenaceae

Fruit

269
 THE SPECIES

Diospyros mespiliformis Ebenaceae

Indigenous [Plate 1]

LOCAL NAMES: Bende: Msinde; Chagga: Mkadi, Mkuare, Msinde; Digo: Mbara,
Mkulu; English: African ebony, Jackal berry; Luguru: Mkoko, Mkululu,
Msindanguruwe, Msinde, Mtitu; Matengo: Nsakala-wa-mwana; Nyamwezi:
Mkinde, Msinde; Pare: Mjongolo; Swahili: Mgiriti, Mgombe, Mjoho, Mpweke,
Msindi; Vidunda: Mkoko, Mkulwi; Zigua: Mhukwi, Mkulwe, Mkulwi; Sambaa:
Mkea-kundi.
DESCRIPTION: A medium- to large-sized tree, to 25 m. There may be a clear bole
from a buttressed base to the dense rounded crown. Young parts have silvery
hairs. BARK: Grey-black, rough and squared, grooved. LEAVES: Shiny
dark green, alternate, to 14 x 3 cm, the midrib raised below, edge wavy,
tip rounded. FLOWERS: Fragrant, male clustered, female solitary, cream-
white petals, 1 cm. FRUIT: Rounded, to 2.5 cm, in a calyx cup, the 5 seg-
ments curling back, fruit yellow, later purple, pulp soft and sweet with 4–6
brown, hairy seeds.
ECOLOGY: An evergreen tree common along rivers in dry savanna woodland and in
thickets, scrub forest in rocky gullies on hillsides. It occurs naturally in semi-
arid areas, 0–1,300 m; rainfall 500–1,300 mm.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in tropical Africa from Senegal to Angola, eastwards to
Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Yemen, south to Mozambique, South Africa and
Namibia. Occurs in most parts of Tanzania except Kagera, Mwanza, Mara and
Shinyanga Regions. It has been cultivated in western Australia.
USES:
Food:
The fruit are edible and sweet. They are collected from the ground, washed
and eaten fresh, the seeds being discarded. They are nutritious and eaten
frequently as a snack.
Medicinal:
The bark is used to treat stomach-ache.
Other: The bark is used for dyeing mats red. The wood is hard and strong with
a fine grain and is used for tool handles, gunstocks, wooden spoons and
furniture. It is termite and fungus resistant The tree is good for shade and
as a source of bee forage. Roots are used to ward off evil spells (Makua) after
being mixed with those of Asparagus and honey.
SEASON: Ripe fruit are available from April to June.
STORAGE: Ripe fruit can be dried in the sun and stored for several weeks.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated, but can be propagated
using fresh seed.

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 THE SPECIES

Diospyros mespiliformis (contd) Ebenaceae

STATUS: Common in riverine vegetation and easily accessible.

REMARKS: The fruit of D. consolatae and D. squarrosa are also edible.

Flowering shoot
Developing fruit

Seed

Fruit section

271
 THE SPECIES

Dolichos trilobus Papilionaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Hehe: Nandalamwani, Nyanandala; Ngoni: Lungatungu; Swahili:

Kunde mbala.
DESCRIPTION: A perennial twiner, to 1 m, with herbaceous hairy stems from a woody
rootstock. LEAVES: 3 leaflets, broad oval to round, laterals often oblique, 1.5–
9 cm long, often a paler area down the middle of each leaflet, tips pointed,
base rounded, the main stalk 1.3–7 cm, a pair of tiny, persistent, pointed leafy
stipules, 3–4 mm, and each leaflet stalked. FLOWERS: Pea shaped, in groups
of 2–3 on 4-cm stalks from leaf axils, the standard petal about 1 cm, red-
mauve-pink with darker markings or veining, sometimes greenish out-
side, the tip notched, the 2 wings deep purple-pink, the keel paler, the narrow
bracts up to 1 cm, the 5 sepals of the calyx form a bell shape. FRUIT:
Oblong, curved pods to 9 cm long x 1 cm wide, more on less flattened, a
few hairs, containing several brown-red seeds with black markings.
ECOLOGY: Found in grassland, bushland and forest, sometimes in rocky places in
evergreen forest, 0–1,200 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania except in the western areas; rare in Kenya,
but grows in some parts of Uganda, Ethiopia, to Angola and South Africa, ex-
tending to eastern Asia and widespread in West Africa.
USES:
Food:
Seeds are edible. The peas are collected and cooked while fresh or after be-
ing dried in the sun and eaten with ugali or rice. Coconut milk or pounded
groundnuts can be added while cooking in order to make the dish more pal-
atable.
Medicinal: Tubers are pounded and used as medicine to treat chickenpox.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fodder and ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Dry season, April–June.
STORAGE: Dried seeds can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated. However, it can be propa-
gated using fresh seed.
STATUS: Listed among rare species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants.
REMARKS: Many other Dolichos spp. are reported to be edible and used medicinally.

272
 THE SPECIES

Dolichos trilobus Papilionaceae

Seeds

Fruit pod

273
 THE SPECIES

Dovyalis abyssinica Flacourtiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES : Barabaig: Mahhahhari; Chagga: Mmango; Gogo: Mnzuyuyu;
Gorowa: Mummui; Hehe: Mditsi, Mgola; Iraqw: Mahhahamo; Maasai:
Emorogi, Ilmorok (plural), Olmarogi, Olmorogi; Sambaa: Mtiwapaa; Zinza:
Mkoroto.
DESCRIPTION: A spiny evergreen shrub or tree to 5 m, crown rounded. BARK: Grey,
spines to 1.5 cm long. Branchlets with very clear dotted breathing pores
(lenticels). LEAVES: Shiny, dark green, oval, to 5 cm, tip blunt, edge un-
evenly rounded, stalk and veins reddish. FLOWERS: No petals but 5 yellow-
green-white sepals, females single, but male flowers in clusters with many sta-
mens (40–60). FRUIT: A round berry about 2 cm across, surrounded by the
calyx, green and hairy at first then smooth orange-yellow pulp around the
seeds.
ECOLOGY: Found in upland rainforest, dry evergreen forests, by river banks, some-
times in more open woodland, along hilly escarpments or even mountain tops,
0–2,700 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania, recorded in most highland areas, e.g. around
Lushoto and Rongai, and in Rungwe Mountains; from Eritrea and Somalia to
Malawi.
USES:
Food:
– Ripe fruit are collected from trees and eaten raw as a snack. They are fleshy,
sweet and much favoured by children and herdsmen.
– Ripe fruit are also used for jam making.
Medicinal:
– The leaves are pounded, soaked in water and the liquid taken to treat indi-
gestion.
– Roots are used for treating indigestion as well as STDs.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and used for firewood, tool handles, spoons and bed-
steads.
SEASON: Ripe fruit are collected from April to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not planted or protected by the local
people, but the species can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Locally common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

274
 THE SPECIES

Dovyalis abyssinica Flacourtiaceae

Enlarged male flower

Enlarged female flower

Fruiting branchlet

275
 THE SPECIES

Dovyalis macrocalyx Flacourtiaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Gogo: Mzuyuyu; Hehe: Mgola, Mnzuyuyu; Haya: Omukangali;

Maasai: Enkoshopini, Olaimurunyai; Zinza: Mkoroto.
DESCRIPTION: A forest shrub or small tree, 3–8 m, much branched, usually spiny
and with conspicuous lenticel dots, the slender young branches arching over.
BARK: Smooth grey. Branches grey-brown, often dotted with breathing pores
(lenticels), bearing straight spines, single, usually needle-like, 1–6 cm,
beside leaves, sometimes absent. LEAVES: Simple, oval, 4–9 cm, pale green,
thin, tip pointed, base broadly rounded to a short stalk (only 3 mm), edge may
be minutely toothed, 3–5 nerves clear and raised on both sides. FLOWERS:
Yellow-green, no petals. Male flowers hairy, in clusters, 1–4, beside leaves,
with about 20 central stamens. Female flowers shortly stalked, soli-
tary, beside leaves, 2 clear styles to 3 mm, 6–10 thin lobes of the calyx sticky,
densely covered with stalked glandular hairs, 6 mm, increasing in size
with the fruit. FRUIT: Orange-red, ovoid, fleshy, to 2 cm long. hanging
down on a stalk to 8 mm, the persistent green sepals finally reflexed and
fringed with glandular hairs, 2 seeds inside the fruit covered with brownish
“wool”.
ECOLOGY: Occurs in thickets in wooded grasslands and in the under-storey of
montane rainforest, 0–2,600 m; rainfall 1,100–1,900 mm. Thrives in well-
drained deep brown sandy loams and beside rivers.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania including Zanzibar and Pemba Islands,
around the lakes, central, eastern and Southern Highlands; for example. oc-
curs in Iringa, Mwanza, Kagera, Tanga, Pwani and Dodoma Regions. Also in
Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, south to Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Bot-
swana.
USES:
Food:
The ripe sweet-tasting yellow-orange fruit are eaten as a snack, especially
by children.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and used for firewood, building poles and tool handles.
Season: Fruit ripen in March–June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by local peo-
ple.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: It is a possible candidate for domestication. There are 5 indigenous and 1
introduced species of Dovyalis in Tanzania, including:

276
 THE SPECIES

Dovyalis macrocalyx Flacourtiaceae

1. D. caffra (English: Kei apple) the introduced species originating from South
Africa and is widely planted as a hedge in highland areas of Tanzania. The
fruit are edible and appreciated for making jam;
2. D. xanthocarpa (Hehe: Mgola, Mzuyuyu; Kaguru: Mgola, Mzuyuyu; Zigua:
Mkarato) a shrub or small tree up to 10 m high found in Arusha, Morogoro,
Iringa and Tanga Regions. Similar to other indigenous Dovyalis, this species
also has edible fruit. D. xanthocarpa is endemic to Tanzania.

D. macrocalyx

Flowers

Enlarged calyx

Fruit

Thorns

D. caffra

Flowers

Thorn

Fruit

277
 THE SPECIES

Dracaena mannii (D. usambarensis) Dracaenaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Kiteguzi; Chagga: Isale; Digo: Mupwanga; English: Long-
leaved dragon tree; Haya: Mulamula, Mutendere; Iraqw: Sansuli; Mwera:
Mtetemu; Ngindo: Mtetema; Pare: Isae; Sambaa: Kiteguzi, Longe,
Ng’weng’we; Tongwe: Bulindiye, Bulonje; Zigua: Kalonge; Zinza: Ruhanya.
DESCRIPTION: A palm-like tree to 15 m high with a compact crown, often multi-
stemmed. BARK: Grey or whitish, smooth, marked with leaf scars. LEAVES:
Narrow, elongated, spear shaped, 15–26 cm long, 2–5 cm wide, leathery
and shiny dark green, largely arranged towards the end of branchlets. FLOW-
ERS: Greenish white in loose branched flowering spikes, up to 25 cm long,
sweet scented, open at night, petal lobes as long as the tube of the flower.
FRUIT: Red-brown fleshy berries, up to 2-cm diameter, containing 1–3 seeds.
Fruit stalks bright orange.
ECOLOGY: Occurs at forest edges, in open gaps and on river banks in moist forest
and swamp forest, 0–1,800 m; rainfall 1,000–2,000 mm. Thrives in a variety of
soil types.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania, e.g. in Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Kagera, Tanga,
Iringa and Mbeya. Also found in Kenya, Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia.
USES:
Food:
Tender shoots are collected, peeled, chopped and roasted or cooked alone or
with beans and served with a staple (ugali or rice) during times of food
scarcity (Sambaa).
Medicinal:
– Leaves are chopped, boiled and the decoction drunk to treat chest pains and
mental illness.
– Roots are washed, chopped and soaked in cold water. The infusion is used to
treat stomach-ache and STDs.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fodder, grave and boundary marking, as an orna-
mental and as a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Shoots are collected throughout the year.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Shoots are usually collected from the wild, but also from planted
trees. Propagation is usually by cuttings, occasionally by seed.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: Another species, D. afromontana (Chagga: Sale), is used in peace-mak-
ing ceremonies among the Chagga.

278
 THE SPECIES

Dracaena mannii (D. usambarensis) Dracaenaceae

One flower

Fruit

279
 THE SPECIES

Drymaria cordata Caryophyllaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Chagga: Ukiko; Matengo: Linyolo; Sambaa: Lugulashili.
DESCRIPTION: A straggling annual herb, usually much branched, soft and hairless,
often creeping along the ground rooting at the nodes. LEAVES: Opposite,
small and heart shaped to oval, thin, over 25 mm long x 22 mm across, tip
pointed, veins somewhat parallel from the base, up to 2 each side of midrib,
tiny stipules. FLOWERS: In terminal twice-branched heads, often on long
thin stalks, 5 narrow sepals to 5 mm, may be sticky due to glandular hairs, 4–
5 bilobed white petals and 5 stamens. FRUIT: A dry capsule, which splits to
release tiny seeds, the sticky sepals remain around the fruit.
ECOLOGY: Forest edges, often in shade, beside pathways in wetter forests, and rain-
forest but also in dry evergreen forest and grasslands, 900–2,700 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania. Found, for example, around Mbeya and
Lushoto, in Mbizi Forest Reserve (Rukwa Region) and in Ngurdoto Crater
(Arusha Region). Also found in Kenya and Uganda.
USES:
Food:
Tender leaves and shoots are chopped and cooked alone or with other veg-
etables such as amaranth or Bidens and served with a staple.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are dried and pounded. The powder is made into cigarettes which
are smoked to treat chest pain.
– The plant is roasted on a hot pan and the resulting fumes inhaled to treat
headache.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fodder and may be suitable for ornamental pur-
poses.
SEASON: Can be collected all year round where it occurs in wet places.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and is not cultivated or protected by the local
people. Can be propagated by seed and wildings.
STATUS: Very common within its habitat.
REMARKS: A well-known troublesome weed of fields in wet places.

280
 THE SPECIES

Drymaria cordata Caryophyllaceae

Flowering stem

281
 THE SPECIES

Duosperma crenatum Acanthaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Gogo: Njelula; Hehe: Nyangelula.
DESCRIPTION: A perennial woody herb or weak shrub with a tangle of branches,
sometimes forming a thicket. Erect stems arise from a woody rootstock. LEAVES:
Opposite, long oval, under 8 cm, tip pointed, the edge shallow toothed,
coarse or rounded, a few rough hairs above, more below, especially along the
midrib, base narrowed to a very short stalk, 6–-7 pairs of clear parallel veins.
FLOWERS: Small, tubular to 8 mm, clustered in leaf axils, pale green
bracts around the flowers with sepals as long as flower tubes, 5 petal lobes
white-yellow (occasionally blue) with dots or lines in the throat, mauve-crim-
son-purple-brown. FRUIT: A 2-sided capsule, to 8 mm, flattened, wider at
the tip, containing round seeds.
ECOLOGY: A widespread plant, often a dominant shrub under tree cover at forest
edges, in forest where there is a high ground water-table or in riverine wood-
land; also in open bushed grassland, overgrazed land or mixed dry scrub; on
sandy, clay or gravelly soils, on steep gullies and dry rocky areas, semi-desert,
900–1,400 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Occurs in most areas of Tanzania, e.g. in Dodoma, Iringa, Morogoro
and Singida Regions, but not in the west and around the lakes; also in the dry
parts of central and southern Kenya.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are used as a vegetable. Young green leaves are collected, chopped
and cooked alone or mixed with other vegetables such as peas or amaranth;
coconut milk or pounded groundnuts are often added. The vegetable is then
served with a staple.
Medicinal: Green leaves are picked, soaked in water and the liquid drunk by
pregnant women. This is believed to result in an easy and safe delivery.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fodder and is suitable as an ornamental. Older
yellowing leaves that are not edible as a vegetable are still good fodder.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Only collected from the wild, but can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: It is toxic to humans when the leaves are mature and turn yellow.

282
 THE SPECIES

Duosperma crenatum Acanthaceae

Flower clusters

Fruit capsules

283
 THE SPECIES

Embelia schimperi Myrsinaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Chagga: Ngetsi; Nyiha: Igalilonji; Sambaa: Ngera.
DESCRIPTION: A straggly bush or climber. BARK: Smooth red-brown. Twigs with-
out hairs but with raised pale dots, the breathing pores. LEAVES: Oval, wide
or narrow to 8 cm x 4 cm, tip rounded, narrowing to the base, a red midrib
and stalk to 2 cm. The midrib and 15 or more side veins raised below. FLOW-
ERS: Green-white-cream and tiny, on a hairy stalk from the leaf axil. FRUIT:
Very many on stalks, each rounded, 6 mm across, red when ripe, tipped by the
old style, one seed inside.
ECOLOGY: Roadsides, thickets, forest edges in medium- and high-altitude areas,
1,000-3,200 m; rainfall 800-2,000 mm. Grows in a wide range of soil types.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in highland areas of Tanzania, e.g. Kilimanjaro, Tanga,
Iringa and Mbeya. Also in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Congo ba-
sin, Burundi, Ethiopia, Sudan, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.
USES:
Food:
The young leaves are collected and eaten raw in small amounts as a snack,
mostly by cattle herders. They taste salty.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are pounded and the powder is rubbed into swollen breasts of lactat-
ing mothers to treat mastitis.
– Alternatively, the powder is soaked in water and the infusion is drunk to
treat difficult labour in women or for tapeworm.
– Fruit and roots are boiled and the decoction is drunk to treat intestinal worms.
Commercial: Fruit are sold in local markets for medicinal purposes.
Other: The plant is used for fodder.
SEASON: Young leaves collected in the early rains.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple.
STATUS: Uncommon, but once found, easy to collect in large amounts.

284
 THE SPECIES

Embelia schimperi Myrsinaceae

Enlarged flower

Flowers from
axillary stalk

Fruiting head
Seeds 2 mm across
Enlarged seed

285
 THE SPECIES

Emilia coccinea Compositae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Lisuka; Luguru: Sunga; Sambaa: Chunga kubwa, Chunga
kuu, Limi ja ng’ombe; Sukuma: Igongwe; Swahili: Kilemba cha bwana, Ulimi
wa ngombe.
DESCRIPTION: An erect almost hairless annual herb, usually 30–60 cm, with showy
flower heads. LEAVES: Alternate, long oval or oblong, wider at the base,
clasping the stem, often purple below, edge lightly toothed. FLOWERS: In
loose terminal heads, conspicuous bright yellow to orange, tubular flo-
rets (no spreading ray florets) are twice as long as the green cup-shaped
involucre around the heads, only 6–8 mm, a single row of phyllaries
almost joined together (see illustration). FRUIT: Angular seeds (achenes),
minutely hairy, with bristles.
ECOLOGY: A conspicuous weed of roadsides, waste places, abundant in old culti-
vated land, often common in dry country at low altitudes, 0–2,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Common in East and Central Africa, from Kenya and Tanzania west
to Cameroon and south to Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In Tanzania it is
common, e.g. in Tanga, Morogoro, Pwani and Lindi Regions.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are collected, chopped and cooked alone or with other vegetables
such as peas or beans. Coconut milk is added and the dish is then eaten with
a staple.
Medicinal:
– Green leaves are crushed and used to treat sores, sinusitis and as a poultice
for wounds.
– Leaves are mixed with those of Ipomoea eriocarpa and soaked in cold water.
The resulting infusion is used as eye drops.
– Roots are boiled and the decoction used to treat STDs.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The plant is used for fodder and ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Locally common.

286
 THE SPECIES

Emilia coccinea Compositae

Tubular florets

One row of phyllaries

almost joined to make
the involucre

Clasping leaves

287
 THE SPECIES

Encephalartos hildebrandtii Zamiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Swahili: Mgwede, Mkwanga, Msapo.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen palm-like tree with a stout unbranched trunk cov-
ered with leaf scars, reaching up to 6 m, more often a shrub with a rosette
of many leaves. LEAVES: Arching, pinnate, dark green shiny to 3 m, white
woolly when very young; the stalk bearing about 80 pairs of stiff, tough
and leathery leaflets, 15–35 cm long, the sharp tip with 2–3 spiny teeth,
and 1–9 on each margin, faint parallel nerves below, leaflets smaller towards
the base (see illustration). CONES: Male and female plants bear different cones
at the stem apex within the circle of leaves. Male cones, dull red, cylindri-
cal, 20–50 cm high x 5–9 cm across, on a stalk about 15 cm, producing
pollen (after rain). Female cones up to 3, dull green yellow, cylindrical
28–60 cm, to 25 cm across, wider than male cones, also stalked. Cones ripen
brown after pollination by insects, and seeds develop in pairs below the scales,
orange-red, smooth and angular with a fleshy outer layer, the inner
nut to 3 cm long.
ECOLOGY: Coastal evergreen bushland, lowland forest and dry montane rainforest
on red loams and sandy soil, 0–1,200 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Coastal Tanzania, e.g. recorded in Tanga and Morogoro Regions,
and also common in Zanzibar; Kenya and Uganda.
USES:
Food:
The lower part of the trunk is peeled and chopped or sliced. The slices are
either left in a heap or soaked in water for a week to ferment, then dried in
the sun and pounded and sieved into flour. The flour is used to make uji or
ugali.
Commercial: Not marketed since it is only used during times of famine.
Other: The plant is used for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Collected at all times during periods of food scarcity.
STORAGE: Dried slices and flour can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but can be propagated by seed and
suckers.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: Seeds are also known to be eaten during famine, but now reputed to
cause liver cancer. Baboons and chimpanzees eat the seeds.

288
 THE SPECIES

Encephalartos hildebrandtii Zamiaceae

Female cone

Older tree
Young plant with central female cones

289
 THE SPECIES

Englerophytum magalismontanum Sapotaceae

(Bequaertiodendron magalismontanum)
Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Stem fruit; Luguru: Mlembelembe; Mwera: Mtondole;
Swahili: Mduyuyu; Tongwe: Mlangale, Mtwentwe.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen shrub or small tree, but reaching 10 m in forest (up to
35 m), the thin trunk short, often crooked and fluted, a spreading crown,
dark green and dense. Young parts all covered with conspicuous rusty
brown hairs. All parts contain milky sap. BARK: Grey, fairly smooth, slightly
scaly but covered with small brown-black raised growths on which flow-
ers and fruit are borne. LEAVES: Alternate, well spaced in young plants, but
later mostly crowded at the ends of branches (leaf stipules persist), stiff and
long oval, 4–19 cm long, dark shiny green above, contrasting with pale
silvery to golden brown below (due to silky hairs), midrib clear, tip rounded
or notched, base variable to a stout stalk reaching 2 cm, numerous parallel
side nerves but not well marked. FLOWERS: Strongly scented, tiny, cream-
brown-pink in small clusters, on 1 cm stalks along trunk and branches or
in fallen leaf axils, hairy sepals. FRUIT: Orange-red-maroon, oval to 2.5 cm
long, sharply tipped by the old style and crowded along the old wood, the
tough outer skin encloses red pulp with milky juice and a hard central stone
containing 1–2 flat seeds.
ECOLOGY: Found in coastal and inland deciduous woodlands, in riverine vegeta-
tion, wooded ravines, especially among rocks in sandy soils, also in anthill thick-
ets, 0–1,500 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Western, eastern and southern Tanzania, including the Southern
Highlands; noted in Kigoma, Iringa, Tabora, Rukwa and Lindi Regions. Wide-
spread in Africa from Guinea, the Congo basin, south through Angola, Zam-
bia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique to Gauteng, Swaziland and Botswana.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruit are collected from the ground or tree and eaten raw. They are
sweet with a high vitamin C content. They can also be used for making
wine, brandy, syrup and jelly.
Medicinal:
– Roots are pounded and the powder is rubbed on the forehead after scarifica-
tion to treat headache.
– Fruit and roots are pounded and the powder soaked in cold water. The re-
sulting infusion is used as medicine to treat epilepsy.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and heavy and is used for building poles, firewood,
tool handles and spoons.

290
 THE SPECIES

Englerophytum magalismontanum (contd) Sapotaceae

SEASON: Ripe fruit are collected from April to June.

STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people. The species can be propagated easily by fresh seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Occasional within its habitat.
REMARKS: A hardy and fast-growing species suitable for agroforestry.

Flower clusters
along branch

Fruit cluster on old wood

291
 THE SPECIES

Englerophytum natalense Sapotaceae

(Bequaertiodendron natalense)
Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Chagga: Mdulu-ndugu, Ngapillo, Ngapilo; English: Natal milk

plum; Kimbu: Mnumbulu; Nguu: Mdulu; Nyakyusa: Ndabelobe; Sambaa:
Mdulu; Swahili: Mduyuyu; Tongwe: Msolosolo; Zigua: Mdulu.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen tree, usually 4–12 m but up to 25 m, with spreading
branches which may be rather horizontal, bole may be fluted, all young parts
covered with dense brown hairs. BARK: Brown, flaking or scaling with age.
LEAVES: Alternate, crowded at ends of branchlets, long oval, 7–12 cm, the
thin blade quite stiff, shiny green above but silver-grey below due to fine
lines of hairs, and some long brown hairs, edge slightly rolled under and
wavy, tip pointed or blunt, base narrowed to a rough dark stalk about 1 cm (no
stipules). Veins clearly parallel, close. FLOWERS: Cream, corolla only 6
mm, 1–3 together in axils of current leaves, almost stalkless, surrounded
by 5 hairy brown sepals in one whorl. FRUIT: An oval berry to 3.5 cm
long, red and smooth skinned when ripe, a small beak at the tip containing
edible pulp surrounding 1 seed.
ECOLOGY: Found in lowland and upland rainforest, riverine, ravine and coastal
forests and in forests with a high ground water-table. Often crowded at forest
margins and in clearings, 0–1,800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In most parts of Tanzania except western areas and the Southern
Highlands. Has been recorded, for example, around Morogoro and in West
Usambaras. Also found in Uganda, Kenya, south through Malawi, Mozam-
bique, Zimbabwe to South Africa.
USES:
Food:
The fruit are edible. The ripe fruit pulp is fleshy and eaten raw. It is sweet
and much liked by children.
Medicinal: Roots are used as medicine to treat stomach-ache.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for firewood, poles, tool handles, milk pots and spoons.
The tree is used for shade and as an ornamental.
SEASON: Ripe fruit are available from April to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated. This species can be propa-
gated by fresh seed.
STATUS: Locally common.

292
 THE SPECIES

Englerophytum natalense Sapotaceae

(Bequaertiodendron natalense)

Lower leaf surface enlarged

to show long hairs

Enlarged flower

Ovary, fruit and seed (enlarged)

293
 THE SPECIES

Ensete ventricosum (Musa ensete) Musaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Livangala; Bondei: Tambwe; Bende: Tambwe; Chagga:
Isangaruhu; English: Wild banana; Fipa: Tochi; Hehe: Lilimbili; Luguru:
Koza; Meru: Mukobo; Nyakyusa: Mabangala; Sambaa: Tambwe; Swahili:
Mgomba tumbili, Mgomba mwitu; Tongwe: Kabunditoke; Zigua: Mtabwe,
Tambwe.
DESCRIPTION: A leafy herb 6–12 m, swollen below, the false stem formed by the
leaf bases. LEAVES: Large leaves grow in spirals, each one to 6 m long x 1 m
wide, bright green with a thick pink-red midrib and a short red stalk. The
leaf blades tear with age. FLOWERS: In large hanging heads 2–3 m long,
the white flowers with 1 petal protected by large dark red bracts, 5 stamens
produce sticky pollen. FRUIT: Although the small yellow clusters look like nor-
mal bananas they are not edible. Each leathery fruit, about 9 cm long, contains
many hard seeds, brown-black, to 2 cm long, with only a thin layer of pulp.
The whole plant dies down after fruiting.
ECOLOGY: Found in upland forest, often in ravines and on steep slopes, in swamps
and on river banks, occasionally also in drier lowland forests, 900–2,300 m;
rainfall 800–2,000 mm. Grows in a variety of soil types but does best in loamy
soils.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in highland areas of East Africa. In Tanzania it is com-
mon in Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Iringa, Morogoro and Mbeya Regions. Also found
in Ethiopia, Cameroon, south to Angola and South Africa.
USES:
Food:
The stem pulp is edible when cooked.
Medicinal:
– The stem and leaves are used to treat liver disease and to prevent miscar-
riages.
– A white powder obtained from the seeds is used to treat wounds. It is applied
on the wound twice a day.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The tree is used as an ornamental and for shade. The seeds are used for
making necklaces and in games. The stem is used as fodder for cattle and
also produces a brown dye. Leaves are used for weaving and thatching.
SEASON: Stems are collected at any time during famine.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, but also easily propagated from seed.
STATUS: Locally common.

294
 THE SPECIES

Ensete ventricosum (contd) Musaceae

REMARKS: The Hehe believe that planting this tree reduces the risk of damage
caused by thunder storms.

One mature
seed
Young seeds

Fruit and section

Flower
Petals removed

295
 THE SPECIES

Eriosema burkei var. burkei Papilionaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Ng’owo; Matengo: Inzihuluumbi; Nyamwezi: Kapande.
DESCRIPTION: A short erect herb, with one or a few branched stems from a large
woody rootstock (which survives bush fires), the stem flattened, to 28 cm,
covered with rusty-brown hairs. LEAVES: Compound, with 1–3 leaflets, on
a stalk 2–5 cm, with a pair of narrow hairy stipules at the base, each
leaflet shortly stalked, oval and wider at the rounded tip, hairy and glandular
below with raised veins. FLOWERS: Usually appearing when the plant is en-
tirely leafless, on a stalk to 7 cm, topped by a 5-cm section of flowers, each tiny
flower stalk strongly bent downwards, hairy bracts fall early, the calyx
also hairy with 5 pointed lobes, the standard petal hairy, glandular
outside, about 1 cm long, yellow, marked pink-orange-brown (the style
bent at or below the middle). FRUIT: Pods crowded at the tip of the stalk,
unusually short and rounded to 1.5 cm long, tip pointed, covered by long
rusty brown and glandular hairs, containing 2 seeds, speckled brown-black
with a cream aril on the rim.
ECOLOGY: This plant grows in seasonally burnt grassland or grassland with scat-
tered trees, 1,500–1,800.
DISTRIBUTION: Found only in the Southern Highlands, e.g. in Mbeya, Songea and
Iringa Regions. Also found in the southern part of the Congo basin, Zimbabwe,
Angola and South Africa (Gauteng).
USES:
Food:
The root tubers are dug up, washed and chewed raw. They are starchy and
chewed like raw cassava but have a strong smell.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant can be used for fodder.
SEASON: Tubers are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Several Eriosema species are edible, including E. ukingense (Bondei:
Kibaazi-mzitu; Matengo: Inzihuluumbi; Sambaa: Kibaazi-mzitu) which is
an erect herb 15–35 cm high found in Iringa and Songea Regions.

296
 THE SPECIES

Eriosema burkei var. burkei Papilionaceae

Flowers

Fruit pods

1–3 leaflets

Underground root tuber

297
 THE SPECIES

Erythrococca kirkii Euphorbiaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Bondei: Mnyembeuwe; Hehe: Lutini, Nyakibiki, Nyamtulo;
Sambaa: Mnyembeue; Zigua: Mnyembeuwe.
DESCRIPTION: A much-branched straggling or erect herb, often a climbing shrub,
1–3.5 m. BARK: Rough, twigs pale-grey-green, with clear breathing pores.
LEAVES: Long oval, 3–12 cm, tip long but blunt, the edge round toothed,
narrowed to a stalk about 1 cm, 6–8 pairs of looped veins, almost hairless. Stip-
ules triangular, pointed, persistent. FLOWERS: No petals, tiny, green-
white in dense stalkless clusters, male clusters 1–2 cm across, fewer female
flowers in a cluster, a 3-part purple ovary, white stigmas. FRUIT: 3-lobed,
each lobe 3–4 mm (sometimes only 1 or 2 develop to maturity), hairless, yel-
low-green-red, ripening purple. They break open to show the orange-red
aril around the seed.
ECOLOGY: A plant of forest edges, coastal bushland or thickets, inland mostly along
rivers or beside lakes, 0–1,200 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique.
USES:
Food:
– Leaves are collected, chopped and cooked alone, or pounded groundnuts or
coconut milk may be added, thus making a slippery vegetable known locally
as mlenda which is only eaten with ugali.
– Leaves are cooked as a mixture with other vegetables such as Amaranthus,
Bidens or Galinsoga and served with a staple (ugali, rice or bananas).
– Ripe fruit are eaten raw around Ismani, Iringa Region.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The wood is used for firewood. The leaves are used for fodder. The plant
is used for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Leaves are collected from February to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people. It can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: A popular wild vegetable plant among the Bondei, Sambaa and Zigua
people. Useful since it has green leaves all year round.

298
 THE SPECIES

Erythrococca kirkii Euphorbiaceae

Female flowering and fruiting stem

Fruit breaking open

Male flower Female flower

299
 THE SPECIES

Eugenia capensis subsp. nyassensis Myrtaceae

(E. bukobensis)
Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES : English: Dune myrtle, Northern wild myrtle; Hehe: Kivengi;
Nyamwezi: Kasya mongo; Swahili: Mkangaa; Wanji: Sing’ani; Zinza:
Mtukizai.
DESCRIPTION: A bushy shrub or tree to 5 m, the branches hanging down. Many
stems hairy. BARK: Moderately smooth. LEAVES: Dull green, more or less
opposite, long oval, 2–7 cm long, the tip drawn out but blunt, shortly stalked.
The thin leaves are aromatic when crushed and when held against the light
gland dots are visible. FLOWERS: 3–9 together on thin stalks next to leaves,
the 4 tiny white petals, sometimes slightly pink, are fragrant, the flower about
1 cm across with a central mass of stamens, the calyx tube rounded and
its 4 lobes shorter than petals. FRUIT: Oval to 1.5 cm long, fleshy yellow-
red, ripening purple-black (becoming hard brown—like coffee berries), tipped
by the remains of the calyx, pleasant to taste but acid.
ECOLOGY: An under-storey shrub of forest edges, found in riverine woodland, wooded
grassland, thickets (on islands in Lake Victoria), occasionally in mountain for-
ests.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in the western areas of Tanzania, e.g. in Tabora, Kagera,
Mwanza and Kigoma Regions. From Tanzania and Uganda south to South
Africa and on Madagascar.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruit are fleshy, sweet and eaten raw as a snack. They are much liked
by herdsmen and forest workers.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is white, hard and heavy and is used for firewood, charcoal,
poles and spoons.
SEASON: Ripe fruit are collected from June to December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people. Can be propagated using fresh seed.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: E. malangensis (Hehe: Kivengi, Mbugavugoo) is a woody herb, 30–35
cm high, with alternate leaves and small purple fruit which are edible. It is
found in Iringa and Songea Regions. It also occurs in Malawi and southwards
to Zimbabwe.

300
 THE SPECIES

Eugenia capensis subsp. nyassensis Myrtaceae

(E. bukobensis)

Fruit

Flower clusters

301
 THE SPECIES

Fadogia ancylantha Rubiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Fiome: Booami; Hehe: Kindokoli, Kitokoli; Matengo: Manduguli,
Mandunguli.
DESCRIPTION: A herb or shrub to 1.8 m with several woody stems (rounded or trian-
gular), growing out of a woody rootstock, to 2 cm across. LEAVES: In opposite
pairs or whorls of 3, oval, 3–11 cm, the tip pointed, base narrowed to a tiny
stalk, blade thin, sometimes a few hairs, a pair of hairy stipules have hairy tips
to 7 mm. FLOWERS: Green-yellow and tubular, 2–3 together on a stalk about
1 cm, beside leaves, the slender corolla tube distinctly curved and wider
above, to 2.8 cm long, with 5 triangular lobes, pale-yellow-white inside, the
calyx just a short rim without teeth. FRUIT: A round 5-lobed berry, about
1.2-cm diameter.
ECOLOGY: Grassland with scattered trees, high grassland, Acacia and Combretum
wooded grassland as well as Brachystegia woodland; also in old cultivation,
100–1,900 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in most parts of Tanzania but not Tanga Region. Also occurs
from Nigeria, the Congo basin, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and Sudan south to
Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
USES:
Food:
– Ripe fruit are fleshy and eaten raw. They are sweet, have a pleasant smell
and are much favoured by children and herdsmen.
– Dry leaves are boiled and used as tea (Hehe, Fipa, Rangi).
– The nectar produced by flowers is sweet and sucked by children.
Medicinal: Roots are chewed and then used as a toothbrush which helps stop
bleeding from the gums.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is useful as a source of bee forage and ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Ripe fruit are collected from October to January.
STORAGE: Dried and pounded leaves can be stored for use later as tea.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated. Propagation can be done
using fresh seed.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.

302
 THE SPECIES

Fadogia ancylantha Rubiaceae

Flowers

Fruit

303
 THE SPECIES

Fadogia cienkowskii var. cienkowskii Rubiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Hehe: Kindokoli, Kitokoli; Matengo: Vikoko ndumbila; Nyamwezi:
Kambolambola; Nyasa: Vikoko ndumbila.
DESCRIPTION: A woody herb or undershrub with few to many unbranched stems
reaching 1 m from a woody rhizome, stems usually covered with dense pale
rusty hairs. LEAVES: In whorls of 3–4, blades 2–8 cm long x 4.5 cm wide,
tip usually pointed, shiny above with few hairs but paler below, a mat of
coarse rusty-grey hairs cover additional short white hairs below, stalks
only 1.5 mm, hairy stipules to 9 mm. FLOWERS: Bright cream-yellow, 2–6
together, grow from leaf axils on stalks less than 1 cm, buds pointed, hairy,
flower tube to 3.8 mm, the yellow-green-white stigma protruding beyond the
flower lobes. FRUIT: Shiny, rounded, to 1 cm across, crowned by old calyx
lobes, dark green ripening black, containing 1–3 seeds.
ECOLOGY: Grassland, including upland grassland, seasonally wet grassland, regu-
larly burnt grassland, wooded grassland with Protea, Combretum or Uapaca
and open Brachystegia woodland; also on rocky slopes in bamboo zones on some
mountains (Uganda), 1,000–2,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Western Tanzania, e.g. recorded from Kigwa Forest Reserve and
Sikonge in Tabora Region, and also in Kigoma Region. Also found in Uganda,
Kenya, from West Africa to Sudan and Ethiopia, south to Zambia, Malawi,
Zimbabwe and Angola.
USES:
Food:
– Ripe fruit are fleshy, sweet and eaten raw. They are eaten as a snack by
children and herdsmen.
– Green leaves are collected and used for tea.
– The nectar from flowers is sweet and sucked by children.
Medicinal: Roots are used for treating infertility.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is a good source of bee forage and as an ornamental.
SEASON: Ripe fruit are collected from October to April.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated. It can be propagated by
fresh seed.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.

304
 THE SPECIES

Fadogia cienkowskii var. cienkowskii Rubiaceae

Pointed buds

Prominent stigma of
flower

One fruit

305
 THE SPECIES

Fadogia elskensii var. elskensii Rubiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES : Fiome: Booami; Fipa: Nakalondo; Hehe: Kindokoli, Kitokoli;
Matengo: Madunguli.
DESCRIPTION: A shrubby herb with several unbranched stems to 25–90 cm from
a woody rootstock, the upper stems 4-angled, all densely hairy. LEAVES: In
whorls of 3–4, oval blades 4–9 cm, tip usually sharp pointed, base rounded to a
2 mm stalk, the upper surface raised between the veins (bullate), the hairs not
obscuring the surface, but below dense woolly, velvety grey-white-brown
hairs cover the surface completely. Stipules with a narrowed tip. FLOW-
ERS: Small, yellow-green-cream in axillary groups, 1–5, shortly stalked, buds
pointed, hairy, tube 4 mm, 5 petals and sepals. FRUIT: Rounded, shiny, black
about 1-cm diameter, containing up to 5 rough seeds.
ECOLOGY: In woodland with Brachystegia, Isoberlinia, Uapaca, Protea, grassland
including grasslands subject to seasonal burning, 1,000–1,800.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania except in Tanga Region and central areas
of the country, e.g. around Mkimbizi in Iringa. Also in the Congo basin, Burundi
and Malawi.
USES:
Food:
– Ripe fruit are sweet and eaten raw.
– The nectar from flower tubes is sweet and sucked by children.
Medicinal: Roots are boiled with porridge and taken to treat infertility in
women.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is useful as a source of bee forage and as an ornamental.
SEASON: Ripe fruit are collected from October to January.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated. This species can be propa-
gated by seed and cuttings from stem base or rootstock.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: F. elskensii var. ufipaensis, a woody herb up to 25 cm high, with leaves
with short soft hairs, is found in Sumbawanga District and also in the Congo
basin. The fruit of this variety are also edible.

306
 THE SPECIES

Fadogia elskensii var. elskensii Rubiaceae

Bud and flower

Stipules

Fruit and seed

307
 THE SPECIES

Fadogia homblei Rubiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Hehe: Kindokoli, Kitokoli; Matengo: Vikoko-ndumbila; Nyamwezi:
Kambolambola; Nyasa: Vikoko ndumbila.
DESCRIPTION: An erect shrubby herb to 1 m, the 3–4 angled stems often reddish
and many arising from a slender underground rhizome. LEAVES: Simple, in
whorls of 3–5, the blades long and narrow, 3–12 cm, tapering to a fine point,
narrowed at the base to a very short stalk, green and hairless above but
much paler below, drying white because of dense tiny velvety hairs; a
pair of stipules joined in a sheath around the stem have hairy threads at the
tip, to 8 mm long. FLOWERS: Small, pale to bright yellow, in clusters of 2–
5 flowers on a short stalk in leaf axils, buds clearly pointed as the 5–6 tri-
angular sepal lobes reach 3.5 mm and the corolla tube is only 3–4 mm,
hairy within, the 5 tiny lobes oblong-triangular with a hairy tip. FRUIT: Clus-
ters of fleshy edible black berries, often one-sided, topped by the persistent ca-
lyx, containing 2–3 seeds.
ECOLOGY: Grassland, grassland with
scattered trees, Brachystegia
woodland, 1,000–2,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in western, cen-
tral and Southern Highlands of
Tanzania, e.g. Sao Hill, Iringa. Fruit
Also in the Congo basin, Mozam-
bique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimba-
bwe, Angola and South Africa.
USES:
Food:
– Ripe fruit are sweet and eaten
fresh.
– The nectar from flower tubes is
sweet and sucked by children.
Commercial: Not marketed. Flowering shoot
Other: The plant is good as a source
of bee forage and as an ornamen-
tal.
SEASON: Ripe fruit are collected from
October to January.
STORAGE: Not stored.

Underground rhizome

308
 THE SPECIES

Fadogia homblei (contd) Rubiaceae

MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and

F. stenophylla
not cultivated. It can be propagated by
seed, and cuttings from rootstock.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of dis-
tribution.
R EMARKS : There are some 8 species of
Fadogia in Tanzania which are edible,
including the following:
1. F. stenophylla (Fipa: Nakalondo;
Hehe: Kindokoli, Kitokoli;
Nyamwezi: Kambolambola) a
shrubby herb 6–40 cm high with
whorled leaves and small edible fruit.
It is found around Iringa, Rungwe,
Biharamulo, Kibondo and
Sumbawanga, and also in Angola,
Burundi and Malawi southwards to
Zimbabwe;
2. F. tetraquerta var. grandiflora
(Hehe: Kindokoli, Kitokoli;
Nyamwezi: Kambo-lambola) a sub-
shrub 20–120 cm high with short soft
hairs on stems and leaves and small
edible fruit. It is found around
Tabora, Iringa and Biharamulo, and
also in Angola, Cameroon, Guinea,
Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe and
South Africa;
3. F. triphylla var. gorgii (Hehe:
Kindokoli, Kitokoli, Nyamwezi: Flowers
Kambo-lambola, Kamfyonfyo) a sub-
shrub up to 45 cm high with very
fragrant flowers found around
Tabora, Singida, Sumbawanga and
Iringa, and also in the Congo basin,
Malawi and Zambia.

Fruit
Underground rhizome

309
 THE SPECIES

Feretia apodanthera subsp. tanzaniensis Rubiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Gogo: Mpakapaka; Hehe: Mnanyeza; Nyamwezi: Mginya; Rangi:
Ikechu; Sukuma: Mbuguswa.
DESCRIPTION: A deciduous shrub or small tree to 6 m, young stems usually without
hairs in subspecies tanzaniensis. BARK: Smooth, red-grey, splitting to reveal a
white underbark. LEAVES: Opposite, small, oval blades, 1–5 cm, tip rounded
or sharply tipped, some fine hairs or none, base rounded to a stalk to 1 cm,
stipules present between leaf stalks. FLOWERS: Appear before or with
new leaf growth, easily recognized as the flowers are striking on the bare
tree, one or few flowers together on short shoots, white flushed pink or plain
pink, tubular to 2.5 cm long with a hairy throat, 5 blunt-tipped lobes, a hairy
style in the centre and a calyx with 5 pointed lobes to 5 mm. FRUIT: Round,
fleshy berries, pink to bright red or white with purple streaks, to 1.7
cm diameter, containing several flat pale brown seeds.
ECOLOGY: Bushland, coastal bushland, thickets, often near rivers or on dry hill-
sides, forest margins, 0–1,400 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widely distributed in Tanzania, e.g. in Dodoma and Shinyanga
Regions, in Ruaha National Park (Iringa Region) and Mwanihala Forest Re-
serve (Tabora Region).
USES:
Food:
The red fleshy pulp of ripe fruit is eaten raw. Ripe fruit are collected from
the tree and eaten as a snack, especially by herdsmen and children, for
quenching hunger and thirst.
Medicinal:
– Roots are soaked in cold water and the infusion used as a cold bath for ba-
bies as a preventive magic charm against various ailments and to assure
good health (Nyamwezi).
– Roots are boiled and the infusion drunk to treat stomach-ache.
– The powder obtained from pounded roots is used to treat wounds.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The tree is used for making live fences.
SEASON: Fruit are available from April to July.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated. It can be propagated by
seeds and cuttings.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: The subspecies tanzaniensis is only found in Tanzania and has larger
fruit than subsp. keniensis.

310
 THE SPECIES

Feretia apodanthera subsp. tanzaniensis Rubiaceae

Flowering branches

Fruiting branches

Open flower Fruit

311
 THE SPECIES

Ficus stuhlmannii Moraceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES : Arusha: Olkilili; Iraqw: Pombosimo, Tiita; Maasai: Olkolili;

Nyamwezi: Mgumo; Nyaturu: Mulumba, Munianyonyi; Sukuma: Mgumo.
DESCRIPTION: A medium-sized deciduous fig, often an epiphyte and strangler, to 10
m, with a dense well-formed crown. BARK: Pale grey-white, clearly ribbed
and fluted, darker with age and cracking irregularly. Leafy branchlets have
white or yellow hairs, older twigs flaking. LEAVES: Variable in size, oblong to
oval, large and stiff, 2.5–18 cm long, leathery dark green, shiny above with
a few hairs, more hairs below, especially along veins, base rounded to
heart shaped; 4–7 pairs lateral veins, the basal pair usually reaching the
margin below the middle of the blade, net veining clear, a thick leaf stalk to 4
cm long, pale yellow hairy stipules soon fall. FIGS: Rounded, usually less
than 1 cm (1.5–2.2 when fresh), single or in pairs in leaf axils or below, velvet
hairy, green at first, turning pink-purple-red when ripe, almost stalkless,
the fig opening is just a slit.
ECOLOGY: A species of lower montane woodland, up to 1,800 m; rainfall 1,000–
1,400 mm. Thrives in a variety of soil types.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in all parts of Tanzania and in Kenya, the Congo basin and
south to Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
USES:
Food:
The ripe or unripe figs are collected, especially by children, and eaten with
the seeds as a snack. The pulp is sweet when ripe but watery when unripe.
Medicinal:
– Roots are boiled and the decoction is drunk by mothers to stimulate lactation.
– Roots are also used as a magic charm.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The tree is used for shade and the bark for fibre. Fruit are also eaten by
birds.
SEASON: Usually collected in June–July.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, but also protected by the local people. Can
be propagated by seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

312
 THE SPECIES

Ficus stuhlmannii Moraceae

Fruiting branch

313
 THE SPECIES

Ficus sur (F. capensis) Moraceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Mdzombe; Chagga: Mkuu; English: Wild fig, Fipa: Unku;
Hehe: Msombe; Luguru: Mkuyu, Mtakule; Maasai: Engaboli; Matengo:
Milola; Ngindo: Mkuyu; Ngoni: Milola; Nyamwezi: Mkuyu; Pare: Mkuu;
Rufiji: Mkuku; Sambaa: Mkuyu, Mvumo; Swahili: Mkuju, Mkuyu,
Mwangajo; Tongwe: Ikubila.
DESCRIPTION: A large deciduous tree to 20 m high with the trunk up to 150 cm in
diameter, occasionally buttressed. BARK: Smooth, grey, darker grey-brown with
age. LEAVES: Large, broadly oval, to 13–20 cm, usually smooth, edge often
widely toothed, sometimes wavy, veins clear below, stalk grooved and flexible
to 6 cm. FIGS: In heavy clusters, to 70 cm long, on branches from trunk
to older wood, figs round, 2–4 cm across, on stalks, orange-red, often hairy,
soft and edible but watery and tasteless, having many seeds and often insects
too.
ECOLOGY: Forest, riverine, wooded grassland, often left in cleared places in low-
land and medium-altitude areas, up to 2,100 m; rainfall 800–1,800 mm. Thrives
best in red sandy clay loams and sandy loams, but tolerates a wide range of soil
types.
DISTRIBUTION: Extends from Central Africa to Yemen, and to southern Africa. Wide-
spread in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.
USES:
Food:
Figs are collected when ripe, cut open, seeds removed and the pulp eaten.
They are sweet and very juicy and eaten as a refreshing snack, especially by
children.
Medicinal:
– The bark is used by the Maasai to treat stomach-ache and diarrhoea in ba-
bies. The Digo use the roots to treat coughs.
– Bark is soaked in water and the liquid dripped into the mouth of a woman
who is breast-feeding. The rest of the liquid is used to massage the breasts to
increase lactation (Hehe).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: This large tree is used for shade. The wood is used for canoes, water
pots, beehives, stools and grain mortars, and the latex for making balls and
bird lime.
SEASON: Collected at the end of the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple.

314
 THE SPECIES

Ficus sur (F. capensis) (contd) Moraceae

STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

REMARKS: It is a nutritious fig. The tree is considered to trap moisture, and other
moisture-demanding plants are often found regenerating in its shade. It does
not compete with agricultural crops.

One round fruit

Fruit on stalks from

old wood

315
 THE SPECIES

Ficus sycomorus Moraceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Arusha: Olngaboli; Barabaig: Aantsi; Chagga: Mkuu; English:

Sycamore fig; Fiome: Kuyu; Fipa: Kivuzi; Gogo: Mkuyu, Mrumba; Hehe:
Msombe; Gorowa: Aantsi; Iraqw: Aantsi; Maasai: Engaboli, Olgnangboli,
Olmangulai, Olnanboli, Orng’aboli; Ngindo: Mkuyu; Nyamwezi: Mkuyu;
Nyaturu: Mukuyu; Rangi: Mkuyu, Msambu, Mukuyu; Sambaa: Mkuyu;
Sandawi: Sákána; Swahili: Mkuyu; Tongwe: Ikuku; Zaramo: Mkuyu.
DESCRIPTION: A large semi-deciduous spreading tree to 25 m, sometimes with stem
buttresses and the base commonly spreading over the ground. Abundant
white latex when cut. BARK: Distinctive yellow to cream-brown, smooth,
older stems have rectangular scales which fall leaving pale brown patches.
LEAVES: Oval to almost circular, to 15 cm, upper surface rough to touch,
margin wavy, roughly toothed, base heart shaped, a hairy stalk to 3 cm.
FRUIT: In leaf axils in pairs or in dense clusters on main branches and trunk,
each rounded, 1.5–5 cm across, usually about 3 cm when fresh, wider
at the tip, densely hairy and yellow-red when ripe.
Ecology: Widespread on alluvial soils in valleys and riverine in dry areas. Also in
wooded grassland, often associated with Acacia tortilis and A. gerrardii. Does
well in medium-altitude areas, up to 2,100 m; rainfall 600–1,800 mm.
DISTRIBUTION: A fig tree that is widespread all over tropical Africa. Common in all
parts of Tanzania.
USES:
Food:
The sweet ripe orange figs are collected and chewed to suck out the juice and
the rest is rejected. It is eaten as a snack.
Medicinal: The bark and latex are used to treat diarrhoea, sore throat, chest
and glandular complaints.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: This huge tree is used for shade while its wood is used for grain mor-
tars, doors, beehives, canoes, stools and domestic utensils.
SEASON: The figs are collected at the end of the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

316
 THE SPECIES

Ficus sycomorus Moraceae

Young fruit

317
 THE SPECIES

Ficus vallis-choudae Moraceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Fig; Gogo: Mkuju, Mkuyu; Luguru: Mkuyu; Meru: Ikuu;
Nyakyusa: Mkuju; Rangi: Mkuyu, Msaambu, Msambu, Mumu; Sambaa:
Mkuyu; Swahili: Mkuyu; Tongwe: Ihambwa.
DESCRIPTION: A huge tree, 6–20 m, with a widely spreading crown, buttresses some-
times present. BARK: Rough, grey to pale brown. Leafy twigs, often white or
hairy, skin flaking when dry. LEAVES: More or less stiff, dark green, easily
recognized, wide oval, the base heart shaped, about 20 cm long and across
(4–24 cm), the edge widely toothed, mostly wavy, usually without hairs,
the stalk 2–11 cm. The 2 main lateral veins from the base reach beyond the
middle of the leaf, 3–5 other veins each side of the midrib. FIGS: Single, about
3–6 cm across when fresh, beside or just below leaves, succulent and edible,
round to oval, yellow-orange with orange stripes when ripe, hairy or not,
on a short woody stalk.
ECOLOGY: A riverine tree, also beside lakes and in forests with a high ground wa-
ter-table, 400–1,800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In most parts of Tanzania excluding the southern areas and areas
near the lakes. Also in Kenya, Uganda, extending to Guinea and Mali, Ethio-
pia, northern Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
USES:
Food:
Figs are edible. Ripe fruit are fleshy and eaten raw. Fresh fruit are usually
collected from the tree and eaten as a snack, especially by children and herds-
men.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for cheap furniture, domestic utensils, beer pots, grain
mortars, stools, water containers and beehives, drums, canoes and cattle
troughs, shade and fuel.
SEASON: Ripe fruit are available from November to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated. However, it can be propa-
gated by seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: Several other species of figs are edible, including the following:
1. F. sansibarica (Chagga: Mkuu; English: Fig; Maasai: Engaboli; Makonde:
Undola; Ngindo: Mpoloto, Mpondopondo; Nyakyusa: Mtulutulu; Swahili:
Mkuyu) a large tree up to 40 m tall found in Kigoma, Lindi, Mtwara and Iringa
Regions and on Zanzibar Island. It is also found in Mozambique, south to Zam-
bia, Zimbabwe and South Africa;

318
 THE SPECIES

Ficus vallis-choudae Moraceae

Fruit and section

319
 THE SPECIES

Ficus vallis-choudae (contd) Moraceae

2. F. glumosa var. glaberrima (Gogo: Mulumba; Hehe: Msombe; Nyamwezi:

Mkuyu, Mlumba; Rangi: Mkuyu, Mumu; Swahili: Mkuyu; Tongwe: Ikuku)
a tree 10–15 m tall with a dense crown found in all Regions of Tanzania. Also
common in Kenya, Uganda, extending to Senegal, Yemen and South Africa;

F. glumosa var. glaberrina

320
 THE SPECIES

Ficus vallis-choudae (contd) Moraceae

3. F. ingens (Gogo: Mulumba; Hehe: Msombe; Makonde: Ndebela, Ndola;

Nyamwezi: Mlumba, Mvila; Rangi: Mumu; Sambaa: Mvumo) a tree up to 18
m high, also found all over Tanzania and extending to Yemen, Senegal, An-
gola, Botswana and South Africa.

F. ingens

Ripe fig showing

scales over opening

Terminal and axillary buds

321
 THE SPECIES

Flacourtia indica Flacourtiaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Mgola; Bende: Msunga; Chagga: Msambochi, Msanbachi;

Digo: Duruma, Madungatundu, Mnyondoiya, English: Governor’s plum, In-
dian plum; Fipa: Mwanga; Gorowa: Tsapenai; Hehe: Mgola; Iraqw:
Sokhaimo; Luguru: Mgora, Mgura; Maasai: Oldongurgurwo, Oldongururwo,
Oloireroi; Matengo: Mbilipili, Mng’unga; Mwera: Mtaswa, Mtawa; Ngindo:
Mtaba; Nyamwezi: Mpuguswa, Mpunguswa, Msingila, Msungwi; Nyaturu:
Musingisa; Rangi: Mtundukarya; Rufiji: Mtawa; Sukuma: Mpuguswa;
Swahili: Mchongoma, Mgo, Mgovigovi, Mkingili; Tongwe: Lusungunimba;
Zaramo: Mtawa; Zigua: Mgola; Zinza: Msungusu.
DESCRIPTION: A deciduous spiny shrub or small tree, usually 3–5 m; spines on the
trunk usually straight, sometimes branched, up to 12 cm long but quite vari-
able. BARK: Rough, pale yellow-grey, branches may have a yellow powder
at first. LEAVES: Variable in size, oval, to 12 cm, edge toothed, 4–7 pairs,
veins clear on both surfaces, stalk to 2 cm. FLOWERS: Small, cream, fragrant;
male flowers with very many yellow stamens, female flowers with a divided
spreading style. FRUIT: Red-purple-black, round and juicy but acid, to 2.5
cm across, persisting on the tree. They contain up to 10 small hard and flat
seeds.
ECOLOGY: Does well in montane woodland and at forest edges, 0–2,400 m; rainfall
1,000–1,800 mm. Thrives in a variety of soil types.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in all parts of Tanzania. Widespread in the rest of tropical
and subtropical Africa, Madagascar and the Seychelles; also in Asia.
USES:
Food:
– The fruit are collected from the tree and eaten straight away, especially
during famine periods, and also as a snack.
– A good jam is made by boiling the fruit with sugar.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are used as medicine to treat asthma, as a tonic for anaemia and for
treating screw worm in cattle.
– Roots are used to treat indigestion and stomach pains, snakebite and infer-
tility.
– Fresh roots are washed and dried and the bark grated on a rough stone. The
resulting powder is soaked in a small amount of salty water to make a paste
which is licked for treating sore throat and cough.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The wood is white and tough and used for firewood, charcoal, spoons,
bedsteads and building poles.

322
 THE SPECIES

Flacourtia indica (contd) Flacourtiaceae

SEASON: Ripe fruit are collected from December to July.

STORAGE: Ripe fruit can be dried in the sun and later soaked in water before being
eaten.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, but sometimes cultivated or retained in farms.
Can be propagated by seed, but they require scarification (cracking, piercing)
first.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: A promising fruit tree suitable for agroforestry.

Leafy branch with thorns and ripe fruit

323
 THE SPECIES

Flueggea virosa (Securinega virosa) Euphorbiaceae

Indigenous [Plate 2]
L OCAL NAMES : English: Snowberry tree; Maasai: Embaingu; Matengo:
Kimbalapala; Ngindo: Kipalapala bonde, Mtetakana; Ngoni: Mtengula;
Sambaa: Mkwamba; Swahili: Mkwamba, Mteja.
DESCRIPTION: A deciduous much-branched shrub, usually 1–3 m, occasionally a
tree to 7 m. BARK: Red-brown, smooth, later rough. Branchlets and leaf
stalks purple-red. LEAVES: Simple and alternate, very variable, to 6 cm,
wider at the tip, which may be notched, grey below. FLOWERS: Male and
female plants. Flowers small, green-yellow, sweet-scented, in leaf axils,
male flowers in clusters but only 1–5 female flowers. FRUIT: Small white
berries, only 5 mm across but edible and sweet. Pale green berries ripen
white, 4–5 mm across, edible and sweet with 5 soft segments containing
tiny seeds, pale brown and shiny.
ECOLOGY: Locally common in a wide variety of plant associations, mainly forest
edges and associated bushland, generally in higher rainfall areas, bushland
and thicket, extending into dry areas along water courses, sometimes on ter-
mite mounds, rocky slopes and common in disturbed places, 0–2,300 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in all areas of Tanzania, including Zanzibar and Pemba.
Also in Uganda, Kenya and the rest of Africa from Senegal to Somalia, south to
Namibia; southern Arabian peninsular, Socotra, Madagascar and east to Ja-
pan.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruit are juicy, sweet and eaten raw, usually by children but by every-
one during times of food scarcity.
Medicinal:
– Roots are boiled and the decoction used for treating bilharzia.
– Leaves are pounded, fermented and used as medicine for malaria. Leaves
are also used to treat stomach-ache.
– Fruit are crushed and rubbed into itching skin.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and used for firewood, withies, toothbrushes, storage
pots and pegs. Leaves and fruit are used for fodder. Also eaten by birds.
SEASON: Fruit are available from April to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated. Can be propagated by
seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: A fast-growing hardy shrub suitable for planting in wet land.

324
 THE SPECIES

Flueggea virosa (Securinega virosa) Euphorbiaceae

Fruit

One fruit section

Fruiting branch

325
 THE SPECIES

Friesodielsia obovata Annonaceae

(Popowia obovata)
Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: English: Bastard dwaba-berry, Monkey fingers, Northern dwaba-

berry; Hehe: Mduguya; Nyamwezi: Msalasi; Nyasa: Kunjengunjengu;
Sukuma: Nsalasi.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or small tree 1–5 m, but can be a scrambler or climber, the
branches spreading or drooping. BARK: Young branches with soft yellow hairs,
later grey-brown becoming dark grey. LEAVES: A clear blue-green, about 5–
10 cm long, paler below, softly hairy when young, alternate, tip rounded, base
rounded or lobed, on a short thick stalk, veins pale and clear both sides. FLOW-
ERS: Single, from a leaf-like bract just above the leaf axil, deep cream-
yellow with 3 outer and 3 inner petals, the latter curved around the stamens.
FRUIT: Bright scarlet-red when ripe, 3–8 together hanging down like “sau-
sages” or “fingers”, each cylindrical to 7 cm long, constricted between seeds,
hanging a long time on the tree, an acid-sweet edible flesh around the seeds.
ECOLOGY: Found in open woodlands or grasslands, thickets, especially riverine fring-
ing thickets, on termite mounds, rocky hills, often on sandy or granitic soils,
400–1,200 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in Tanzania, the Congo basin, Angola, Botswana, Malawi,
Mozambique, Zimbabwe. Widespread in Tanzania, e.g. found in Shinyanga,
Tabora, Lindi and Iringa Regions.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruit are sweet but slightly acid and are eaten fresh. The fleshy pulp is
swallowed and seeds are either discarded or also swallowed. They are much
liked by people of all ages. Juice and jam are made from the fruit.
Medicinal: Roots are boiled and the decoction is used for stomach-ache, infer-
tility in women and as an antidote for snakebite (Nyamwezi).
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The wood is hard and used for firewood, walking sticks, clubs, tool
handles, withies, grain stores (Vihenge—Nyamwezi). Fruit are also eaten
by birds.
SEASON: Ripe fruit are available from April to June.
STORAGE: Not usually stored, but occasionally dried in the sun and later soaked in
warm water before being eaten.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated. Can be propagated using
fresh seed, which must be scarified (cracked or pierced) before sowing.
STATUS: Locally common.

326
 THE SPECIES

Friesodielsia obovata Annonaceae

(Popowia obovata)

Fruiting branchlet
Flower

Fruit—part of skin
removed to show pulp

Seeds

327
 THE SPECIES

Garcinia buchananii Clusiaceae (Guttiferae)

(G. huillensis)
Indigenous [Plate 2]

LOCAL NAMES: English: Granite garcinia; Ha: Umusalasi; Hehe: Mduma, Mfilafila;
Matengo: Mholoholo; Maasai: Norkipiren; Nyakyusa: Unsongwa; Tongwe:
Kasolyo.
DESCRIPTION: A small evergreen under-storey tree, 6–13 m, often densely branched
to a thick dark shady crown. All parts contain a rather sticky yellow sap.
BARK: Smooth, dark grey-brown, later rough and flaking, the underbark a
bright red-brown. LEAVES: Opposite, thick and leathery, shiny dark
green above, paler below, lateral veins thin and fine on both sides, edge rolled
under and wavy, oval-oblong, usually 6–12 cm long, the tip long pointed,
the base narrow to a very short stalk, which may be very pink. Buds often resin
covered. FLOWERS: White, yellow or orange, about 1 cm across, female soli-
tary, male in clusters of 2–3, 4 petals and sepals around a sticky orange stigma,
“x” shaped when open. FRUIT: Fleshy berries, yellow-orange when ma-
ture, rounded, to 2.5 cm across. Edible but very acid pulp surrounds the seed.
The outer skin is tough and hard.
ECOLOGY: Occurs in evergreen forest, riverine thickets, densely wooded grassland
and in coastal forest on pure sand, 0–1,800 m; rainfall 800–1,800 mm. Thrives
well on sandy loams.
DISTRIBUTION: One of the many Garcinia species growing from east to southern
Africa, Rwanda, Burundi, the Congo basin and Sudan. Widespread in Tanzania
and found for example in Tanga, Lindi, Iringa, Morogoro and Rukwa Regions.
USES:
Food:
– Fruits are edible. They are collected when ripe, peeled and the pulp eaten
like an orange as a snack. They are tasty but somewhat acidic.
– An alcoholic drink is made from the fruit.
Medicinal: An infusion from the roots is used as an aphrodisiac and as a lotion
for sores.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for firewood, charcoal, tool handles, spoons, milk pots
and stools. The sap yields a yellow dye. The tree is used for shade and as an
ornamental.
SEASON: Collected in the dry season, April–June in Iringa.

STORAGE: Not stored.

MANAGEMENT: It is collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by local
people. Can be propagated by seed.

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 THE SPECIES

Garcinia buchananii (contd) Clusiaceae

STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

REMARKS: The species can be grown as a pure fruit orchard or intercropped with
coffee. Individual trees are good ornamentals.

Branch with small

groups of female
flowers

Bud
Flower

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 THE SPECIES

Garcinia livingstonei Clusiaceae (Guttiferae)

Indigenous

L OCAL NAMES : Bena: Mpugopugo; Digo: Kisambwe, Mfungatanzu; English:

African mangosteen; Hehe: Mpepete, Mpukopuko; Maasai: Enongeperen,
Olkifulwa; Ngindo: Mtiko; Nyamwezi: Kanala; Swahili: Mchanvia, Mkuku
mbuzi, Mpekechu, Mpeketo, Mtotozi, Mtumbi.
DESCRIPTION: A distinctive evergreen tree or shrub, 2–10 m, with a short bole. The
bark exudes drops of yellow to red latex when damaged. Large erect branches
support a heavy conical crown. In big trees branches arch over in a characteristic
way. Branching is often in threes—useful as stirring sticks. BARK: Dark grey-
black, ridged. LEAVES: Stiff and leathery in pairs or threes, 4–14 cm, edge
usually wavy, the veins irregular and raised on shiny upper surface.
FLOWERS: Cream-green, in small clusters, a sweetish smell, small green buds
sticky with resin. FRUIT: Yellow-orange, oval, 2.5 cm diameter, very many,
edible, acid-sweet, up to 5 seeds.
ECOLOGY: This tree is widespread in riverine forest, grassland, thickets and in open
woodland in tropical Africa, often under larger trees, 0–1,800 m; rainfall 800–
1,800 mm. Prefers sandy loam.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in all parts of Tanzania, e.g. in Tanga, Iringa, Morogoro and
Rukwa Regions. Also in Kenya, Uganda, west to Cameroon and south to South
Africa.
USES:
Food:
– Ripe fruits are fleshy and eaten raw. They have an acid-sweet taste and are
much liked by children and herdsmen.
– Fruits are soaked in warm water and squeezed. Then the juice is filtered
and sugar added.
Medicinal: Roots are soaked in cold water and the infusion is mixed with milk
and drunk to treat abdominal pains in pregnant women.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and used for building poles, tool handles, wooden
spoons, stirring sticks, firewood, pegs. The bark yields a yellow dye. The tree
is used for shade.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are available from October to December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated. Can be propagated by fresh
seed.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Two other Garcinia species with edible fruits are also found in Tanzania:

330
 THE SPECIES

Garcinia livingstonei Clusiaceae (Guttiferae)

1. G. kingäensis (Bena: Lifilafila, Mfilafila; English: Northern forest garcinia;

Kaguru: Mkowekowe; Kinga: Kisongwe; Swahili: Mpekecho) a shrub or large
tree up to 15 m high with twigs that are 4-sided in cross-section and orange
yellow fruits. It is found, e.g. in Kagera, Iringa, Morogoro, Dodoma and Mtwara
Regions. It also occurs in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and South Africa;
2. G. smeathmannii (Bena: Mduma; Ha: Umusalasi; Hehe: Mfilafila; Swahili:
Mpekechu, Mtumbu) a tree up to 30 m high, found, e.g. in Iringa, Mbeya,
Kagera and Kigoma Regions. It is also found from Guinea to Cameroon, in
Gabon, the Congo basin, Malawi and Zambia.

Young fruit

Flower

Flowering branch

Fruiting branch

331
 THE SPECIES

Grewia bicolor Tiliaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Mkole; Bende: Mkole; English: Donkey berry; Gogo: Mkole,
Mtafuta; Gorowa: Lomo; Haya: Mkomakoma; Hehe: Mkole, Mpelemehe,
Msesetya; Nyamkole; Iraqw: Lagaang-aawak; Maasai: Esitete, Olsiteti,
Osiminde, Ositeti; Mbugwe: Musuna-nu-kuu; Nyamwezi: Mkoma,
Mkomalendi; Nyaturu: Musuna-nu-kuu; Rangi: Mduwau; Sambaa: Mkole-
ngoda; Sandawi: Serekuúk; Sangu: Mpelemehe; Sukuma: Mkoma, Mukoma;
Swahili: Mfukufuku, Mkole, Mkone; Zaramo: Mkole mweupe, Mswere; Zinza:
Mkomakoma.
DESCRIPTION: A low shrub or tree, 2–10 m, in dry deciduous woodland, produces
suckers and branches from the base of the main trunk. BARK: Smooth when
young, dotted with breathing pores; later dark, rough and scaly. LEAVES: Oval
to oblong, pointed, 1–8 cm, the edge finely toothed, shiny green above
but pale grey-white below, drooping in the heat. FLOWERS: Golden yel-
low, sweet smelling, small petals bent back over larger sepals. FRUIT:
Rounded and soft, 5 mm, orange then black, hairy at first, edible, sweet
but sharp on the tongue.
ECOLOGY: Found in Tanzania from the coast to the highlands, on poor soils, although
it prefers calcareous soil, e.g. along river courses in Babati and Singida Districts,
800–2,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: A common tree of the semi-arid tropics in Africa and India. Widely
distributed in Tanzania, e.g. in Tabora, Iringa, Shinyanga, Dodoma and
Morogoro Regions. Also occurs in Kenya and Uganda.
USES:
Food:
– Ripe sweet fruits are picked from the tree and eaten raw as a snack. Only
the pulp is eaten and seeds are discarded.
– Ripe fruits are collected, lightly pounded in a grain mortar, soaked in water
and squeezed. The juice is filtered and drunk as it is or added to porridge.
– The juice from fruits can be fermented and made into an intoxicating drink.
Medicinal:
– Roots are pounded, soaked in cold water and the infusion drunk to treat
anaemia, chest pains, snakebite, colds, diarrhoea and infertility in women.
– The bark is chewed and put on wounds as a bandage.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and used for fuelwood, building poles, withies, walk-
ing sticks, clubs, pegs, bows, carrying beams and rakes. The tree is used for
bee forage and as an ornamental.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from April to June.

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 THE SPECIES

Grewia bicolor (contd) Tiliaceae

STORAGE: Not stored.

MANAGEMENT: Only collected from the wild. The species can be propagated by fresh
seed, which needs scarification (piercing or nicking).
STATUS: Locally common.

Flowering or fruiting
branch

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 THE SPECIES

Grewia conocarpoides Tiliaceae

Indigenous [Plate 2]

LOCAL NAMES: Nyamwezi: Mdati; Sukuma: Ndati; Swahili: Mkole.

DESCRIPTION: A shrub or small tree to 5 m with a dense rounded crown. BARK: Pale
grey. LEAVES: Oblong and stiff, 6–9 cm with very tiny shallow teeth along
the edges, mid green above, grey-white below due to tiny hairs (G. bicolor
also white below but has larger teeth on leaf margins), tip long pointed, base
rounded, one-sided, to a short stalk about 7 mm. FLOWERS: Green-white,
fragrant, quite small, inner surface of sepals and 5 petal lobes cream-white,
pale yellow stamens in the centre. FRUIT: Fleshy berries, without hairs,
single and rounded to 1.7 cm, orange-red when ripe.
ECOLOGY: A shrub of miombo bushland dominated by Brachystegia, on rocky hills
at medium altitudes, 800–1,200 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found only in the Tabora area.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruits are collected from the tree and eaten fresh as a snack, especially
by children and herdsmen.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and heavy, used for fuelwood, building poles, walk-
ing sticks, clubs, tool handles, withies and bows. The tree is a good source of
bee forage and fodder and a good ornamental.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are available from April to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Only collected from the wild. Propagation is possible using fresh seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution. Can be
propagated by seed.
REMARKS: This species is endemic to Tanzania.
Most of the over 40 Grewia species found in Tanzania are edible. One is G.
fallax, and other species are mentioned on the following pages covering Grewia..
1. G. fallax (Gogo: Mgwelu; Gorowa: Lomodu-aawak; Hehe: Mkaapu; Iraqw:
Lagangwi; Nyamwezi: Mkoma, Mkoma-mkulu; Sukuma: Nkoma; Swahili:
Mkole): a shrub 1.5–6 m high with rounded crown. LEAVES: Egg shaped, dark
green, 3–13 cm long with toothed margin. FLOWERS: Yellow. FRUIT: Orange,
turning black when ripe, 10–16 mm in diameter. It occurs in dry bushland,
bushed grassland, Acacia woodland and Brachystegia woodland, 300–1,500 m.
In Tanzania this species has been recorded in Mwanza, Kilimanjaro, Arusha
and Dodoma Regions. It is also found in Kenya, Sudan and Somalia.

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 THE SPECIES

Grewia conocarpoides Tiliaceae

Flowers

Fruit

G. fallax
Flower

Fruit

335
 THE SPECIES

Grewia mollis Tiliaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Arusha: Ositeti; Bena: Mpelemehe; Gogo: Mkole; Gorowa: Lomo;
Ha: Umushamgumu; Hehe: Mkole, Mpelemehe; Iraqw: Lagagir-daat; Kuria:
Mkomakoma; Maasai: Ositeti; Nyamwezi: Mkoma; Nyaturu: Musuna;
Rangi: Mduwau; Sandawi: /./.Hwaa, X’waa; Sangu: Mpelemehe; Sukuma:
Mdagwata; Sumbwa: Mukoma; Swahili: Mkole.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or small tree 1.5–9 m, often multi-stemmed, with spreading
hairy branches, twiggy at the tips, often purple on drying. BARK: Black and
rough, thick and flaky, deeply fissured, a yellow-green fibrous
undersurface. LEAVES: Pale green above but grey-white silky hairs
cover the lower surface, long oval, 4–18 cm x 2–6 cm wide, 3 veins from the
base, side veins clear and parallel veins between, edge clearly toothed,
sometimes double-toothed, tip pointed, sharply stalked. FLOWERS: Beside leaves
on 1–3 stalks over 1 cm long, each with 2–3 flowers; the 5 sepals, about 1 cm
long, are hairy outside and enclose the hairy central ovary. FRUIT: 1–2 rounded
lobes slightly hairy, sharply tipped, each 5–7 mm; black, edible when ripe.
ECOLOGY: One of the Grewia species found in moist woodlands of East Africa. Does
well in low- and medium-altitude savanna woodlands, wooded grasslands and
riverine thickets, up to 1,600 m; rainfall 1,000–1,400 mm. Thrives in a variety
of soil types.
DISTRIBUTION: From Senegal in West Africa to the Sudan and East Africa, through
the Congo basin, south to Botswana and Mozambique. Widespread in Tanzania;
found for example in Tabora, Mwanza, Rukwa and Arusha Regions.
USES:
Food:
Ripe, sweet fruits are collected from the trees and eaten fresh as a snack.
The hard seed is discarded.
Medicinal: Leaves are pounded and soaked in water and the infusion drunk
to reduce gas in the stomach. It is also used to treat constipation in domestic
animals.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The leaves can be crushed, mixed with water and used as a shampoo
against head lice. The wood is used for walking sticks, building poles and
charcoal in many areas.
SEASON: Fruits are collected at the end of the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local people.
Can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

336
 THE SPECIES

Grewia mollis Tiliaceae

Fruit

Enlarged flower

337
 THE SPECIES

Grewia platyclada Tiliaceae

Indigenous

L OCAL NAMES : Arusha: Olmangulai-oloingoni; Gogo: Mpelemehe; Gorowa:

Firaakwi, Lomo-peh; Hehe: Mkole, Mpelemehe; Iraqw: Uduboguta; Maasai:
Olmangulai-oloing’oni; Nyamwezi: Mpelemense; Rangi: Iperemesu,
Mpelemesu; Sandawi: Khoa, Xóá, X’waa; Sangu: Mbajua; Sukuma:
Mpelemese; Swahili: Mkole; Tongwe: Lunkukuma.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or small rounded tree to 4 m, or a strong woody climber to
4–5 m, sometimes forming thickets. The looping angular stems thicken with
age and become rope-like hanging between the trees. BARK: Young
branchlets and shoots covered with soft brown hairs, later strongly 3–4
ribbed, dark brown or grey with paler elongated breathing pores. LEAVES:
More or less oval to 10 cm long, 5 cm across, the edge with coarse teeth, hairy
both sides, only slightly one-sided at the base, many parallel veins, hairy
below. FLOWERS: Bright orange-yellow, star-like, beside leaves, the 5
petals about the same length as the sepals which are yellow inside, long and
narrow, buds oblong, to 1.5 cm. FRUIT: Shiny berries, each one to 1 cm
across in heads of 4 (but some fail to develop so 1,2,3 often seen).
ECOLOGY: A thicket-forming shrub in degraded bushland, on hillsides, often on
stony soil, thickets in gullies, lowland forest, edges and clearings, 800–1,200 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Recorded in several areas of western and central Tanzania, e.g. in
Shinyanga, Dodoma, Kigoma and Singida Regions. Also in Uganda, the Congo
basin and Mozambique.
USES:
Food:
Fruits are edible and can be added to porridge as a substitute for sugar.
Medicinal: Roots used to treat menstrual problems, stomach problems during
pregnancy and other disorders in women.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and used for fuelwood, building poles, weaving local
doors, withies and walking sticks. The plant is used for fodder.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from April to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated. Can be propagated by
seed.
STATUS: Locally common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

338
 THE SPECIES

Grewia platyclada Tiliaceae

Oblong buds

Fruit

339
 THE SPECIES

Grewia similis Tiliaceae

Indigenous [Plate 2]

LOCAL NAMES : Arusha: Olmkoma; Bondei: Mnangu; Chagga: Mlela; Gogo:

Kisesetya, Mtafuta; Gorowa: Saski; Haya: Umukoma; Hehe: Mkole,
Mpelemehe, Nyakisesetya, Nyamkole; Iraqw: Furudou, Mgombaryandi, Saski;
Isanzu: Mukuma; Kaguru: Mseseza; Maasai: Eirii, Sajagi; Nyagatwa:
Mbudu; Nyamwezi: Mkomabubu; Nyaturu: Mukhantokhanto; Nyir:
Mukuma; Pare: Mnangu; Rangi: Mnangu; Sambaa: Mnangu; Sandawi:
Tsampure; Sukuma: Ndagwasa; Swahili: Mkole; Zaramo: Mkole mweupe.
DESCRIPTION: A straggling shrub or small tree to 3 m, sometimes a climbing liane
with woody knobs on the old stems. LEAVES: Shiny dark green above, oval to
rounded, about 5 cm long tip and base variable, the edge finely toothed, 3
veins from the base prominent below, slightly rough, hairy. FLOWERS:
Attractive mauve-pink with yellow anthers in the centre, in terminal or axillary
groups of 3–6 flowers, each star shaped about 3 cm across, 5 petals oblong, 5
sepals pointed, mauve inside and as long or longer than the petals.
Flowers open late in the morning. FRUIT: Fleshy berries, deeply 4-lobed
although some lobes may not develop, each one about 5–10 mm across, orange-
red when ripe.
ECOLOGY: A plant of dry evergreen mountain forest and forest edges, riverine thicket,
evergreen bushland or bushed grassland, coastal thicket, 100–2,300 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania, e.g. in Arusha, Iringa, Kagera, Morogoro
and Tanga Regions. Also in Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Rwanda and Burundi.
USES:
Food:
– Ripe fruits are sweet and eaten raw as a snack. They are picked from the
tree in handfuls and eaten in small amounts, especially by children and
herdsmen.
– Ripe fruits are collected, soaked in warm water and the juice used to sweeten
porridge.
Medicinal: The bark is pounded and the powder used to treat wounds, sores
and snakebite (Nyamwezi).
Commercial: Marketed in local markets (Gogo).
Other: The wood is hard and heavy and used for building poles, fuelwood, tool
handles, walking sticks, pegs, withies, bows and clubs.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from April to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated. The species can be
propagated using seeds.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

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 THE SPECIES

Grewia similis Tiliaceae

Flowering shoot

Fruit Enlarged flower

341
 THE SPECIES

Grewia trichocarpa Tiliaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Swahili: Mkole.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or small spreading tree, 1.5–6 m. BARK: Smooth silver-grey
to brown, sometimes with vertical bands of brown lenticels. LEAVES: Variable
in size, 3–11 cm long, generally oval with a well-pointed tip, the edge with
sharp pointed irregular teeth, the base unequal sided, 3 veins to the
base, paler below with a few hairs. FLOWERS: A striking plant when covered
with golden-yellow flowers. They arise on stalks, 2–3 together from leaf
axils, buds oval, opening with 5 sepals, yellow-green, 6–11 mm, 5 smaller
yellow petals within, only 3–7 mm, the many central stamens have orange
stalks, ovary hairy. FRUIT: Single berries, rounded, slightly hairy, 5–7 mm
across, ripening orange, on hairy stalks.
ECOLOGY: Common in wooded grasslands and in A. tortilis woodlands. Occurs
naturally in lowland and at medium altitude with rainfall 900–1,400 mm.
Thrives in a variety of soil types.
DISTRIBUTION: Found from Senegal in West Africa, east to the Sudan and Ethiopia
and south to Angola and Botswana. In Tanzania this species is common at
Samina in Geita District (Mwanza Region), Pugu Forest Reserve in Pwani
Region and at Kisesa near Mwanza.
USES:
Food:
The fruit are edible and taste sweet. Fruit are frequently collected from the
tree when ripe and eaten as a snack, especially by children.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for building poles, fuelwood, tool handles and withies.
The tree is important as a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from April to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by local people.
Can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Another edible Grewia species, and one which is endemic to Tanzania, is
G. goetzeana (Luguru: Mkole; Rufiji: Mshiri; Sambaa: Mkole-ng’ombe;
Swahili: Mkole; Vidunda: Mkole-bwabwa): a shrub to 2.5 m or a tall tree 10–
20 m with large rounded crown and brown flaky bark. LEAVES: Large, 4–14
cm long x 2–9 cm wide with toothed margin. FLOWERS: Yellow. FRUITS:
Orange, usually in pairs, rounded, up 1 cm in diameter. Found in open savanna,
at forest edges and river banks and in bushland, 0–300 m. Common in the
lowlands, e.g. around Kilosa, Morogoro, Lindi and Mombo.

342
 THE SPECIES

Grewia trichocarpa Tiliaceae

Fruits

One flower
Flowering stem

G. goetzeana

343
 THE SPECIES

Grewia villosa Tiliaceae

Indigenous

L OCAL NAMES : Arusha: Olmangulai; Fiome: Lomo; Iraqw: Amu; Maasai:

Emangulai, Emankulai, Ilmankula (plural), Olmangulai, Olmankulai;
Mbugwe: Motoo; Nyaturu: Mumpembe; Swahili: Mkole, Mkorobosho.
DESCRIPTION: A deciduous shrub about 3 m, with very distinctive leaves; young
parts covered with pale silky hairs, branches purple-brown. LEAVES: Almost
round, to 12 cm across, on stalks to 4 cm; paler below and more hairy, 5
veins clearly seen. FLOWERS: Pink, turning yellow with age, in small
clusters without stalks, opposite leaves. FRUIT: Usually single, soft and
hairy when ripe, red-brown, about 1 cm across, 1–2 hard seeds within each
nut.
ECOLOGY: It is common in medium-altitude areas in semi-arid bushland characterized
by Acacia tortilis and Lannea humilis, up to 1,200 m; rainfall 900–1,200 mm.
Thrives in black-cotton soil and in sedimentary soils.
DISTRIBUTION: From West Africa to the Sudan, Eritrea and Kenya, south to South
Africa. In Tanzania it is common, for example in Same and Babati Districts.
USES:
Food:
The sweet pulp of the ripe reddish-brown fruit is eaten as a snack, especially
by herdsmen, while the seeds may be discarded.
Other: Yields a good fibre used for making ropes. Small stems used for making
granaries.
Medicinal: Roots used to treat body pains.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected in May–July.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by local people.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Another edible Grewia species is G. hexamita (Bende: Mkole-dume;
English: Large-flowered yellow grewia; Gogo: Mhafuta, Mgukwe, Mgwelu;
Hehe: Mkole; Nyamwezi: Mkoma; Rangi: Mduwau; Swahili: Mkole): a shrub
or small tree up to 5 m high; stems with woolly red-brown hairs. LEAVES: Up
to 10 cm long and 6 cm wide, shiny green above, hairy white beneath; base
cordate, strongly asymmetric. FLOWERS: In axillary clusters, large, 4–5 cm in
diameter, golden yellow. FRUIT: A drupe, often 2 deeply divided lobes, yellow-
brown to red when ripe, up to 2 cm in diameter. It grows in wooded grasslands,
bushland, usually on termite mounds, and in river valleys. Has been recorded
at Mpwapwa and Matomondo in Dodoma Region, Mombo Forest Reserve near
Korogwe (Tanga Region) and in Nyang’olo Hills in Iringa Region. It is also
found in South Africa.

344
 THE SPECIES

Grewia villosa Tiliaceae

Flower

Fruit

G. hexamita

Large flower

Fruit

345
 THE SPECIES

Guizotia scabra Compositeae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Luo: Nyamnina, Onina; Sambaa: Mpuishi.

DESCRIPTION: An erect, usually perennial herb to 2 m high from a wiry rootstock,
variable in form. LEAVES: Opposite, without stalks, usually clasping the
stem towards the apex, narrow oblong, edge toothed or not, very rough
(scabrid) to the touch. FLOWERS: Bright yellow, in loosely branched
terminal heads, each flower with one row of outer ray florets, petals with 5–9
veins and 3 teeth, the surrounding green bracts 15 mm, free to the base, very
many inner yellow disc florets. FRUIT: Smooth, straight edged, 3–4-angled
tiny black achenes, no hairy pappus.
ECOLOGY: It does well in abandoned fields, disturbed areas and secondary regrowth,
often growing profusely and gregariously making it easy to harvest when
mature. Common in lowland and medium-altitude areas, up to 1,200 m; rainfall
1,100–1,700 mm. It is a weed that grows in a variety of soils.
DISTRIBUTION: Found from West Africa to the Sudan and Kenya, the Congo basin,
and south to South Africa. In Tanzania, this species is found, for example, near
Bagamoyo (Pwani Region), in Iringa Region and near Monduli in Arusha Region.
USES:
Food:
Tender leaves are collected, chopped and cooked alone or mixed with other
green vegetables such as amaranth or peas. Coconut milk, cooking oil,
pounded groundnuts or sunflower seeds are added and the vegetable served
with ugali or rice.
Commercial: Not marketed.
SEASON: Seeds are collected late in the first dry season, and leaves in the rainy
season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: This is a weed that invades immediately after a major crop, e.g.
simsim, has been harvested.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Germination of seeds is enhanced by seasonal fires.

346
 THE SPECIES

Guizotia scabra Compositeae

Bracts

Ray florets

Disc florets

347
 THE SPECIES

Habenaria epipactidea (H. foliosa) Orchidaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Matengo: Chichala, Kikande chanima, Kikande chichala, Kikande
jike, Kikande maka, Kikande mgosi, Manjorosa; Sambaa: Kimachura; Ngoni:
Kikande chanima, Kikande chichala, Kikande jike, Kikande maka, Kikande
mgosi, Manjorosa; Ndendeule: Kikande chanima, Kikande chichala, Kikande
jike, Kikande maka, Kikande mgosi, Manjorosa.
DESCRIPTION: A terrestrial orchid 30–55 cm tall, the stout erect stem arising
from underground tubers variously shaped to 6 cm long and 3 cm across,
often depressed rounded with the shoot arising on one side, a dark woolly
covering but grey-white and fleshy inside. LEAVES: 8–15 leaves overlap
closely and cover the stem, the lowest sheath-like, largest 5–12 cm x 2.5 cm
wide, smaller leaves at the top of the stem, similar to bracts, pale green.
FLOWERS: Sweetly scented on a cylindrical spike 6–16 cm long x 2–5 cm across,
with 7 to many flowers close together, with narrow pointed bracts shorter
than the flowers; flowers curved outwards, upper sepals pale green, petals
and lip cream–lemon yellow or white, sepals with darker green veins, ovary
plus the slender stalk about 2 cm, the dorsal sepal like a hood, the white petals
ovate-circular, a 3-lobed lip with a mid lobe longer, about 1 cm, and
reduced, entire side lobes, the spur 1.7–3 cm. Two very short processes at
the base. FRUIT: Elliptic capsules with slits to release tiny seeds.
ECOLOGY: Found in grasslands with short grass, especially where seasonally damp
or in rocky gullies, dry bush, 1,100–1,800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Well distributed in central and northern parts of Tanzania, e.g.
around Kondoa, Ngorongoro, Musoma, Mwanza and Shinyanga. Also found in
Kenya, Uganda, Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, Ethiopia, Rwanda
and Botswana.
USES:
Food:
– Tubers are dug out from the ground, peeled and cooked. They are then eaten
like potatoes.
– Tubers are peeled, pounded and baked into mealy cakes which are eaten
with tea.
Commercial: Tubers are very popular and are sold in local markets as well as
other countries such as Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.
Other: The plant is good for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Tubers are dug out from the ground at the end of the rainy season, i.e.
from May to July.
STORAGE: Tubers can be stored in a cool place for several weeks.
M ANAGEMENT : Collected from the wild and not cultivated. The plant can be
propagated by tubers.

348
 THE SPECIES

Habenaria epipactidea (contd) Orchidaceae

STATUS: Locally common but becoming increasingly rare due to over collecting.
Harvesting of orchid tubers destroys the whole plant and is thus an
unsustainable harvesting method which should be discouraged. To
maintain wild populations, studies on domestication are urgently needed.
REMARKS: A promising crop for cultivation and breeding.

Flowering spike

Overlapping leaves

Spur

Underground tuber

349
 THE SPECIES

Habenaria walleri (H. soyauxii) Orchidaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Kikande; Fipa: Binika; Kinga: Chikande, Kikande; Matengo:
Chanima; Ngoni: Kikande; Wanji: Kikande.
DESCRIPTION: A terrestrial orchid with stout erect stems 40–80 cm, arising from
fleshy, tuberous roots. LEAVES: 7–10 erect leaves, long oval, pointed, the largest
6–14 cm, upper leaves similar to the bracts, all close to the stem. FLOWERS:
Green sepals, other parts white in a head 8–28 cm, fragrant at night, the
upper petal lobe 15–30 mm, two or three times as long and wide as the rest, a 3-
lobed lip with narrow lateral spreading lobes longer than the middle
lobe, the swollen spur very long, 13–17 cm, in bud the green dorsal sepal
makes a convex pointed hood over the petals, about 1.5 cm long and 1 cm wide.
FRUIT: Oblong or spindle-shaped capsules opening by slits to free tiny seed.
ECOLOGY: Swampy grasslands with scattered Acacia, 1,000–2,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in western and southern areas of Tanzania, including the
Southern Highlands. Also in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Cameroon, Sudan,
Gabon, the Congo basin, Burundi, Malawi, Zambia.
USES:
Food:
– Tubers are dug out from the ground, peeled, cooked and eaten like potatoes.
– Tubers are peeled, washed, pounded and baked into edible cakes.
Medicinal: Roots are pounded and soaked in cold water. The resulting liquid is
used in the treatment of stomach-ache.
Commercial: Sold in both rural and urban markets.
Other: The plant may be used for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Tubers are excavated from May to July.
STORAGE: Tubers can be stored in a cool dry place for several weeks.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated. It can be propagated
using tubers.
STATUS: Locally common but becoming increasingly rare due to over collecting.
Harvesting of orchid tubers destroys the whole plant and is thus an
unsustainable harvesting method which should be discouraged. To
maintain wild populations, studies on domestication are urgently needed.

350
 THE SPECIES

Habenaria walleri (H. soyauxii) Orchidaceae

Very long spur

Underground tuber

351
 THE SPECIES

Harungana madagascariensis Clusiaceae (Guttiferae)

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: English: Orange-milk tree; Sambaa: Mkuntu; Swahili: Mbura,

Mdamudamu, Mkekundu, Mngonengone, Mtunu; Tongwe: Mtunu.
D ESCRIPTION : A pioneer shrub or tree, 3–18 m, usually much branched, but
occasionally with a cylindrical trunk to 25 m (Bwindi Forest, Uganda). BARK:
Red-brown, scaling, sap blood red when cut, also from branches and leaves.
Branchlets, young leaves and leaf stalks all appear orange-brown as
they are covered with short rusty hairs. LEAVES: Opposite and simple, oval,
6–20 cm long, tip pointed, base rounded, glands visible against the light, shiny
dark green above, rusty brown below. The youngest leaves at the tips of
the branches remain tightly pressed together until quite large, the brown lower
surfaces quite characteristic. Leaf stalk to 3 cm. FLOWERS: Very small
with sweet almond scent, in dense many-flowered terminal heads, 8–20 cm
across, rather flat; the five tiny white petals have black gland dots. FRUIT:
Very small, 3–4 mm, rather dry, green-orange, then deep red in heavy massed
heads 25–30 cm across.
ECOLOGY: Does well in lowland and upland rainforest and at forest edges, disturbed
areas, in thickets, in grasslands and around termite mounds, 0–1,800 m; rainfall
1,100–1,800 mm. Tolerant to various soil types.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in tropical Africa, and in Madagascar. Common in many
parts of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.
USES:
Food:
The ripe yellow to orange-brown berries are edible. They are collected in
handfuls and eaten as a snack. They taste sweet and are eaten especially by
children.
Medicinal:
– The bark is used to treat malaria.
– The sap is used in the treatment of scabies and tapeworm.
– The leaves are rubbed on the head to treat headache. Leaves are also used
to treat diarrhoea, STDs, sore throats and bleeding. Leaves and bark are
used in the treatment of bloody diarrhoea.
– Roots are used to hasten breast development in young women. The bark
and roots are boiled and the infusion is taken twice a day to interrupt menses.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The bark and roots are chewed as a substitute for toothpaste and used
as a lipstick. The wood is used for timber, building poles, tool handles, fuelwood,
grain mortars and wooden spoons. The bark produces yellow dye. The tree is
also important in agroforestry and as a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Collected in August–December

352
 THE SPECIES

Harungana madagascariensis (contd) Clusiaceae

STORAGE: Not stored.

MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local people.
Can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: It is easily identified by its orange or blood-red resin which exudes readily
from broken leaves and twigs, as well as from a slash in the bark, and the
species is often tapped for dye.

Flower

Flowering shoot

353
 THE SPECIES

Heliotropium zeylanicum Boraginaceae

(H. subulatum)
Indigenous

L OCAL NAMES : Hehe: Nyalulimi lwisenga; Sambaa: Ngola moyo; Sangu:

Nyasowasa.
DESCRIPTION: An erect perennial herb to 80 cm, sometimes bent over, spreading
from a long thick rootstock, the stems branched and woody at the base,
covered with few or many hairs. LEAVES: Long and thin to 9 cm x 1 cm
across, sharply tipped, narrowed at the base to a very short stalk, some hairs
above and below. FLOWERS: Quite small, yellow-green, along spike-like
stalks, flowers opening in turn from the base, sometimes curled up when young,
flowers only on one side of the spike, each with a tiny hairy bell-shaped calyx,
tubular white corolla, the 5 lobes yellow-green, triangular with a
thread-like tip. FRUIT: Rounded, only about 2 mm, breaking into 4 nutlets.
The stalk lengthens to 30 cm.
ECOLOGY: In very dry bushland, grassland or scattered tree grassland, a weed of
roadsides and cultivation, locally common, 0–1,700 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania; Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan
and much of West Africa, Central and South Africa, Socotra and the Comoro
Islands, to India.
USES:
Food:
Tender leaves are collected, sorted, chopped and cooked alone or with other
vegetables such as Amaranthus, Bidens or Galinsoga. Coconut milk or
pounded groundnuts are then added, and the dish is served with a staple.
Medicinal: Leaves and roots are pounded and boiled. The decoction is drunk
as medicine for postpartum diseases in women.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is important for fodder and ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated. Can be propagated by
seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Recognized as a bad weed of farms.

354
 THE SPECIES

Heliotropium zeylanicum Boraginaceae

Plant habit

One flower, enlarged

Carpels ripen to
4 nutlets
Nutlet containing seed

355
 THE SPECIES

Hewittia sublobata Convolvulaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Utambaa-ngoswei; Sambaa: Utambaa-ngoshwe.

DESCRIPTION: A climbing or prostrate perennial herb with slender stems, 1–2 m,
occasionally rooting at the nodes. LEAVES: Variable, mostly heart shaped,
3–16 cm long x 1–3 cm across, the base straight to heart shaped, the tip pointed,
on a stalk about 1 cm long, with sparse soft hairs. FLOWERS: One to
several, clustered on a branched stalk to 8 cm beside leaves, each flower funnel
shaped, about 2.5 cm long, yellow or white, the centre purple-pink. The simple
style has 2 flattened oval stigmas. Pointed bracts surround the flower
base, to 17 mm. Green hairy sepals are pointed, the 3 outer sepals oval and
enlarge in fruit, with 2 smaller inner ones. FRUIT: A 1-celled hairy capsule,
about 1 cm across, containing 2–4 seeds.
ECOLOGY: A creeping vine that does well in the medium-altitude areas in grasslands,
woodlands, thickets and at forest edges, up to 1,800 m; rainfall 1,100–2,100
mm. Thrives in deep sandy loams with permanent moisture, but tolerates a
range of soil types.
DISTRIBUTION: Found throughout tropical Africa and Asia. Introduced to Jamaica
and the Americas. Common in East Africa.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are collected, chopped, boiled, the water drained and the vegetable
mixed with pounded groundnuts or coconut milk and eaten with ugali or
rice. Alternatively, it is cooked with other vegetables such as Amaranthus or
Bidens, coconut milk or groundnut paste added and served with a staple.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant can be used for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Collected in the rainy season
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local people.
Can be propagated by seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Considered a bad weed of farms.

356
 THE SPECIES

Hewittia sublobata Convolvulaceae

Fruit capsule
Style and stigma

Flower

Variety of leaf shapes

357
 THE SPECIES

Hexalobus monopetalus Annonaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: English: Shakama plum; Hehe: Mfiwi, Mfyuwi; Ngindo: Mkungu
mwali; Nyamwezi: Mkuwa; Nyasa: Mkungumwale; Sukuma: Mkuwa.
DESCRIPTION : A semi-deciduous shrub or under-storey tree, 4–8 m, horizontal
branching to a rounded crown, often quite dense. BARK: Grey-brown, smooth,
becoming flaky with rectangular scales; characteristic short hard leaf bases
where the leaves will break off (see illustration). LEAVES: Simple, stiff, long
oval, 3–11 cm, tip broadly rounded, base more or less rounded to a short
stalk, dense hairs on the midrib below, veins clear above, olive green above,
yellow-green below. FLOWERS: Solitary or in clusters beside leaves, not
stalked, 6 cream-yellow petals, crinkly, spider-like, joined at the base, 2.5
cm long. Characteristic red-brown buds only open after leaf fall, April–August,
just before rains. FRUIT: 1–3 cylindrical capsules (like short fingers), to 3.5
cm, soft and fleshy, narrowed between seeds, red-black when ripe. Each
section has several brown seeds in edible flesh, March–May.
ECOLOGY: Found in miombo woodland and Combretum–Terminalia scrub, 900–
1,500 m; rainfall 750–1,300 mm. Grows in various soil types including sandy
soils, sandy loams and sandy clay loams.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in drier parts of tropical Africa from Sudan to South
Africa. In Tanzania, it is found, e.g. in Shinyanga, Kigoma, Tabora, Iringa
and Lindi Regions.
USES:
Food:
The fruit are edible. Ripe fruit are usually collected from the tree, the pulp
eaten and the seeds rejected. Sometimes mature fruit are collected and stored
for one or two days to ripen. They are sweet-sour and much favoured by
children, herdsmen and farmers.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for firewood, poles, tool handles, bows, gunstocks,
spoons and carvings.
SEASON: Collected during the rainy season between January and April.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: It is collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by local
people. Can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Uncommon and very scattered in its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Suitable for use in agroforestry.

358
 THE SPECIES

Hexalobus monopetalus Annonaceae

Fruiting branchlet

Fruit

Remaining leaf
base

Buds

359
 THE SPECIES

Hibiscus acetosella Malvaceae

Tropical West Africa, Angola

LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Lumaka; Sambaa: Kololwe, Lumaka.

DESCRIPTION: An attractive Hibiscus with several stems from the base, or a shrub to
2 m with attractive red-purple stems and leaves, lines of small hairs on the
stems or hairless. Stems fibrous. LEAVES: Alternate, lower leaves deeply 3–
lobed, upper leaves simple, edges wide toothed, tips rather rounded, blunt, all a
deep red-purple, 5 veins from the base and clear vein network, on stalks up to
10 cm long. FLOWERS: Pink-red to wine coloured, with 5 thin petals, darker
in the centre, on stalks less than 1 cm, single in leaf axils. The 8–10 outer
sepals divided into 2 clear lobes, one spoon shaped, one small and
narrow, inner and outer calyx with short and spiny hairs. FRUIT: Capsules to
2 cm long becoming papery and opening to set free 7–8 dry brown seeds.
ECOLOGY : Grows in secondary regrowth after trampling by animals or after
cultivation. Occurs mainly in lowl- and medium-altitude areas.
DISTRIBUTION: From Senegal to East Africa and south to Mozambique. In Tanzania,
this species has been recorded in Mbeya, Rukwa, Tanga and Tabora Regions.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are collected, chopped and wilted in the sun. Then they are washed,
boiled and mixed with beans or peas. Simsim or groundnut paste may also
be added and the dish served with a staple. It tastes bitter, has an attractive
consistency and is used occasionally to thicken sauces and improve the con-
sistency of a dish. Eaten in small amounts (Nyakyusa).
Medicinal: Leaves are crushed and soaked in cold water and the infusion is
used for washing babies who have body pains.
Commercial: Not marketed.
SEASON: Collected in the rainy seasons.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, as an escape, but also cultivated as a vegetable
in homegardens. Seeds are collected and stored for planting next season.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.

360
 THE SPECIES

Hibiscus acetosella Malvaceae

Capsules and seed

Views of calyx

Flower

361
 THE SPECIES

Hibiscus calyphyllus Malvaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Digo: Kungala.

DESCRIPTION: A tall perennial herb or undershrub, about 2 m, with long hairs.
LEAVES: Long stalked, rounded to oval, shallowly 3-lobed, the tip well pointed,
edge round to sharp toothed, base heart shaped, hairy or not. FLOWERS: Very
showy, solitary on jointed stalks from leaf axils, about 9 cm across, 5 yellow
petals with a purple-maroon base, each 5 cm long, the central stamen
column about 4 cm with 5 stigmas, the 5 outer sepals over 1.5 m wide,
narrowed at the base. FRUIT: An ovoid capsule, densely hairy, 2.5 cm long,
shorter than the calyx and beaked at the tip.
ECOLOGY: Thickets, roadsides in forests, riverine forests, at forest edges and in
disturbed areas in forests, up to 1,800 m; rainfall 1,100–1,600 mm. Tolerates a
variety of soils.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in tropical Africa and found in most parts of Tanzania,
including Serengeti National Park and around Korogwe (Tanga Region),
Karagwe (Kagera Region) and in Morogoro Region.
USES:
Food:
The leaves are collected, wilted, chopped and boiled together with other coarse
vegetables to improve the consistency and to make the sauce thicker. These
are eaten frequently in moderate amounts. Served with a staple.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are crushed and used as medicine for sores.
– Roots are boiled and used in a steam bath, and the liquid also drunk as a
remedy for pneumonia.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fibre and ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Leaves are collected in the rainy season when they are still tender.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local people.
Can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

362
 THE SPECIES

Hibiscus calyphyllus Malvaceae

Flower

Fruit capsule

363
 THE SPECIES

Hibiscus diversifolius Malvaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Hehe: Mhang’ana; Zigua: Mhangana.

DESCRIPTION: A tall perennial woody herb to 3 m, sometimes shrubby, even a
tree to 10 m, the hairy stalks with short red hard prickles, occasionally on
leaf stalks as well. BARK: Grey-brown, young branches hairy and densely
covered with prickles. LEAVES: Broad oval to circular in outline, about 16 cm
across, lower leaves with 3–7 shallow lobes, base heart shaped, edges
unevenly toothed, upper surface with star-shaped hairs, lower surface with
longer hairs, on a stalk to 12 cm, upper leaves usually simple. FLOWERS:
Variable in colour, yellow or purple, centre dark red-purple, to 8 cm across but
often drooping and not spreading out, outer sepals 6 or more, 1 cm long,
covered with long hairs, over 1.5 mm wide. FRUIT: An ovoid capsule to 2
cm, sharply pointed and densely covered with hairs.
ECOLOGY: Riverine areas and swamps in open vegetation, up to 1,800 m; rainfall
1,400–2,100 mm. Thrives in deep clay soils with permanent moisture.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in the tropics from West Africa to the Sudan and south
to Angola, Botswana and South Africa. Found in northern, eastern and southern
highland areas of Tanzania.
USES:
Food:
The leaves are eaten though they taste bitter or sour. They are collected,
wilted in the sun, chopped and added to cooking beans or peas. Groundnut
paste may also be added to thicken the sauce. Eaten together with a staple
during the dry season as a substitute for other more preferred vegetables.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The bark is used for fibre and the plant for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Collected from swamps in the dry season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: It is collected from the wild but also cultivated and protected in
homegardens.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: In Malawi the bark fibres have been used as string to make mats and
the flowers cooked as a side dish.

364
 THE SPECIES

Hibiscus diversifolius Malvaceae

Flower

Fruit

365
 THE SPECIES

Hibiscus surattensis Malvaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Digo: Mwalavi, Mwawawu; Sambaa: Kololwe, Lumaka; Tongwe:
Kakonda.
DESCRIPTION: A large hairy annual plant, sometimes trailing or climbing to 6 m; all
parts, including the weak stems and leaf stalks, covered with small
downward-pointing soft prickles and hairs. LEAVES: Palmate, with 3–7
lobes, edges toothed, prickles on nerves below, on stalks to 8 cm. Pairs of oval
leafy stipules beside the stalks are characteristic. Leaves often reddish.
FLOWERS: Very showy orange-yellow, over 7 cm across, petals dark red-
maroon at the centre. The 6 or more outer sepals divide into a narrow
erect lobe and a broader oval lobe. The 5 inner sepals lengthen to 2.5 cm in
fruit, tip pointed, covered with hairs. FRUIT: Ovoid capsules break open to set
free downy seeds.
ECOLOGY: Occurs in grassland and at forest edges at low and medium altitudes, up
to 1,600 m; rainfall 1,000–1,600 mm. Thrives in a variety of soil types.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in the Sudan, the Congo basin, East Africa and south to
Angola and Botswana. In Tanzania, it is common, for example around Muheza,
Korogwe, Morogoro, Kibaha and Bagamoyo.

One divided sepal

Leaves with 3–7 lobes

Prickles and hairs on stem

366
 THE SPECIES

Hibiscus surattensis (contd) Malvaceae

USES: H. micranthus
Food:
Leaves are collected, boiled and
added to peas or groundnuts. It is
used to thicken sauces and eaten
in small amounts with the staple.
Medicinal:
– Leaves and stems are burnt and
the ash rubbed on affected parts of
the abdomen to relieve hernia.
– Leaves, stems and flowers are
pounded, soaked in cold water and
the infusion is used as a bath to
stop the itching of chickenpox.
Commercial: Not marketed.
SEASON: Leaves collected in the early
flush of the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild
and not protected or cultivated by
local people.
STATUS: It is uncommon and difficult to
find.
REMARKS: Several other Hibiscus species
are eaten as vegetables, including the
following:
1. H. micranthus (Sambaa: Mhurusha-
mbuzi) a shrub up to 2.5 m high with H. ludwigii
a hairy stem and leaves, purple
flowers. This species is widespread in
Tanzania;
2. H. ludwigii (Matengo: Lipeke-peke;
Sambaa: Kororwe, Lumaka) a shrub
up to 2.5 m high with hairy leaves
and large yellow flowers found in
Arusha, Kilimanjaro and Mbeya
Regions.

367
 THE SPECIES

Hirtella megacarpa Chrysobalanaceae

(Acioa goetzeana)
Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Sambaa: Mwawa; Swahili: Mkonechacha, Mwawa.
DESCRIPTION: A tall evergreen tree reaching 25 m. Branchlets hairy. LEAVES:
Alternate, leathery, simple, long oblong to 8 cm, the tip pointed, base narrowed
or rounded to a very short stalk, small stipules, both leaf surfaces dull but the
upper surface somewhat shiny, the vein network clear below, its midrib with
long hairs. FLOWERS: White, arise from much-branched heads about 6–
10 cm across, terminal or in leaf axils, the slender stalks have many narrow
bracts, the calyx tube is expanded above, about 1 cm with small lobes, covered
with short hairs, the 5 white oval petals fall early, the central style hangs
out beyond about 9 stamens, which are over 2 cm long (3 times longer than
petals), on one side only. FRUIT: Green, single and oblong-ovoid, base
narrowed, 3.5 cm long, the covering hard, brittle and with tiny hairs, containing
one red seed. (The related H. sansibarica has smaller fruit—less than 3 cm
long.)
ECOLOGY: Upland rainforest, 1,300–2,000 m, sometimes in ravines.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in Tanga Region and the Ssouthern Highlands of Tanzania
and not known elsewhere. Recorded in Shagayu Forest Reserve near Lushoto,
Nyumbanyitu in Iringa District and on the western slopes of the Livingstone
Mountains near Ikombe.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruits are collected from the ground and eaten raw as a snack. The
edible pulp is sweet and much liked by children and herdsmen.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for firewood, charcoal, spoons and mortars. The tree is
used for shade and as a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from April to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people. The species can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.

368
 THE SPECIES

Hirtella megacarpa Chrysobalanaceae

Flowers

Fruits

369
 THE SPECIES

Hoslundia opposita Lamiaceae (Labiatae)

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Digo: Mtserere; Gorowa: Mathar, Matlarimo, Matsalmo; Hehe:

Mlyasungura; Iraqw: Nuguhway; Maasai: Olemoran, Olenaran; Rangi:
Mutaritari; Swahili: Mdahamwitu, Mlanyuni, Mteremtere.
DESCRIPTION: An erect herb or much-branched bushy shrub to 2 m high, stems 4-
angled, young stems hairy. LEAVES: Opposite or 3-whorled, long oval to 12
cm, softly hairy, white below, edge wide toothed, tip pointed, narrowed to a
short stalk. FLOWERS: Small, cream-white, 7 mm across, in terminal
sprays, each tubular, only 2 stamens, arching downwards, a large lower petal.
The 5-toothed calyx tube green at first, becomes enlarged and fleshy, orange
in colour. FRUIT: A rounded ribbed berry, 6 mm across, containing 4
roughened nutlets, the seeds, within the persistent calyx.
ECOLOGY: Does well from lowlands to highlands, often on termite mounds in wooded
grasslands, around thickets, forest edges and in secondary regrowth after forest
clearing, 0–2,100 m; rainfall 1,100–1,800 mm. Thrives in a variety of soils.
DISTRIBUTION: Found from Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon to the Sudan and Ethiopia
and south to southern Africa. Occurs in all parts of Tanzania.
USES:
Food:
The very sweet fruit ripen to yellow and are collected from the plant and
eaten as a snack on the spot or taken home. Eaten in small or moderate
amounts—large quantities can cause nausea because of the excessive amount
of sugar. Liked especially by children.
Medicinal:
– Leaves and roots are boiled and the steam inhaled for fever and mental
illness.
– Leaves are pounded and soaked in cold water and used as a cooling bath for
babies who have fever. Pounded leaves are also used as a poultice for wounds.
– Roots are boiled and the decoction is drunk as an aphrodisiac and a remedy
for colds and coughs.
- Roots are boiled and the decoction drunk to relieve after-birth pains.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for firewood. The plant is used for hedges, boundary
marking, fodder and as a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Fruits usually found soon after the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local people.
It can be propagated by seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

370
 THE SPECIES

Hoslundia opposita Lamiaceae (Labiatae)

Fruits

One flower

371
 THE SPECIES

Hydnora abyssinica (H. johannis) Hydnoraceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Maasai: Erkunyi; Pare: Ng’holo ya msawo; Sandawi: Amamasóó;

Sukuma: Ngombe-ya-hansi, Ng’ombe-ya-hasi; Swahili: Mnyambo.
DESCRIPTION: An unmistakable plant, without green chlorophyll or leaves, fleshy
and naked looking. Parasitic on the roots of host trees, only seen when the tips
of the flowers push out of the ground. An underground stem, or pseudo-rhizome,
grows into the host roots and so extracts food. This rhizome is cylindrical or
angular, brown and warty outside, red within. FLOWERS: Grow out of
the rhizome, brown-pink, to 20 cm tall, with a bad smell. There are no petals
but a wide tubular calyx with 4 thick, fleshy sepal lobes, the inner surface
cream above, bright red and bristly below; 4 stamens grow in a ring around
the stigma and rounded ovary. FRUIT: Remain underground, berry-like,
containing many very small seeds in a glutinous pulp.
ECOLOGY: Found in grasslands, Acacia bushland and woodlands, up to 1,500 m;
rainfall 700–1,600 mm. Tolerates a variety of soils. Parasitic on roots, especially
on Acacia gerrardii and Lannea humilis.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in Sudan, Ethiopia southwards to South Africa. In Tanzania,
it is found, e.g., in Mwanza, Shinyanga, Kagera, Arusha and Kilimanjaro
Regions.
USES:
Food:
– The fruits are eaten mainly among Maasai herdsmen as a snack and as a
famine food.
– The underground stem is dug out from the ground, roasted in hot ash and
eaten.
Medicinal: The underground stem is dug out from the ground, cut into pieces
and boiled in water. The decoction is drunk to treat stomach-ache, dysentery,
sore throat and retained placenta.
Commercial: The underground stems (pseudo-rhizomes) are sold in markets
for their medicinal value.
Other: A fodder for cows.
SEASON: Collected in the dry season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by the local
people. It can be propagated from cuttings of the underground stem.
STATUS: Uncommon and difficult to find because the plant is mainly underground
and appears only as a flower and fruit.

372
 THE SPECIES

Hydnora abyssinica (H. johannis) Hydnoraceae

Bright pink-red
bristles of lower calyx

Soil surface
Fruit section showing
many seeds in sticky pulp

Sectional view
4 calyx lobes

Warty brown
pseudo-rhizome

Stamens

Stigma—4 lobed Inferior ovary

develops into
fruit

373
 THE SPECIES

Hygrophila auriculata Acanthaceae

(Asteracantha longifolia)
Indigenous

L OCAL NAMES : Digo: Chimvuno; Gogo: Ihoma-ng’ombe; Hehe: Isanyanga,

Nyangogo; Luo: Anduong’o; Nyamwezi: Lugemela; Sukuma: Isoma-ng’ombe;
Zinza: Kehwa.
DESCRIPTION: An erect annual herb with few branches, up to 1.2 m, with square
stems. LEAVES: Opposite, mostly lanceolate, to 15 cm long and 3 cm across,
widest in the middle, only shortly stalked. FLOWERS: Blue-mauve, pink or
white, in stalkless clusters in leaf axils, each flower with 4–5 sepals, the
corolla tubular, with 2 lips, the upper hooded, the lower lip 3-lobed, 4
stamens, 2 upper ones smaller. Between flowers are small leafy bracts as well
as characteristic simple spines, stout, to 4 cm, cream–orange in colour.
FRUIT: 2-celled capsules, long and thin, containing disc-shaped seeds with
hairy fringes.
ECOLOGY: Does well at edges of seasonal pools or other stagnant water bodies, 900–
2,100 m; rainfall 700–1,600 mm. Thrives in yellowish sediments and black-
cotton soil.
DISTRIBUTION: From Senegal to Ethiopia and East Africa and south to South Africa.
Widespread in Tanzania from Mwanza south to Mtwara and east to Morogoro.
USES:
Food:
Young leaves are chopped, cooked alone or with other vegetables such as
peas or amaranth. Coconut milk or groundnut paste is added and the dish is
served with a staple.
Medicinal:
– Leaves and stems are burnt and the smoke used to fumigate the eyes to
treat corneal ulcers.
– The whole plant is soaked in water and the infusion used as a cold bath to
lower body temperature and as a treatment for headache.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Eaten by cattle and is a bee forage plant.
SEASON: Collected all year round, but mainly in the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by local people.
Can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common in wetter places, absent elsewhere.
REMARKS: It is reported that in the Sudan the plant is grown especially to make
local salt, which is extracted from the ash after burning the plant. It is a
troublesome weed in cropland.

374
 THE SPECIES

Hygrophila auriculata Acanthaceae

Spines with flowers

375
 THE SPECIES

Hyphaene compressa Arecaceae (Palmae)

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Digo: Mkoma, Mkoma lume; English: Doum palm; Gogo: Mlala;
Hehe: Kihogolo, Likweta; Maasai: Olmorokwet; Nyamwezi: Mlala, Mulala;
Pare: Kweche; Swahili: Mkoche, Mkoma, Mlala, Mnyaa, Muaa; Zigua:
Mkonko.
DESCRIPTION: An unusual branched palm tree, to 20 m, each branch crowned
with large fan-shaped leaves, the tree often surrounded by bushy young
growth. BARK: Trunk grey. LEAVES: Have a long spiny stalk supporting the
fan of leaflets. FLOWERS: Male and female on separate trees. FRUIT: Orange
to brown, hanging down in bunches, each fruit to about 10 cm long, 2 sides
flattened, edible fibres below the tough shiny skin, one large hard seed.
ECOLOGY: Common in dry areas along river courses and at the coast, 0–1,400 m,
often forming pure stands on deep sand or alluvial soils. It requires a high
water-table and hot climate for good growth.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in lowland arid Africa from Egypt through Ethiopia,
Sudan, Somalia and Kenya southwards to Mozambique. In Tanzania, this species
is found along the coast from Tanga southwards to Mtwara and in Kilimanjaro
and Morogoro Regions.
USES:
Food:
– Ripe fruits are collected from the ground or picked from the tree and eaten
raw. The pulp is sweet with a pleasant odour and much liked by children
and herdsmen.
– The kernels are also eaten after breaking the nut.
– The juice from young fruits is sucked like coconut milk.
– A good palm wine is produced from sap obtained by tapping the tip of the
main stem.
Medicinal: The pulp of the fruit is eaten as a remedy for intestinal worms.
Commercial: Not marketed for fruits but sold for medicine in local markets.
Other: Leaves are used as fibre for weaving mats, baskets, hats, fans and for
thatching houses. The wood is used for firewood and building poles.
SEASON: Fruits are collected during the dry season, i.e. April to July.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated. It can be propagated by
seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

376
 THE SPECIES

Hyphaene compressa Arecaceae (Palmae)

Mature tree

Bunch of fruit

Fruit

Young plants

377
 THE SPECIES

Hyphaene coriacea (H. pileata) Arecaceae (Palmae)

Indigenous [Plate 2]
LOCAL NAMES: Digo: Mkoma lume; English: Doum palm; Gogo: Mlala; Hehe:
Mlala; Maasai: Olmorokwet; Nyamwezi: Mulala; Pare: Kweche; Swahili:
Mkoma, Mkoche, Mlala, Mnyaa; Zigua: Mkonko.
DESCRIPTION: A shrubby tree 1.5–5 m forming thickets, with trunks low along the
ground, rarely a well-shaped tree, stems suckering, the trunks only branched
once or twice making 4 crowns, leaf scars prominent on the trunk, which often
has many old leaf bases as well, trunk to 25 cm diameter. LEAVES: Fan shaped,
8–15 leaves, 30–80 cm long divided into 15–20 segments, waxy and scaly,
the stalk about 70 cm with black spines to 1 cm at the base. FLOWERS: Male
and female trees; male flower stalk to 1 m, arching over, with 15-cm branchlets
which bear the tiny 3-mm yellow flowers producing pollen; female flower stalk
more upright, to 1 m, with even smaller flowers, the central ovary bright green.
FRUIT: Ripe fruit shiny brown, somewhat bell shaped, up to 6 cm long x
4 cm across (usually less) with a ridge on one side, not deeply pitted. A spongy
fibrous pulp surrounds the seed, edible, tasting sweet and gingery. The fruits
are produced in large quantities and take two years to mature, so may be seen
on the tree throughout the year hanging in large bunches.
ECOLOGY: Coastal regions, especially in sand dunes and beside creeks, behind
mangroves, rarer inland; a pioneer stabilizer in sand dunes, 0–300 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Coastal and western Tanzania, Pemba; coastal Kenya, Somalia to
Mozambique, South Africa and Madagascar.
USES:
Food:
– The ripe fruit pulp is eaten raw. It tastes sweet and is much liked by children
and herdsmen.
– Fruit kernels are also edible.
– Young fruits produce sweet juice.
– Palm wine is produced from sap that is tapped from the tip of the main stem.
Medicinal: Fruit pulp is used as medicine for stomach-ache.
Commercial: Various articles woven from the leaves are sold in local and ur-
ban markets.
Other: Leaves are used to make mats, hats, fans, baskets and for thatching
houses.
SEASON: Fruits are collected during dry season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Fruits are usually collected from the wild, but sometimes planted
using fresh seeds.
STATUS: Locally common.

378
 THE SPECIES

Hyphaene coriacea (H. pileata) Arecaceae (Palmae)

Dry fruit on section

of stalk

Structure at base of leaf and

young hanging fruit

Habit, female
flowers and fruit
Young tree

379
 THE SPECIES

Hyphaene petersiana Arecaceae (Palmae)

(H. ventricosa)
Indigenous [Plate 2]
LOCAL NAMES: English: Doum palm, Fan palm, Southern ilala palm; Gogo: Mulala;
Gorowa: Thati; Iraqw: Thanthi; Mbugwe: Mwangwa; Nyamwezi: Mulala;
Sandawi: Hangwe; Swahili: Mkoche, Mlala.
DESCRIPTION: This palm is usually solitary and unbranched, but occasionally
several stems may grow together, the narrow dark trunks sometimes leaning or
curved, 15–20 m. The stem base is raised on a mass of fibrous roots and the
trunk usually has a swelling 1–2 m below the crown. BARK: Grey-black, clearly
marked with concentric rings, the scars of old leaf growth. LEAVES: 12–16
fan-shaped leaves with about the same number of dead leaves, each with a
stalk 1–2 m, including the thorny base, waxy grey-green, 20–50 segments
joined together about half their length. FLOWERS: On male and female trees,
yellow-green in hanging, hairy brown flower heads arising on sprays be-
tween the leaves. FRUIT: Round to pear shaped in large bunches, each
one only 5–8 cm long, a shiny red-brown all over, taking a year to mature,
the central stone, 3.5 cm across, easily separated from a fibrous pulp, spongy
and brown to 1 cm thick. The white onion-shaped seed contains a little
milk (when young) and has an unpleasant smell when cut. Ripe fruit may
remain 2 years on the tree.
ECOLOGY: Along watercourses in tropical conditions; in East Africa, inland on alka-
line soils with a high water-table, elsewhere by the coast. Trees may be numer-
ous on alluvial flats; found also on sandy plains and in many types of wood-
land.
DISTRIBUTION: In northern, central, eastern and southern Tanzania from Lakes
Manyara and Eyasi southwards, throughout the Zambezi region, to northern
Gauteng, Angola, Namibia and through the Congo basin to West Africa.
USES:
Food:
– Ripe fruit pulp is eaten raw.
– Kernels are also edible.
– Young fruits produce sweet juice.
– Palm wine is produced from sap that is tapped from the tip of the main stem.
Medicinal: The pulp from the fruit is used as medicine for intestinal worms
and stomach-ache.
Commercial: Woven articles are sold in markets.
Other: Leaves are used as fibre for making mats, hats, baskets, fans and for
thatching houses.
SEASON: Fruits are collected during the rainy season.

380
 THE SPECIES

Hyphaene petersiana (contd) Arecaceae (Palmae)

STORAGE: Not stored.

MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild. The plant can be propagated by
seed.
STATUS: Common within its habitat.

Shiny brown fruits

Brown spongy layer

around white seed

381
 THE SPECIES

Inhambanella henriquesii Sapotaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Swahili: Mkungu wazimu, Msikundazi.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen tree, usually 12–15 m but up to 40 m, often with small
buttresses, all parts containing milky latex. BARK: Rough, grey, finely
scaly. LEAVES: The young flush of growth often red, leaves oval, wider at
the round or notched tip, 7–25 cm, a distinctive dark green above, paler
below, base narrowed to a 5 cm stalk, edge wavy, a pair of stipules fall early,
leaves spirally arranged or crowded at ends of branches, alternate, quite stiff,
3–12 pairs, nerves clear below, well spaced. FLOWERS: Yellow-cream-white,
honey-scented about 1.5 cm diameter, on stalks to 2 cm, few to many flowers
clustered in leaf axils, 5–6 free sepals in one whorl, a tiny corolla tube with
5 corolla lobes, longer than the calyx, to 5 mm, each with 2 small lateral lobes,
5 stamens and 5 petal-like staminodes, each flower on a stalk about 1 cm.
FRUIT: A round red berry 2–3 cm across, yellow at first with soft sweet
milky flesh enclosing dark shiny seeds.
ECOLOGY: Found in lowland rainforest and forest on land with high ground water
or rather dry evergreen forest (0–300 m), e.g. in Kilombero Valley, in Morogoro
Region, around Bagamoyo and on Pemba Island.
DISTRIBUTION: This species is found in coastal areas and along river valleys in Kenya
and Tanzania, and along the coast of Mozambique extending up river valleys
into Zimbabwe and southern Malawi, south to KwaZulu-Natal.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruits are collected from the ground or picked from the tree and eaten
raw. They have a sweet taste and are much liked by children.
Medicinal: The bark is soaked in cold water and the infusion is used as medi-
cine to treat stomach-ache.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for timber, tool handles and domestic utensils. The
tree is good for shade and amenity.
SEASON: Fruits are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated. It can be propagated by
seed.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.

382
 THE SPECIES

Inhambanella henriquesii Sapotaceae

Flower opened out to

show petals, stamens
Flower and staminodes

Seeds and fruit

383
 THE SPECIES

Ipomoea cairica var. cairica Convolvulaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Hehe: Nyakapulikilo; Nyamwezi: Ilando-ipolu; Swahili: Kiazi pori;
Tongwe: Lunsyonsyo.
DESCRIPTION: A perennial herb from a tuberous rootstock, the stems twin-
ing or growing along the ground to 1.8 m, hairy only at the nodes, stem
smooth or rough. LEAVES: Palmately divided to the base into 5–7 lobes 3–
10 cm long and wide on a stalk 2–6 cm, the lobes variable but narrow to 4
cm, the outer lobes often split again. FLOWERS: Funnel shaped, purple-
red-white with a purple centre, some purple outside, 4.5–6 cm long, axil-
lary on a branched stalk with a few flowers, 5 tiny sepals with pale edges, 2
rounded stigmas. FRUIT: A rounded capsule to 1.2 cm across, papery brown,
containing several black hairy seeds.
ECOLOGY: A plant of forest clearings, lake shores, swampy grassland, hedges, waste
and cultivated ground, 700–2,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania but not found in the southern highlands;
Kenya, Uganda, throughout tropical Africa, also from the eastern Mediterra-
nean through Asia to Taiwan.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are collected, withered in the sun, then cooked alone or mixed with
other vegetables such as amaranth or peas, coconut milk or groundnut paste
added and served with a staple.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used as fodder for cows, goats and rabbits.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season and soon after it.
STORAGE: Dried leaves can be stored for several months.
M ANAGEMENT : Usually collected from the wild but sometimes cultivated in
homegardens using cuttings.
STATUS: Locally common.

384
 THE SPECIES

Ipomoea cairica var. cairica Convolvulaceae

Flower

Fruit capsules

Fruit capsules

Flower

Twining habit

385
 THE SPECIES

Ipomoea eriocarpa Convolvulaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Matengo: Linambatata; Ngoni: Bwaka, Mtalilo; Nyasa: Bwaka,
Mtalilo.
DESCRIPTION: A small annual twiner or creeper with slender hairy stems. LEAVES:
Small, oval to heart shaped or long oblong, 2.5–8 cm, usually arrow shaped
at the base; on stalks to 4 cm, smooth above, spreading hairs on veins below.
FLOWERS: Small, in dense clusters, mauve, white or pink, tubular, all with
a darker mauve-pink centre, 13 mm across, only 6–9 mm long, 3–5 flowers
beside leaves, shortly stalked, very hairy sepals and narrow bracts. FRUIT:
Hairy, round to 6 mm diameter, splitting open to set free 2–4 black seeds.
ECOLOGY: Found in grassland, savanna woodland, cultivated ground, often on clay
soils, along roads and pathways and a creeper in the adjacent bush; mostly low
to medium altitudes, 0–1,400 m.
DISTRIBUTION: All over Tanzania, including Zanzibar and Pemba, except the central
and Tanga areas. Also in Kenya, Uganda, the rest of tropical Africa from Egypt
to South Africa, Madagascar, into tropical Asia and northern Australia.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are collected, withered in the sun then cooked alone or as a mixture
with other vegetable such as Amaranthus, Bidens or Galinsoga and served
with a staple.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fodder.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during and soon after the rainy season.
STORAGE: Dried leaves can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild but can be cultivated using cuttings.
STATUS: Locally common.

386
 THE SPECIES

Ipomoea eriocarpa Convolvulaceae

Flower

Enlarged seed

Mature hairy fruit—

Young fruit capsule split open

387
 THE SPECIES

Ipomoea pres-caprae (I. biloba) Convolvulaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Hehe: Nyakapulikilo; Sambaa: Talata; Swahili: Majani ya mwaka,
Mlakasa.
DESCRIPTION: A straggling hairless perennial with thick hollow stems, 5–30 m,
creeping along sand, often forming tangled mats. LEAVES: Almost round,
deeply notched, almost bi-lobed, held up by purplish stalks 5–17 cm, blades
3–10 cm wide and long. FLOWERS: Corolla funnel shaped, pink-red-
purple, 3–5 cm long with a darker centre, 5 sepals about 1 cm, each flower
stalk to 4 cm on a many-flowered main stalk, 3–16 cm. FRUIT: A dry round
capsule to 1.8 cm across containing several brown-black hairy seeds.
ECOLOGY: Sandy sea shores and estuaries above high-tide mark, more rarely on
inland lake shores and by roadsides, 0–1,200 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in Tanga Region and other eastern, western and southern
parts of Tanzania, Zanzibar, Pemba; Kenya, Somalia, Mozambique, Malawi,
the Congo basin, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Angola to West Africa, pantropical.
USES:
Food:
– Leaves are collected, chopped and cooked alone or with other vegetables
such as Cleome gynandra, Galinsoga parviflora or Bidens pilosa and eaten
with a staple.
– Alternatively, leaves can be dried for storage and preparation later.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fodder.
SEASON: Leaves can be collected at all times because it grows near water.
STORAGE: Dried leaves can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but can be easily propagated using
cuttings.
STATUS: Locally common.

388
 THE SPECIES

Ipomoea pres-caprae (I. biloba) Convolvulaceae

Flower

Fruit capsule

389
 THE SPECIES

Isoglossa lactea Acanthaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Matengo: Litimbatimba; Sambaa: Mbonyati-ngoshi.
DESCRIPTION: A trailing or scrambling hairless herb, with ascending stems 1–2.5 m,
rooting from a woody base. LEAVES: Opposite, long oval to 8 cm, the tip
tapering, base narrowed to a short stalk, sometimes fleshy, red below and
along midrib. FLOWERS: White, arising on large open heads, branched
several times, thin wiry stalks, each flower about 12 mm long, broadly
funnel shaped with a 3-lobed lip, spotted purple in the throat, 5 narrow sepals.
FRUIT: Hard brown pointed capsules, about 2 cm, tip pointed, breaking
open to set free rough seeds, young fruit white with pink tips.
ECOLOGY: A herb of montane evergreen rainforest or riparian forests, often dominant
over large areas of the forest floor, 1,300–1,800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania except in central and southern areas; Kenya,
Uganda.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are collected, chopped and cooked with coconut milk or pounded
groundnuts and served with a staple.
Medicinal: Roots are boiled and the decoction is drunk three times a day as a
remedy for STDs and coughs.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The plant is used for fodder.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated. The plant can be established
by seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: A recognized weed of gardens.

390
 THE SPECIES

Isoglossa lactea Acanthaceae

Fruit Bud

Flower

391
 THE SPECIES

Jacquemontia tamnifolia Convolvulaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Ngindo: Bwala bwaya; Swahili: Kikopwe.
DESCRIPTION: An annual twiner, the stems with flattened silky hairs. LEAVES:
An oval blade to 6 cm long and wide, tip generally well pointed, base variable to
a stalk about 3.5 cm, sometimes a few hairs. FLOWERS: Blue, funnel shaped
in dense crowded heads. 2–3 cm across, rusty coloured when dry, on stalks
to 15 cm, leafy bracts surround the heads, about 2 cm long, each flower
with 5 narrow hairy sepals, to 7 mm. FRUIT: Capsules round and somewhat
lobed, straw coloured to 5 mm across, containing 4 brown seeds.
ECOLOGY: Dry scrub, grasslands and cultivated ground on sandy or rocky soils,
60–900 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in eastern Tanzania and on Zanzibar and Pemba Islands;
occurs, for example, in the foothills of the East Usambara Mountains. Also found
from West Africa to Kenya and south to South Africa and on Madagascar. Also
in tropical America.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are collected, withered in the sun and then cooked alone or mixed
with other vegetables such as peas or amaranth, coconut milk or pounded
groundnuts added. The vegetable is then ready for eating with a staple.
Medicinal:
– Leaves and roots are chewed and the juice swallowed as an antidote to green
mamba bite.
– The infusion from the leaves is used for washing wounds.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fodder and is suitable for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during and soon after the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated. It can be propagated by
seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.

392
 THE SPECIES

Jacquemontia tamnifolia Convolvulaceae

One flower

Flower heads

Seed
Enlarged fruit capsule

393
 THE SPECIES

Justicia heterocarpa Acanthaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Unkobo; Sambaa: Unkobo.

DESCRIPTION: An erect hairy annual herb, often much branched and spreading to
60 cm, the stem angular, ribbed and hairy, slightly swollen at nodes, rooting at
lower nodes. LEAVES: Opposite, oval 3–9 cm by 5 cm across, usually small, tip
pointed, base narrowed to a very short stalk, softly hairy. FLOWERS:
Surrounded by a pair of leafy bracts and the pale green calyx with darker
lobes, covered with soft white hairs, clusters of flowers in leaf axils,
stalkless, white-pink-mauve, 2-lobed under 6 mm, with dark red markings
in the throat, upper lip hooded over the 2 stamens. FRUIT: A dry capsule about
6 mm long containing 4 seeds, one above the other in each side (occasionally
some have hooked spines).
ECOLOGY: Locally common in dry grassland, bushland, Brachystegia woodland,
wooded grassland, rocky hillsides, often under shade, in a variety of soils, 300–
2,000 m. Many subspecies.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in all parts of Tanzania; also occurs in Kenya, Uganda,
Ethiopia, Burundi, and the Congo basin south to South Africa.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are collected, chopped and cooked alone or with other vegetables.
Pounded groundnuts or coconut milk are added and then served with a staple.
Commercial: Sold in local markets (Lushoto, Korogwe, Muheza).
Other: The plant is used for fodder. Also suitable for ornamental planting.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Only collected from the wild but can be propagated by seed and
cuttings.
STATUS: Locally very common and regarded as a troublesome weed on farms.
REMARKS: Several other Justicia species are edible, including:
Justicia pinguior (Hehe: Nyawolo) a perennial herb arising from a woody
tuberous rootstock up to 80 cm long. This species is widespread in Tanzania,
Kenya and Uganda. Also found in Sudan. Leaves are pounded, boiled in water
and the decoction used as a remedy for intestinal worms.

394
 THE SPECIES

Justicia heterocarpa Acanthaceae

Flower

Fruit capsules within

leafy bracts

395
 THE SPECIES

Kedrostis leloja Cucurbitaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Hehe: Nyandanga; Sandawi: /”iko.

DESCRIPTION: A perennial, bristly or hairy climber to 1 m, from a swollen tuberous
rootstock; young stems green and herbaceous but the base thickened and
grey. The plant bears simple tendrils. LEAVES: Simple but with 5 shallow
lobes, to 6 cm across x 10 cm wide, the lobes wide at the tip, narrowed below,
the surface roughly hairy and some hairs on the stalk 5–60 mm. FLOWERS:
Male and female flowers separate on the same plant, very small green-
yellow; male flowers on a hanging stalk 3–9 cm, often on nearly leafless shoots,
female flowers solitary on short stalks, the flowers saucer shaped with pointed
lobes. FRUIT: Solitary on stalks about 1 cm, shiny, orange, 5–9 cm long and
about 1.5 cm wide. a long beak at the tip, breaking open by one long slit, the
smooth round seeds dark brown, surrounded by orange flesh in little packets of
red watery tissue.
ECOLOGY: Common in Combretum woodland, deciduous bushland with Acacia or
Euclea, in wooded grassland of dry areas, 0–600 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In southern and eastern Tanzania; also parts of Kenya, Somalia
and the Arabian peninsular.
USES:
Food:
– Leaves are collected, chopped and cooked, coconut milk or pounded ground-
nuts added and eaten along with a staple.
– Ripe fruits are fleshy and eaten raw, especially by children.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fodder. Also suitable for ornamental planting.
SEASON: Leaves and fruits are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated. This species can be
propagated by seed.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: A recognized weed.

396
 THE SPECIES

Kedrostis leloja Cucurbitaceae

Tendril

Fruit

Swollen underground stem

397
 THE SPECIES

Kigelia africana Bignoniaceae

(K. pinnata, K. aethiopum)
Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Arusha: Oldaoboi; Bena: Mfumbi; Bondei: Mlegea; English:

Sausage tree; Fipa: Nzungwa; Gorowa: Dati; Haya: Mzungute; Hehe:
Mfumbi; Iraqw: Mangafi; Isanzu: Mulunzi; Luguru: Mwegea, Myegea;
Maasai: Oldaboi, Oldarpoi, Oldarboi, Ortarboi; Mbugwe: Mosofwa; Mwera:
Mtandi; Ngindo: Mtandi; Nguu: Mvungwe; Nguru: Mvungwe; Nyamwezi:
Mdungwa, Msanghwa, Mvungwa, Mwiegea; Nyaturu: Mungungu;
Nyiramba: Mulunzi; Rangi: Isuha, Msuha, Musuha, Musuva; Rufiji: Mtandi;
Sandawi: Irata, Ráta; Sukuma: Mgwicha, Ngwicha; Swahili: Mbungati,
Mbomba, Mranaa, Mti sumu, Mvungunya, Mvungwa, Mwicha, Mwegea;
Tongwe: Lifungwa; Zaramo: Myigeya; Zigua: Mvungwe; Zinza: Mzingute.
DESCRIPTION: A semi-deciduous tree with a rounded crown, to 9 m tall in open
woodland but to 18 m beside rivers. BARK: Grey-brown, smooth, flaking in
round patches with age. LEAVES: Compound, growing in threes, at the end
of the branches, few leaflets, each broadly oval, very rough and hard, up to
10 cm, often with a sharp tip, edge wavy. Flowers on long rope-like stalks 2–
3 m. Horizontal, reddish branches, in threes, bear up-turned trumpet-like
flowers, petals folded and wavy, dark maroon with heavy yellow veins
outside, an unpleasant smell. FRUIT: Large grey-green “sausages”, 30–60
cm long. Hanging stalks remain on the tree. Several kilos of fibrous pulp surround
the seeds which are only released when fruit rots on the ground.
ECOLOGY: Found in medium-altitude moist savanna woodland and along rivers in
dry areas, 0-1,800 m; rainfall 900–1,400 mm. Thrives in well-drained sandy
sediments and sandy loams.
DISTRIBUTION: Widely distributed in Tanzania and throughout tropical Africa.
USES:
Food:
The fruits are crushed and used to speed up fermentation in the preparation
of local alcoholic brews.
Medicinal:
– The leaves and stem bark are used as medicine for treatment of STDs, rheu-
matism, malaria, infertility, dysentery, epilepsy and headache.
– Fruits used for treatment of wounds.
– Bark and roots used for treatment of convulsions.
– The bark is boiled and the decoction used for treatment of stomach-ache.
– The bark is soaked in water and the liquid drunk to increase lactation in
women.
Commercial: The alcoholic brew made from the fruit is sold in local bars (Pare).
Other: The wood is used for beehives, drums, water troughs, mortars, stools,

398
 THE SPECIES

Kigelia africana (contd) Bignoniaceae

milk pots and canoes. The tree is a good ornamental because of its large red
flowers and its large hanging sausage-like fruits. Also used as a bee-forage
tree. The fruit, either sliced or pounded, are fed to chickens as a treatment
for Newcastle disease.
SEASON: Collected June–December
STORAGE: Mature fruits can be stored for more than a week before use.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and retained around homes and gardens for
medicinal purposes, but not planted. It can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Unripe fruits are poisonous. The tree does not compete with crops.

Flower head
Stalked fruit

399
 THE SPECIES

Landolphia kilimanjarica Apocynaceae

(L. buchananii)
Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Chagga: Kiwiru; Hehe: Liwungowungo; Nyamwezi: Ibungobugo;

Ivungovungo; Pare: Totwe; Sambaa: Mpia-mzitu, Ugooto; Swahili: Mbungo.
DESCRIPTION: A woody shrub or climbing liane to 6–20 m, the stem deeply fluted
and dark brown, branches twining in the tree canopy. Hooked tendrils may
be present or not. LEAVES: Long oval, narrow or wide, 5–12 cm, the tip
elongate but blunt, usually without hairs (except on midrib below), base
narrowed to a short stalk. FLOWERS: Small, fragrant, white-yellow with touches
of red or orange, in few-flowered terminal heads of 5–10 flowers, sepals
green, ovate, corolla tube 5–8 mm, with lobes about the same length,
overlapping to the left in the bud. FRUIT: A round berry with a hard rind,
green with white spots, 4–10 cm across, yellow when open, with 10 or more
seeds in juicy pulp.
ECOLOGY: Common in rainforest, fruiting more on the forest edges; also in hillside
thickets and bushland, on sloping rocky areas, in riverine forest, at medium
altitudes up to 1,600 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in almost all parts of Tanzania in suitable habitats, e.g. in
Kagera, Rukwa, Tanga, Kilimanjaro, Dodoma, Mbeya and Pwani Regions.
Widespread in West Africa, through the Congo basin to Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia,
and south to Zimbabwe.
USES:
Food:
The fruits are collected from the tree or from the ground when ripe, cut open
and the sweet pulp, together with the seeds, eaten fresh as a snack.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Young stems are used as rope.
SEASON: Collected in May to July.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: It is collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local
people, but can be propagated by seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Common in forests and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

400
 THE SPECIES

Landolphia kilimanjarica Apocynaceae

Tendril

Section of fruit

One flower

401
 THE SPECIES

Landolphia kirkii Apocynaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Digo: Kitoria, Libugu, Mpira; English: Rubber vine; Hehe:
Liwungowungo; Matengo: Kibungu, Libungu; Ngindo: Kibungo, Mahanga;
Nyasa: Maungu; Pare: Totwe; Sambaa: Mpia-mzitu; Ugoroto; Swahili:
Mlimbo, Mlungwana, Mmeru sukari, Moyo, Mpira, Mpo, Mpyo; Tongwe:
Libufu; Zigua: Utorojo.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen climber 2–6 m, or sometimes a shrub. All parts
with sticky white latex. BARK: Smooth at first, then rough grey-brown.
Tendrils to 15 cm (sometimes absent) branched at the very tip. LEAVES:
Small, opposite, long oval, variable but 3–8 cm long, tapering to a short
blunt tip, hairy when young, later shiny. FLOWERS: Terminal loose heads
of flowers or beside leaves, hardly stalked, each flower tubular, very small,
white–pale pink. FRUIT: Rounded to oval, a many-seeded berry with a hard
skin, to 15 cm, dull green but spotted—the size of an orange. The 4–5 ovoid
seeds lie in juicy edible pulp.
ECOLOGY: A strong climber in forest, at forest edges and in Brachystegia bushland,
miombo woodlands on plateaux and wet valleys, in areas of higher rainfall.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in Tanga Region and other eastern coastal areas of Tanzania,
e.g. around Dar es Salaam and on Mafia and Zanzibar Islands; Kenya south to
southern Africa.
USES:
Food:
The pulp of ripe fruits is edible. Ripe fruits are cut in half and the yellow
juicy pulp eaten raw. It is sweet with a slightly acid taste.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: Stems are flexible and used as ropes. The latex is used as a rubber
substitute and birdlime.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from March to June.
STORAGE: Ripe fruits can be stored in the shade for several weeks.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated. It can be propagated by
seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Locally common.

402
 THE SPECIES

Landolphia kirkii Apocynaceae

Habit showing flowers and two fruit

403
 THE SPECIES

Landolphia parvifolia Apocynaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: English: Rubber vine; Hehe: Liwungowungo; Matengo: Kibundu,

Libungu; Nyamwezi: Ibungobungo, Muwungowungo; Nyasa: Maungu;
Swahili: Mbungo.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen climber, 2 to several metres long, much-branched
and shrubby with tendrils at branched forks (altered flower stalks), dark green
young stems dotted with pale breathing pores and covered with short rusty
brown hairs. The strong tendrils are hooked. BARK: Dark, smooth; all parts,
including the roots, producing much white latex when cut. LEAVES: Opposite,
dark green, shiny above, paler below, leathery, up to 6.5 cm but generally
smaller, long oval, tip blunt, narrowed at the base to a short hairy stalk,
veins clear, parallel. FLOWERS: Fragrant cream-white in terminal clusters
on side branches to 10 cm, each flower tubular with 5 overlapping lobes,
often a yellow “eye” and brown spot at the base of each lobe. Flowers open late
in the day. Calyx lobes are whitish and green tipped. FRUIT: Like a small
orange when ripe, green at first, round, 3–5 cm diameter, with a sharp tip,
containing edible pulp around the seeds.
ECOLOGY: A forest climber in river valleys, on lake shores and woodland, often on
rocky outcrops in gravelly well-drained soils, 0–1,400 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in most parts of Tanzania, including Tabora, Lindi, Shinyanga,
Iringa and Rukwa Regions. Recorded in Malawi, Democratic Republic of Congo
and West Africa.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruits are cut into two pieces and the juicy pulp eaten raw. It is sweet
but rather acidic and is much liked by children and herdsmen.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The latex from stem and fruits is used as a lime for trapping birds.
Fruits are much eaten by monkeys. The plant is important for ornamental
purposes and as a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from July to October.
STORAGE: Locally marketed on a small scale.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and is not cultivated. It can be propagated
by seeds and cuttings.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: The fruit resembles that of Strychnos but does not have the hard shell of
that genus.

404
 THE SPECIES

Landolphia parvifolia Apocynaceae

Flower buds

Tendril

Fruit

405
 THE SPECIES

Lannea fulva Anacardiaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Gogo: Msabi, Muwurubu; Gorowa: Itiwi, Tsalmi; Hehe: Mgulumo;
Kerewe: Murangarara; Nyamwezi: Mselya; Rangi: Chandu, Mtarima,
Muchunganyama; Sandawi: Kwilili; Sukuma: Nselya; Zigua: Mumbu; Zinza:
Murangalala.
DESCRIPTION: A deciduous shrub or tree, 3–10 m, with a short bole and much
branching to a rounded crown, branchlets drooping. BARK: Thick, grey-brown,
tough, flaking. Branchlets, leaf and flower stalks have yellow hairs.
LEAVES: Some single leaves but usually 3 leaflets, the large central leaflet
5–8 cm, on a 2-cm stalk, lateral leaflets smaller, leaflets oval to rounded, tip
rounded, blunt or notched, dark shiny green above when mature, but
very dense pale yellow-brown hairs below. FLOWERS: Small, yellow-green,
on simple 4–12 cm spikes, with some branches, beside leaves, stalk white,
hairy. FRUIT: Small drupes, purple when ripe, less than 1 cm, oblong but
somewhat flattened.
ECOLOGY: Found in wooded grasslands, often on rocky hills, extending into deciduous
thickets and Brachystegia woodlands, often on termite mounds, forest edges,
900–1,600 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Occurs in the northern, western and central areas of Tanzania, e.g.
in Kigoma, Arusha, Mbeya, Dodoma, Shinyanga, Mwanza and Tabora Regions.
Also in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the Congo basin.
USES:
Food:
The fruits are edible and sweet. They are mostly eaten by children as a
snack while they herd cattle.
Medicinal:
– The bark is crushed and used as a bandage (poultice) for wounds and snakebite
and, generally, to stop bleeding.
– Roots are soaked in warm water and drunk to treat stomach-ache and chest
pains (Nyamwezi, Gogo, Hehe).
Other: The wood is used for construction and the bark as string.
SEASON: First fruit usually in December, main season in February and early March.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by local people.
It can be propagated by seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

406
 THE SPECIES

Lannea fulva Anacardiaceae

Flower spikes

Fruit capsules

407
 THE SPECIES

Lannea humilis Anacardiaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Lilinga; Gogo: Mnghanangha; Hehe: Mlinga, Mlingalinga;

Kerewe: Mnyamaji; Nyamwezi: Mtinje; Sandawi: G/.omi; Zinza:
Mhondobogo, Mnyamenzi.
DESCRIPTION: A small deciduous savanna tree or shrub, sometimes forming thickets,
3–6 m high, often flat topped. BARK: Dark grey, spongy, almost black in
older trees. Branches smooth but striated and have clear lenticels; young
branchlets white hairy. Shorter side shoots bear the leaves and flowers. LEAVES:
In tufts at the ends of side shoots, compound, with 3–10 pairs of opposite
leaflets plus a larger one at the tip, 10–15 cm long, each leaflet oval–oblong,
1–5 cm long, dark green above, the lower surface clearly veined and densely
covered with white or rusty woolly hairs when young. FLOWERS: Male
and female flowers on separate trees. Small, cream-yellow, in spikes 2–5 cm
long on short side branches, stalks covered with furry white hairs; 4 hairy
sepals and 4 petals only to 4.5 mm, arising from a small disc. Flowers appear
with the fresh leafy growth or on the bare tree. FRUIT: A drupe about 1 cm,
flat and oblong, covered with dense grey furry hairs, containing the seeds.
Many cluster on the short spike.
ECOLOGY: Found in deciduous bushland and woodland, locally common in wooded
grasslands where drainage is poor, often at edges of seasonally flooded valleys,
plains below hillsides and other local water catchments, 700–1,700 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in many parts of Tanzania. Recorded in Mwanza, Mara,
Singida, Iringa and Mbeya Regions. Also in Uganda, Kenya, Senegal to Sudan,
Rwanda, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Africa.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruits are collected and eaten raw as a snack. They are sweet and eaten
in moderate amounts.
Medicinal: Roots are pounded, the powder stirred into warm water and drunk
for treatment of generalized body pains, stomach problems and cough.
Other: The bark is used as ropes. Flexible twigs are used as whips. The tree is
used as a live fence.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from November to January.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local people.
A fire-resistant tree which coppices while still young.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

408
 THE SPECIES

Lannea humilis Anacardiaceae

Tuft of leaves on a
side shoot

Lenticels on bark

Male flower spikes

Clusters of fruit

409
 THE SPECIES

Lannea rivae (L. floccosa) Anacardiaceae

Indigenous [Plate 3]

LOCAL NAMES : English: Wild grape; Gogo: Muwumbu; Ha: Ingege, Intabali,
Intulakigina; Hehe: Muwumbu; Nyamwezi: Mgumbugumbu, Mtinje;
Sandawi: Kwilili; Sukuma: Ntinje.
DESCRIPTION: A deciduous shrub or small tree, 1.5–6 m, with a flat spreading crown.
BARK: More or less smooth, becoming cracked and rough, underbark red. Short
thick branches with rough raised breathing pores. LEAVES: Wide oval to
rounded, 3–10 cm, rough above and dense star-shaped white hairs below,
leaf stalks to 4 cm with similar hairs, leaves single but several crowded on the
short small knobbly side branches. FLOWERS: Often on the bare tree, very
small, along spike-like stalks 1–3 cm on short lateral branches, petals yellow-
green to 5 mm, sepals and stalks covered with white star-shaped hairs. FRUIT:
Ovoid, to 1.4 cm long, densely hairy, with edible flesh around the seed.
ECOLOGY: In wooded grassland, semi-evergreen and deciduous bushland, often on
rocky sites including lava, 300–2,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in north-eastern Tanzania and also in many parts of Kenya
and southern Ethiopia.
USES:
Food:
Fruits are juicy and eaten fresh. They taste sweet and are eaten as a snack,
especially by children and herdsmen.
Medicinal: The bark is chewed to treat coughs, colds and stomach-ache.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Roots are dug up and the bark peeled off to make ropes. Branches are
used to make toothbrushes. The tree is suitable for hedges.
SEASON: Fruits are available from October to December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but can easily be propagated by
seeds and cuttings.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: A suitable tree for agroforestry.

410
 THE SPECIES

Lannea rivae (L. floccosa) Anacardiaceae

Fruiting head

Flowering head

411
 THE SPECIES

Lannea schweinfurthii var. stuhlmannii Anacardiaceae

(L. stuhlmannii)
Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Arusha: Eravande; Chagga: Ishishina; English: False marula;
Gogo: Muwumbu; Iraqw: Orbochandi, Tambaragi, Thigi, Thigii; Kuria:
Mumendo, Omosaruwa; Luguru: Muhingilo; Matengo: Ndelamwana; Mwera:
Mpupi; Ngindo: Mpwipwi; Nyamwezi: Mnyumbu; Nyaturu: Musagha; Pare:
Msighe; Rangi: Msakawa; Sandawi: /.Amaka; Sukuma: Msayu, Nsayu;
Swahili: Mfupapu, Mnyumbo, Mtundu, Mumbu, Muumbu; Zaramo:
Mpiwipwi; Zigua: Mumbu; Zinza: Mnyamendi, Mribwampara, Muhondobogo.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or small deciduous tree, usually 3–5 m, irregularly branched,
the crown rounded and spreading, branchlets drooping. BARK: Grey-brown,
fairly smooth, flaking when older. LEAVES: Compound, usually crowded at
the ends of branches, few leaflets, usually 3–5, shiny and stiff, oval, larger
terminal leaflet to 9 cm, tips blunt, leaf stalk grooved. FLOWERS: Strongly
scented, small, cream coloured, in hanging spikes to 20 cm. Male and female
trees. FRUIT: Oblong, 1–2 cm, red-brown, fleshy, edible.
ECOLOGY: Deciduous woodland and bushland, wooded grassland, dry forests and
river valleys, 0–1,800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania, including Zanzibar and Pemba, e.g. occurs
in Tanga, Morogoro, Pwani, Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro Regions, around
Pangani, Mikumi National Park, Kilosa, Pugu and Mgambo Forest Reserves,
and Mzizima. Also in Uganda, Kenya and south to South Africa.
USES:
Food:
The ripe pink fruit are collected in handfuls and eaten fresh, mostly as a
snack and thirst quencher. The whole fruit and the seeds are sweet.
Medicinal:
– The bark is boiled and used as a tonic for anaemia. A decoction of the bark is
used by the Pare and Gogo for treatment of diarrhoea, stomach-ache and
headache.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Timber for doors, bedsteads, household utensils, tool handles, walking
sticks, cartwheels, milk pots, grain mortars and stools. Bark for rope making
and red dye. Roots used by the Sambaa for a bath that is believed to bring
good luck in business. The tree is also used for live fencing and shade.
SEASON: Fruits are collected in May–June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local people.
It can be propagated by seed and cuttings.

412
 THE SPECIES

Lannea schweinfurthii var. stuhlmannii (contd)

STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

REMARKS: There are two varieties in Tanzania, one occurring in coastal forest and
not known elsewhere. The species is resistant to fire. A related species, L. alata
(Maasai: Endungui), a shrub or small tree, 1–6 m, found in northern Tanzania
also has edible fruits. It also occurs in Kenya and Somalia.

Flowering shoot

Fruiting head

L. alata

Leafy stem with fruits

413
 THE SPECIES

Lantana camara Verbenaceae

South America

LOCAL NAMES: English: Tuck-berry; Gogo: Muwaha; Hehe: Luhongole, Lupebeta;

Iraqw: Xaslaamo; Nyamwezi: Mpugambu; Rangi: Gigambu; Sambaa: Mvuti;
Swahili: Mvuti.
DESCRIPTION: A scrambling evergreen shrub, 1–5 m, with many small recurved
prickles on the 4-angled stems, becoming woody and forming a dense thicket.
LEAVES: Opposite or in threes, aromatic, ovate, 3–9 cm, tip pointed, base
rounded to a short stalk, the edge toothed, the upper surface rough,
sandpapery. FLOWERS: Small and tubular in flat colourful heads 5 cm
across, yellow-orange to pink-purple, changing colour with age. FRUIT:
A cluster of round berries, each one about 8 mm across, green at first,
ripening black.
ECOLOGY: Does well in medium and high-altitude areas where it forms dense thickets
by roadsides, in forest clearings, abandoned fields and other disturbed areas.
Very invasive in a wide range of environments, up to 2,000 m; rainfall 1,100–
1,800 mm. Tolerates a wide range of soil types.
DISTRIBUTION: Originally from the West Indies or South America but now naturalized
throughout the tropics and subtropics of both hemispheres. Widespread in
Tanzania, especially in the northern and eastern parts.
USES:
Food:
The ripe black fruits are eaten in handfuls, especially by children as a snack.
Medicinal: The aromatic leaves are used as medicine. They are burnt and the
ash used to treat colds, coughs, toothache, sore throat and conjunctivitis.
The leaves are also used as a steam inhalation to treat headache and colds.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Ornamental, and can be planted as a hedge.
SEASON: Fruits are collected in September–December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected in the wild, but also planted as a hedge, ornamental and
boundary marker. Propagated by seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: It is a very troublesome weed.

414
 THE SPECIES

Lantana camara Verbenaceae

Flowering head

Prickly stems

Mature fruiting head

415
 THE SPECIES

Lantana trifolia Verbenaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: English: Sage brush; Bende: Mhugambu; Bondei: Mhuuga; Hehe:
Luhongole; Maasai: Enkurma-onkayiok, Lukurman-oonkayiok,
Olmagirigiriani; Nyamwezi: Mpugambu; Sambaa: Msasa-kilasha, Muhanta;
Swahili: Mvepe.
DESCRIPTION: A small scrambling shrub, 0.3–3 m, the stems with stiff hairs but no
prickles. LEAVES: In threes, occasionally opposite, long oval, 1.25–10 cm
long, the edge closely toothed, the upper surface wrinkled and
sandpapery, densely soft hairy below, tip pointed, very shortly stalked.
FLOWERS: Arise on stalks 2.5–10 cm long, beside leaves, the flower head
rounded at first to 2.5 cm diameter, elongating with age. Each flower mauve,
purple or pink, 5-lobed, slightly 2–lipped, often a yellow throat, only 3–7 mm
across. FRUIT: A group of small separate red-purple berry-like drupes,
soft and edible.
ECOLOGY: A shrub of forest and bush edges, disturbed forest and roadsides, growing
also in grasslands, bushland, abandoned cultivation, tolerating a wide variety
of soils. This plant varies greatly throughout its range and is hybridized with
other Lantana species, 900–2,500 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found throughout Tanzania, e.g. in Kagera, Kilimanjaro, Rukwa,
Iringa, Kigoma, Arusha and Morogoro Regions. Also in Uganda, Kenya and
widespread in the rest of Africa.
USES:
Food:
– The ripe purple fruits are occasionally collected in handfuls and eaten fresh
on the spot as a snack and to quench thirst. They have a sweet taste.
– Leaves are used to flavour milk.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are crushed and mixed in hot water and drunk to treat rheumatism,
generalized body pains and indigestion. Leaves are also used for treatment
of colds and ringworm.
– Roots are used to treat eczema.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fodder and as a source of bee forage. The stems are
used for constructing storage containers and fish traps.
SEASON: Fruits are collected late in the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local people.
It can be propagated by seed and cuttings.

416
 THE SPECIES

Lantana trifolia (contd) Verbenaceae

STATUS: Common and easily accessed within its area of distribution; especially
appreciated by firewood gatherers, hunters, pastoralists and children.
REMARKS: The plant is suitable for planting as a hedge or ornamental.

Fruit head

Flower head

Hairy stems

417
 THE SPECIES

Lantana ukambensis (L. rhodesiensis) Verbenaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Chagga: Efurie; English: Sage brush; Hehe: Luhongole;
Nyamwezi: Mpugambu; Sambaa: Msasakilasha.
DESCRIPTION: A woody herb or small shrub under 2 m, often multi-stemmed (no
prickles). LEAVES: Mostly opposite or in whorls of 3, ovate 1–8 cm long,
the tip pointed, base narrowed, edge round-toothed, the surface sandpapery
above but hairy below. FLOWERS: Mauve-purple, the centre often
yellow-white, each slightly 2-lipped, tubular, only 1–3 mm across, in a dense
many flowered head, the short stalks to 2 cm, the whole shorter than
the leaves, surrounded by large bracts at the base, as broad as the young
flower head, over 1 cm, usually hairy and ribbed. FRUIT: Blue-purple berries,
rounded, shiny, 2–4 mm across, containing one seed, covered at first by the
membranous calyx.
ECOLOGY: Found in grassland (often with thatching grasses, Hyparrhenia) and
wooded grassland (with Combretum spp.) open woodland (including
Brachystegia), old cultivation, sometimes amongst granite rocks, bushland,
secondary bushland, 100–2,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in all parts of Tanzania; also in Kenya, Uganda, west to
Cameroon, the Congo basin, Burundi, Rwanda, Sudan, Ethiopia, and south to
Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
USES:
Food:
Ripe berries are collected and eaten fresh. They are sweet and much liked by
children.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are chewed or pounded and soaked in warm water and the liquid is
drunk to treat coughs, fever and sores in the throat and on the tongue.
– Roots are boiled in water and drunk for rheumatism and generalized body
pains (Sambaa).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The stems are used for starting fire and as torches. Leaves are used an
as insect repellent. The plant is suitable as an ornamental and hedge and
provides forage for bees.
SEASON: Fruits are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, but can be propagated by seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Locally common.

418
 THE SPECIES

Lantana ukambensis (L. rhodesiensis) Verbenaceae

Enlarged flower

Hairy lower leaf

surface Bracts surround
flower heads

Enlarged berry fruit

with bract

Enlarged seed

419
 THE SPECIES

Laportea ovalifolia (Fleurya ovalifolia) Urticaceae

Indigenous

L OCAL NAMES : Bondei: Pupu; Hehe: Lugeni, Nyaluvafya; Luguru: Mpupu;

Sambaa: Pupu; Swahili: Mpupu; Zigua: Pupu.
DESCRIPTION: A perennial herb, almost entirely spreading across the ground
by stolons and rooting at the nodes; only the male flower stalks erect, but
shoots can reach over 1 m, usually with short stinging hairs; rather woody at
the base. LEAVES: Alternate, variable in size and shape, to 10 cm long, edge
toothed, tip long pointed, short stinging hairs on the upper surfaces and nerves
below, pointed stipules half joined, to 1 cm, leaf stalk 5–10 cm long. Linear
cystoliths (hair-like structures) occur along the veins. FLOWERS: Male and
female separate. Male flowers are seen on fleshy pink-brown erect stalks
to 50 cm which arise directly from leaf axils of underground stems, in dense
pink-cream clusters about 1 cm across with dark glandular hairs. The
anthers split open explosively as the filaments uncurl. One to a few female
flowers arise from 5 cm stalks, almost underground. FRUIT: Flat oval achenes,
3–4 mm,
ECOLOGY: Found in the herb ground layer of rainforest, swamp forest, along streams,
900–2,000 m. Sometimes in gaps or along forest paths, even on adjacent
cultivated land.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in the western parts of Tanzania, e.g. around Bukoba and
Kigoma. Also found in Uganda, Kenya, widespread in west and central Africa
from Sierra Leone to southern Sudan, and south to Angola and Zimbabwe.
USES:
Food:
Young leaves, which have a mild taste, are collected, washed, chopped, boiled,
mixed with beans or peas, or even served on their own with a staple. They
are eaten in small amounts.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are pounded, soaked in water and the infusion drunk to help deliver
the placenta after childbirth.
– Roots are boiled in water and the liquid drunk to prevent excessive men-
strual bleeding.
SEASON: Collected in the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local people.
An invasive weed in farmland.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Easily recognized by the creeping stolons.

420
 THE SPECIES

Laportea ovalifolia (Fleurya ovalifolia) Urticaceae

Long flower heads

Stipules

421
 THE SPECIES

Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius subsp. vaughanii Sapindaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: River litchi; Luguru: Mzindanguruwe; Luo: Riangata;
Sambaa: Mbwewe; Swahili: Mbwewe, Mnanyakanda; Tongwe: Kafulujege;
Vidunda: Mnyanza, Muyanza.
DESCRIPTION: A densely leafy tree 5–18 m, usually about 7 m. BARK: Fairly smooth,
grey, becoming darker and rougher, even scaly, with age. LEAVES: Alternate,
compound, with 3–7 pairs of thin leaflets, generally oval, 3–11 cm long, the
lowest leaflets often smaller, on a stalk to 5.5 cm, young leaflets orange-red,
turning yellow-green, tip tapering but blunt, base rounded, almost stalkless,
the edge wavy when dried. FLOWERS: Yellow-green, small, along rather loose
unbranched spike-like heads about 10 cm long, from leaf axils, separate
male and female trees, no petals but 4–5 sepals to 3 mm, about 10 stamens,
very small yellow female flowers on shorter stalks than male flowers, urn-like
in shape with soft black hairs at the tip of the neck. FRUIT: Yellow-orange-
pink capsules, ovoid, about 1 cm long, the surface covered with short dense
hairs; when ripe the skin breaks irregularly to set free one hard seed
enclosed in a blue-white fleshy covering which is edible.
ECOLOGY: Riverine, lakeside and fringing forest, swamp forest, bushland, grassland
with scattered trees, sometimes forming thickets, 0–1,400 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania, including on Zanzibar and Pemba Islands,
e.g. in Morogoro, Kagera, Tanga and Mara Regions. Also occurs in Kenya,
Uganda, Ethiopia and Somalia.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruits are collected and eaten raw as a snack.
Medicinal:
– The bark and roots are soaked in water and the infusion drunk to treat
constipation.
– The bark is soaked in water and the liquid vigorously whisked. The result-
ing foam is rubbed into the breasts of mothers in order to stimulate lactation
and purify milk in the breast.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The hard wood is used for poles, tool handles, carvings, spoons and
grain mortars. The tree provides good shade.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from April to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people. This species can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.

422
 THE SPECIES

Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius subsp. vaughanii (contd)

Flowering branch

Fruit capsule

Fruiting branch
Male flower

423
 THE SPECIES

Leonotis nepetifolia Lamiaceae (Labiatae)

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Linyominyomi; Hehe: Lisanzauki; Nyamwezi: Mfyomfyo.

DESCRIPTION: A tall woody annual herb, to 2.4 m, almost unbranched, the stiff
stems deeply ridged; most parts finely hairy. LEAVES: Opposite, long oval,
to 12 cm long, narrowed to a long stalk, the edges toothed, surfaces hairy.
FLOWERS: In dense rounded clusters at the upper nodes, flowers opening a
few at a time from the top downwards, each flower to 3.5 cm long, bright
orange, tubular with a densely hairy upper lip, 4 stamens lying below, and
a hairless lower lip. The surrounding calyx is funnel shaped with 8 spines,
very prickly when dry. FRUIT: 4 smooth nutlets, long and thin, lie within
the persistent calyx tube.
ECOLOGY: Found at forest margins, on wasteland, roadsides, in thickets, abandoned
homesteads, generally in humus-rich soils, in secondary regrowth, 900–2,100
m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in most parts of Tanzania, for example in Dodoma, Kagera,
Tabora, Mbeya, Morogoro and Iringa Regions; also in Burundi, Uganda, Kenya
and from Senegal to Sudan.
Uses:
Food:
Mature flowers are picked and the nectar sucked or licked from the base of
the flowers. It tastes sweet and is usually eaten in small amounts as a snack.
Usually much liked by children, and the flowers are also much visited by
sunbirds and bees.
Medicinal: Leaves are pounded, soaked in cold water and the liquid drunk to
relieve stomach pain and fever or to kill intestinal worms.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for ornamental purposes and as a source of bee for-
age.
SEASON: Flowers soon after the first rains.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local people.
Can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: It is a common weed in fields and gardens in most parts of Tanzania.

424
 THE SPECIES

Leonotis nepetifolia Lamiaceae (Labiatae)

Rounded flower cluster

425
 THE SPECIES

Lepisanthes senegalensis Sapindaceae

(Aphania senegalensis)

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Luguru: Mduru-mweupe; Maasai: Oleragai; Mwera: Mguena,
Mgwena; Pare: Mkungulungu; Swahili: Kihari, Mlangwe; Zinza: Msaro.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen tree 6–21 m with a heavy leafy crown. BARK: Smooth
pale grey-brown. LEAVES: Compound, pinnate, the leaf stalks to 10 cm and
crimson when young as well as the lower midrib, 1–3 pairs of large leaflets,
8–19 cm, the top pair always opposite, shortly stalked, slightly one-sided, the
long tip blunt or rounded, drying grey-green above and paler below. FLOWERS:
Small, yellow-green male and female flowers with a rather unpleasant smell,
growing along loose branched heads from leaf axils, or all appearing terminal,
usually flowering with new leaf growth. Flowering heads 5–20 cm, the
young stalks with golden hairs, each flower with 5 white petals, to 4 mm,
with a hairy fringe, 5–7 yellow stamens. FRUIT: Oval, red 12–18 mm,
containing 2 black seeds.
ECOLOGY: Evergreen lowland and submontane forest, riverine forest, often on coral
or lava rock near the sea, 0–1,800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In all parts of Tanzania except western and central areas, e.g. in
Morogoro, Mara, Kilimanjaro, Pwani, Mwanza and Kagera Regions. Also found
from West Africa to Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, south to Mozambique and in
India and Malaysia.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruits are fleshy and eaten raw. The pulp is swallowed and seeds dis-
carded (Mafia).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is medium hard and used for furniture, building poles, tool
handles and spoons. The tree is used for shade. It is also used as fish poison
(flowers).
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from February to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Ripe fruits are collected from the wild, but the tree can be propagated
using fresh seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Leaves and seeds are reported to be poisonous to goats and the flowers
poisonous to fish.

426
 THE SPECIES

Lepisanthes senegalensis (contd) Sapindaceae

Male flower (sepals Female flower (sepals

and petals removed) and petals removed)

Fruit

Male flower

Flowering and fruiting branch

427
 THE SPECIES

Leptactina benguelensis Rubiaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Hehe: Kindokoli, Kitokoli; Luguru: Mfyonzefyonze; Nyamwezi:

Mavya-ga-ntumbili, Mavolo-ga-ntumbili.
DESCRIPTION: A wiry perennial shrubby herb, erect and much branched or along
the ground forming cushions 30 cm to 2 m across and up to 1 m high, stems
arising from a thick woody rootstock, stems hairy or not. BARK: Peeling on old
stems. LEAVES: Long oval, 2–12 cm, tip pointed or not, stiff, shiny above, at
least a few hairs on lower veins, or more, narrowed to a short stalk 3–7
mm, a pair of leafy triangular stipules with a midrib to 1.6 cm long at the
stalk base. FLOWERS: Tubular, white, fragrant, stalkless, solitary, or 3 or
more, in terminal or axillary bunches, the slender corolla tube to 6 cm, densely
covered outside with tiny curved hairs, throat hairy, 4–5 spreading
lobes about 3 cm long, also hairy outside. FRUIT: A rounded berry 1–2 cm
long, maturing orange-yellow-cream, shiny, ribbed, thinly fleshy, edible
but full of dark brown stony seeds.
ECOLOGY: A plant of Brachystegia woodland, rocky hillsides, riverine thickets, 900–
1,400 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in western, central and eastern areas of Tanzania, e.g. Tabora,
Kigoma, Mwanza, Dodoma, Singida and Kagera Regions. Also in Burundi, the
Congo basin, Zambia and Angola.
USES:
Food:
– Ripe fruits are fleshy and eaten raw as a snack.
– Dried leaves can be used to add flavour to tea.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for ornamental purposes and fodder.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from November to April.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild. Can be propagated by seeds and root suckers.
STATUS: Locally common.

428
 THE SPECIES

Leptactina benguelensis Rubiaceae

Shoot showing stipules

Fruit

Flower

429
 THE SPECIES

Lippia kituiensis (L. ukambensis) Verbenaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Chagga: Efurie; English: Sedge plant, Wild tea; Hehe: Luhongole;
Iraqw: Ufani; Maasai: Isinon (plural), Olsinoni, Osinoni; Nyamwezi:
Mpugambu; Sambaa: Kaziti-wanda, Mvuti; Swahili: Mvuti; Zigua: Mvuti.
DESCRIPTION: A much-branched aromatic shrub to 3.5 m, stems hairy, often form-
ing pure stands. BARK: On old stems rough with long fissures. LEAVES: Usu-
ally opposite, long oval 2–12 cm long, tip usually blunt, the edges shallow,
finely round toothed, upper surface sandpapery rough, the lower usually
softly hairy, almost stalkless. FLOWERS: Small and white, the tube to 4 mm,
the 5 lobes obscurely 2-lipped (3 and 2), the flower centre yellow, the
crowded flower heads oval to hemispherical on stalks 2–6 cm, up to 3
stalks beside leaves. Bracts at the base of the flower head are twice as
wide as upper bracts. FRUIT: Two dry fruit sections (mericarps) have 1 seed
each, very small but edible, red.
ECOLOGY: Bushland, woodland, rough grassland, often on volcanic soil or lava rocks.
It is an important part of long-destroyed forest sites where it may be locally
dominant in secondary bush, at the margins of evergreen woodlands, a colonizer
of cultivated or disturbed land, so a problem in rangelands, 400–2,600 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found for example in Mara, Arusha and Tanga Regions of Tanza-
nia; Kenya and Malawi.
USES:
Food:
– Green leaves are picked, boiled, sugar added and the liquid drunk as a tea.
– Ripe berries are collected and eaten raw as a snack, especially by children
and herdsmen.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are boiled and used as a hot bath for coughs, colds and fever (Maasai,
Sambaa, Zigua). They are also crushed and the vapour inhaled to treat
colds.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for ornamental purposes and as a mosquito repellent,
and is a source of bee forage. Stems are also used as firewood and for making
arrow shafts and storage pots.
SEASON: Fruits are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not planted but can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Locally common.

430
 THE SPECIES

Lippia kituiensis (L. ukambensis) Verbenaceae

Flower head

Large basal bracts

431
 THE SPECIES

Lobelia fervens subsp. fervens (L. anceps) Lobeliaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Sambae; Pare: Kisambare; Sambaa: Sambae, Sangari,
Shambae; Swahili: Kinwale, Kisambale, Msambali.
DESCRIPTION: A small annual herb with slender winged stems, rather triangular,
less than 30 cm high. LEAVES: Alternate, simple, well spaced, upper leaves
long and narrow, stalkless, more than twice as long as broad, basal
leaves to 3 cm, minutely toothed. FLOWERS: Small, pale blue on lax terminal
or axillary thread-like stalks, a bract at the base leafy and longer than the
flower stalk, corolla to 1 cm long, 5 petals, 2 narrow upper lobes, 3 wider
lower lobes dark blue spots in the centre, 2 anthers with hairy tips, 2
stigmas, 5 sepal lobes persist, erect or spread around the fruit like stars
(spp. fervens). FRUIT: A dry narrow capsule, wider at the tip, only 6 mm,
breaking open to set free tiny seeds.
ECOLOGY: Found in damp and disturbed grassland, at forest edges, roadsides, beside
streams, on coastal sand, always in damp places, especially in rice fields where
it may be seen as a carpet of blue flowers, 0–1,800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania including Zanzibar and Pemba Islands,
but not in the northern and central areas. Also in Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia,
Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Madagascar, Comoro Islands and Reunion.
USES:
Food:
Tender leaves and stems are collected, chopped and cooked with or without
coconut milk or ghee (Bondei, Sambaa, Pare). The vegetable is then served
with ugali or rice.
Medicinal: Leaves are used as medicine for stomach-ache (Pare).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fodder and ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
M ANAGEMENT : Collected from the wild and not usually cultivated. It can be
propagated by seeds and cuttings.
STATUS: Locally common.

432
 THE SPECIES

Lobelia fervens subsp. fervens (L. anceps) Lobeliaceae

Fruit capsule
Tiny flowers

433
 THE SPECIES

Lycium europaeum Solanaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Hehe: Kihomolwa; Maasai: Engokia; Pare: Kokonida.
DESCRIPTION: A spiny shrub 1–3 m, the spines, up to 15 mm long, at the nodes.
LEAVES: Small, rather fleshy to 2.5 cm long, wider at the tip, narrowed to
the base, no hairs. Leaves and flowers often grow out of very short side
shoots. FLOWERS: White at first, becoming cream or pale mauve, small
and solitary or in pairs, the corolla to 16 mm long, tubular with 5 lobes.
FRUIT: Orange-red berries, round, about 5 mm across.
ECOLOGY: A shrub of dry bushland, bushed grassland, riverine bushland, scattered
tree grassland and in disturbed land near villages, 1–2,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Northern, central and eastern parts of Tanzania. Also found in Kenya,
Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia and the Arabian peninsular.
USES:
Food:
Green leaves are collected, chopped and cooked alone or with other veg-
etables such as Bidens pilosa or Cleome gynandra and served with ugali or
rice (Hehe).
Medicinal:
– Roots are boiled and used to treat coughs and sores in the mouth.
– Leaves are used as medicine for treatment of constipation and stomach-ache
(Hehe).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for hedges, fodder and ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated or protected by the local people.
It can be propagated by seeds and cuttings.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: This plant forms thick clumps and is reputed to harbour snakes and rats
(Hehe).

434
 THE SPECIES

Lycium europaeum Solanaceae

Berry fruit

Flower

Bud

Spine

435
 THE SPECIES

Maerua decumbens (M. edulis) Capparidaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Gogo: Msakasaka, Muwumbu; Maasai: Olkiage; Sambaa: Luwuga;

Sandawi: Segele.
DESCRIPTION: A much-branched shrub, branches stiff, ascending to 1–3 m, or a
woody herb with a perennial rootstock, often large and swollen. LEAVES:
Alternate, simple, blue-green and slightly fleshy, smooth and hairless,
variable in shape from narrow oval to almost round, the tip often with a small
pointed mucro, leaf 0.8–4 cm long, base usually rounded to a short stalk
only 6 mm, generally 3–5 nerved. FLOWERS: Yellow-green, borne singly in
upper leaf axils, no petals but 3–4 narrow oval sepals about 1 cm long, the
central white stamens to 2.5 cm long, the stalked ovary to 3 cm, recurved
when mature. FRUIT: A globose or ovoid capsule, yellow-orange, 1.5 – 3 cm
long with a pointed beak, containing 1–4 seeds.
ECOLOGY: Found in hot, dry country in deciduous or semi-evergreen bushland,
bushed grassland, wooded grassland, often near seasonal rivers or lakes,
conspicuous in burnt grassland, regenerating quickly from its woody rootstock,
0–1,800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in all parts of mainland Tanzania; also occurs in Kenya,
Uganda, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, the Congo basin, south to Gauteng,
north to Somalia, Ethiopia.
USES:
Food:
– The ripe yellow fruits are sweet and eaten fresh. They are mainly eaten by
children herding animals and during periods of famine (Gogo).
– Roots are chewed to quench thirst.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are pounded and the juice drunk to treat allergy.
– Roots and bark are soaked in warm water and the resulting liquid is drunk
for treatment of STDs.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: This evergreen shrub is used for ornamental purposes, hedges and bee
forage. Leaves are used as fish poison and for water purification.
SEASON: Fruits collected from January to March.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local people.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: The plant is also known to be toxic.

436
 THE SPECIES

Maerua decumbens (M. edulis) Capparidaceae

Flower

Fruit capsules

437
 THE SPECIES

Malva parviflora Malvaceae

Indigenous

L OCAL NAMES : Chagga: Mlenda; English: Mallow; Iraqw: Thobi; Maasai:

Olemwadeni; Swahili: Mlenda.
DESCRIPTION: A trailing herb, the stems may be slightly hairy. LEAVES: Very
rounded in outline but with 3–5 lobes, well notched at the base, the edges
with small soft teeth, on a stalk 4–6 cm. FLOWERS: Pink-purple, only 1
cm across, a few together beside leaves, on short stalks, some over 1 cm.
There are 3 free narrow outer sepals and 5 rounded inner sepals with a
small tooth at the tip, joined at the base. FRUIT: A few dry carpels in one-
seeded sections which separate when mature. The carpels are deeply
sculptured.
ECOLOGY: Found in grasslands, at forest edges, in woodland, on heavily grazed
grassland, sometimes on stony hills, at edges of ponds and lakes and easily
becoming a weed in cultivation, up to 1,500 m; rainfall 1,100–1,500 mm.
Tolerates a wide range of soils, but prefers red sandy loams.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in the northern part of Tanzania, e.g. around Loliondo and
Seronera and in Ngorongoro crater (Arusha Region). Also in Uganda, Kenya,
the Arabian peninsular, Eritrea, Ethiopia; recorded as a weed in South Africa.
USES:
Food:
The leaves are collected, chopped, boiled and added to other dishes to im-
prove their consistency. Served with a staple and eaten in small amounts.
Commercial: Locally marketed.
Other: Ornamental and bee forage.
SEASON: Collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Leaves can be dried and stored for up to six months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local people.
It can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Regarded as a serious weed of farms and gardens, but is also an indicator
of fertile soils. The plant is much liked by rhino. A similar species, M. verticillata
(English: Mallow), is used in the same way as M. parviflora. It is an erect
annual herb up to 1 m high with alternate and palmate leaves. It is widespread
in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. Also found in Rwanda.

438
 THE SPECIES

Malva parviflora Malvaceae

Flower

Three outer
sepals

Five inner sepals

Fruit

439
 THE SPECIES

Mammea usambarensis Clusiaceae (Guttiferae)

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Pare: Ikongwe, Muikongwe; Sambaa: Mbuni.
DESCRIPTION: An attractive forest tree to 24 m with a clear straight bole to a rounded
crown, the girth at base to 6 m. BARK: Brown-grey or red-brown, smooth, later
flaking into fairly thick irregular flakes. LEAVES: Opposite, stalked with
many translucent dots and streaks between the veins, narrow to broadly
oblong, 13–29 cm x 6–9 cm wide, stiff, drying yellow-green, tip usually long-
pointed, base narrowed to a stalk about 1 cm. FLOWERS: Male and female
flowers. Up to 6 male flowers together on 1 cm stalks, buds pale green
and rounded of only 1 sepal which splits into 2 concave parts, 4 white
petals are wide oval about 1 cm long and soon drop leaving a mass of central
stamens with deep yellow anthers (female flowers not seen). FRUIT: Pale green
to yellow, rounded but with a distinct pointed tip and flattened below,
4–6.5 cm long and 3.5–7 cm wide, containing 1–4 large seeds surrounded by
colourless, edible pulp.
ECOLOGY: Evergreen forest, 1,600–2,100 m, locally dominant.
DISTRIBUTION: Found only in Lushoto District (Tanga Region) and in Pare Moun-
tains in Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania and not known elsewhere. It has been
recorded from western Shagayu Forest and Magamba Forest in Lushoto Dis-
trict and Shengena Forest Reserve in the Pare Mountains.
USES:
Food:
– Ripe fruits are juicy and eaten raw. They are sweet but also rather acidic.
– Seeds are roasted in hot ash and then eaten, especially by children and
herdsmen (Pare).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for timber, firewood, building poles, tool handles, spoons
and bedsteads. The bark produces a yellow dye. The tree is used for shade.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from November to April.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people. It can be propagated using fresh seed.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution. Listed in the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Plants.
REMARKS: M. usambarensis often grows with Allanblackia stuhlmannii and Ocotea
usambarensis. A single Mammea tree can produce vast amounts of fruit. It is
endemic in West Usambara and South Pare Mountains. A closely related exotic
species, M. americana, the mammea apple from the West Indies, has been grown
at Amani and in Zanzibar where its fruit is well liked.

440
 THE SPECIES

Mammea usambarensis Clusiaceae (Guttiferae)

Fruit

Male flower with

single sepal split
into two parts

Section of male flower

441
 THE SPECIES

Manilkara dawei Sapotaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Swahili: Mgambo.

DESCRIPTION: A small- to medium-sized forest tree to 25 m, trunk fluted at the base.
Terminal buds and young shoots have a resinous gum. BARK: Brown and
grooved, exuding white latex when cut. LEAVES: Clustered at the ends of
branches, leathery, to 25 cm, usually widest towards the tip, which is
often notched, dark green above, silver-grey-white below, 18–22 clear
lateral veins each side, stalk to 4 cm. FLOWERS: 2–4 together beside leaves,
dense brown hairy stalks, small white-green flowers, styles over 1 cm. FRUIT:
A rounded berry, white powdery and hairy, flesh containing about 9 seeds.
ECOLOGY: Found in lowland rainforest and riverine forest, 1,100–1,600 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Only found in Kagera Region of Tanzania, e.g. on Kiao Island in
Lake Victoria and around Bukoba. Also in Uganda, in the eastern Congo basin
and the Central African Republic.
USES:
Food:
The ripe fruits are collected from the tree or from the ground, the pulp eaten
and the seeds rejected. The fruits are eaten in small amounts, especially by
children.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for timber, tool handles, charcoal, firewood, carvings,
poles, bedsteads, gunstocks and spoons. The tree is good for shade.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from October to December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by the local
people. Can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Easily accessible within its area of distribution.

442
 THE SPECIES

Manilkara dawei Sapotaceae

Flowers beside leaves

443
 THE SPECIES

Manilkara discolor Sapotaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : English: Forest milkberry; Kimbu: Mugambo; Ngindo:
Mkwichimbe; Sambaa: Mgambo, Mghambo, Mugambo; Swahili: Mgambo.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen leafy forest tree, usually 6–25 m, with a smooth straight
trunk, much-branched to a dense rounded crown, exuding white latex. Young
parts covered with fine cinnamon-brown hairs. BARK: Dark grey-brown
with age deeply grooved, later flaking in patches, twigs often knobbly, dark
grey-black. LEAVES: Alternate, simple, often terminal on branches (but not
whorled) broad oval, about 4–10 cm long, dark green above, silver grey
below due to a dense covering of minute, regularly arranged fine hairs
(“discolor”), tip somewhat lengthened but rounded or notched, base narrowed
to a grooved stalk about 1 cm, often with brown hairs like the midrib below, side
veins clearly parallel and a fine network between them clear above, only
slightly raised. FLOWERS: 4–6 together on reddish stalks about 1 cm,
beside leaves, fragrant, creamy yellow, the 5 petals with divided lobes,
surrounded by 2 whorls of reflexed sepals, 3 plus 3 with rusty hairs
outside, many stamens in the centre. FRUIT: Fleshy berries, oval, to 1.3 cm,
yellow turning red, tipped by the old style, containing a tasty juicy pulp enclosing
an oval flattened pale-coloured seed.
ECOLOGY: Lowland and upland dry evergreen forest and well-drained sites in upland
rainforest, 0–2,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania. Found, for example, in Tanga, Iringa,
Mbeya, Mtwara and Rukwa Regions of Tanzania. Also found in Kenya and
south to Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe into KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruits are fleshy and eaten raw. Seeds are discarded. They are very
tasty and eaten as a snack, especially by children, herdsmen and forest work-
ers.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and used for poles, fuelwood, tool handles, carvings
and spoons. The tree is good for shade, as an ornamental and for bee forage.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from July to November.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people. It can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Fruits of this species have been reported as being the “best of all wild
fruits” (Popenoe 1920).

444
 THE SPECIES

Manilkara discolor Sapotaceae

Flower

Flower head
Flower opened out

Seed

Branch

Fruit

445
 THE SPECIES

Manilkara mochisia Sapotaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Milk berry; Gogo: Mkonze; Haya: Mkunya; Matengo:
Mkwachu; Ngindo: Msama; Nyamwezi: Mkonze; Sukuma: Mkonze, Mukonje;
Swahili: Mnago, Msapa, Mtalawanda; Yao: Mkwachu.
DESCRIPTION: A large shrub or, more usually, a small- to medium-sized tree 3–20
m, with low branching and a spreading crown. BARK: Brown-grey-black with
deep longitudinal grooves. LEAVES: In characteristic tight terminal rosettes
growing from short side shoots, stalks about 1 cm, blade stiff and shiny,
wider at the tip, 2–6 cm long, tip rounded or notched, young leaves hairy
below, 10–14 pairs of lateral nerves. FLOWERS: In leaf axils, on stalks 6–13
mm, densely clustered, cream-yellow, sepals in two series of 3, petals with
many narrow segments. FRUIT: Yellow, rounded to 1.8 cm long, containing
a tasty red soft pulp around 1–3 dark brown flattened seeds.
ECOLOGY: Found in deciduous bushland and thickets, dry scrub with trees, wooded
grassland, also on black-cotton soil, 0–2,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in most parts of mainland Tanzania, north to Kenya, Somalia,
south through Mozambique to Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, KwaZulu-Natal,
Botswana and Angola.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruits are collected from the ground or picked from the tree and eaten
raw as a snack. The sweet juicy pulp is eaten and the hard seeds are dis-
carded.
Medicinal: The stem bark is used as medicine to treat mastitis. The bark is
dried, pounded and powder mixed with groundnut or simsim oil and smeared
on the swollen breasts of a woman who is suffering from the disease. A simi-
lar treatment can be used to treat udder inflammation in cattle.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and heavy, used for furniture, carvings, tool handles,
spoons, poles, firewood and charcoal. The tree provides good shade and bee
forage.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected between April and June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, not cultivated or protected by the
local people, but can easily be propagated by seedlings.
STATUS: Very scattered within its area of distribution.

446
 THE SPECIES

Manilkara mochisia Sapotaceae

One flower

Fruits

Flowering and fruiting

branch

447
 THE SPECIES

Manilkara obovata Sapotaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Gogo: Mmumbulu, Mumbulu; Haya: Mkunya, Mukuaya;
Nyamwezi: Mmenge, Mumenge; Swahili: Mgama, Mgambo.
DESCRIPTION: A tall evergreen tree to 35 m with a long clear bole, slightly fluted
and sometimes buttressed at the base. BARK: Pale grey turning dark brown-
grey, fissured and rough with age, young branchlets purple-brown dotted with
paler breathing pores, older branches with conspicuous leaf scars often raised
like pegs, when cut bright red as well as white latex. LEAVES: Alternate,
clustered at the ends of branches (but not in tight rosettes), on stalks to 1.5 cm,
oval, wider at the tip, which is rounded or notched, 3–10 cm long, generally
stiff, upper surface bright green, paler below, numerous side veins raised, hair
like, curving to tip. FLOWERS: Small and white, bunched in the axils of
older or fallen leaves, on brown hairy stalks 4–10 mm, 2 sets of 3 x 3 calyx
lobes, brown hairy outside, 6 narrow petals, each 3-lobed, only 5 mm. FRUIT:
Ovoid to rounded to 2.5 cm, yellow when ripe and edible.
ECOLOGY: Rainforest, riverine forest, swamp, 1,100–1,300 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in Kagera (swamp forests of the south-west shores of Lake
Victoria), Tanga, Tabora and Dodoma Regions of Tanzania. Also in Uganda,
from Sierra Leone across west Africa into Gabon, Congo, Zambia and Angola.
USES:
Food:
– Ripe fruits are usually picked from the tree and eaten raw as a snack. Ma-
ture fruits can be collected and kept in the shade for about two days to ripen.
– Fruits can be dried, stored and eaten later.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and durable and used for timber, building poles, tool
handles and carvings.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from March to June.
STORAGE: Dried fruits can be stored for several weeks.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not planted or protected by the local people.
The species can be propagated by seedlings.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: A suitable tree for planting on stream and river banks and in swampy
areas.

448
 THE SPECIES

Manilkara obovata Sapotaceae

Fruiting twig

Flowering twig

449
 THE SPECIES

Manilkara sansibarensis Sapotaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Digo: Mung’ambo; Haya: Mkunya; Swahili: Mcheji, Mgambo,
Mguvi, Mshonzi, Mti chuma; Zaramo: Mtunda.
DESCRIPTION: A medium-sized tree with a bushy crown, to 25 m. BARK: Rough
grey-brown-black, producing white latex when cut. LEAVES: Simple, oblong
to 14 cm, tip rounded or notched, very stiff, on stalks to 3 cm, dull green,
at the end of twigs, side veins closely parallel. FLOWERS: Very small, green-
white,4–12 in leaf axils, flower stalks and outer calyx very hairy, flowers
fragrant. FRUIT: Tough round or oval berries, to 1.3 cm, containing 1–4
shiny flat seeds.
ECOLOGY: Lowland rainforest and lowland dry evergreen forest, also in evergreen
woodland and coastal bushlands, 0–300 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in Tanga Region and other coastal areas, and on Zanzibar
and Pemba Islands; e.g. in Pugu and Kurekese Forest Reserves and around
Ruvu (Pwani Region). Also found in coastal Kenya and Mozambique.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruits are edible. Fruits are collected from the ground or picked from the
tree and eaten raw as a snack. The sweet pulp is swallowed and seeds are
discarded.
Medicinal:
– The bark is used to treat pneumonia.
– Roots are used to treat STDs and constipation.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for timber, handles and domestic utensils.
SEASON: Seeds are collected from September to December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated or protected by the local people.
However, it can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Scattered within its area of distribution.

450
 THE SPECIES

Manilkara sansibarensis Sapotaceae

Flower

Berry fruits

451
 THE SPECIES

Manilkara sulcata Sapotaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Digo: Msezi, Mzezi, Nzezi; Sambaa: Mduyuyu; Swahili: Mchambigi,
Mcheji, Mcheji dume, Mteweji; Mwera: Msofu; Ngindo: Muhamba; Zaramo:
Mcheju; Zigua: Msezi, Msezi-mbago.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen shrub or small much-branched tree usually 3–6 m.
BARK: Grey, only slight longitudinal grooves. LEAVES: Small, dark shiny
green above, paler below, clustered at branch tips, oval and wider at the tip,
which is notched or rounded, 2.5–8 cm long, only young shoots, buds and
flower stalks are covered with dense rusty hairs. FLOWERS: Cream,
yellow-green, in groups of 2–6 beside leaves, each flower to 5 mm long
with pale green divided petal lobes surrounded by 2 rows of sepals. FRUIT:
Long oval, pale green–yellow to 1.3 cm long, without hairs, tipped by the
old style, containing one seed in sweet edible pulp.
ECOLOGY: Lowland dry evergreen forest (Cynometra), coastal forests and bushland,
Brachystegia woodland, mainly on sandy soils in coastal areas, 0–1,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Only known from the coastal regions of north-eastern Tanzania,
extending also into Kenya and the adjacent regions inland.
USES:
Food:
The fruit pulp is sweet and eaten raw as a snack. The seeds are discarded.
Medicinal:
– Roots are used for treatment of snakebite.
– Leaves are crushed and rubbed on the skin to treat rashes in children.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is very hard and heavy and is used for building poles, fire-
wood, charcoal, tool handles, domestic utensils and animal traps. The tree is
used for shade.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from August to December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Fruits are collected from the wild. The tree is not cultivated or protected
by the local people. Can be propagated using seeds.
STATUS: Locally common.

452
 THE SPECIES

Manilkara sulcata Sapotaceae

Fruit

Flowers

453
 THE SPECIES

Maranthes goetzeniana Chrysobalanaceae

(Parinari goetzeniana)
Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Sambaa: Banko, Fuzu, Ng’anga.
DESCRIPTION: A very large, evergreen tree 25–50 m, with a spreading rounded
crown. BARK: Grey or red-brown, smooth but finely ridged when older.
LEAVES: Alternate, simple, generally oval, 7–15 cm long, shiny above and
dull below, with a conspicuous narrowed apex drawn out into a “drip-
tip”, base wide or rounded into a short stalk, 8–10 side veins, edge somewhat
wavy. FLOWERS: Pale green-cream-white, each 1–2 cm in diameter, growing
in a wide flat-topped head, greyish to 12 cm across and 8 cm deep, young
parts covered with thick soft green-grey-brown hairs, the wide calyx
tube with 5 lobes, 5 rounded petals and many stamens hang well beyond the
petals, long yellow hairs cover the ovary. FRUIT: Black and fleshy, oval, to
3 cm long, with edible flesh.
ECOLOGY: Evergreen rainforest, about 900 m.
DISTRIBUTION : Found in the East Usambara Mountains and recorded around
Morogoro but also in wet evergreen forest in South Africa.
USES:
Food:
Fruits are collected from the ground and the pulp is eaten. The hard stones
are broken and the kernel eaten, especially by children during times of food
scarcity.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is very hard and is used for sleepers, firewood, charcoal, build-
ing poles, tool handles and yokes. The tree is used for shade and bee forage.
The bark produces a red dye.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from September to December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people. The species can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: In Tanzania, this tree is only known to occur in the East Usambara
Mountains and Uzugwa in Morogoro Region.

454
 THE SPECIES

Maranthes goetzeniana Chrysobalanaceae

Flowers

Fruit

“Drip tip” of leaf

455
 THE SPECIES

Mimusops kummel Sapotaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Mgama, Mgambo; Gogo: Mugama; Kaguru: Mugama;
Hehe: Mugama; Iraqw: Hiiti; Maasai: Olkirenyi; Sambaa: Mgama, Mgambo;
Swahili: Mgama, Mgambo; Tongwe: Mlonje; Zigua: Mgama, Mgambo.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen tree which can reach 35 m and have a trunk diameter
of more than 1 m, the crown leafy and oval. BARK: Dark grey, rough and
deeply grooved, branchlets covered with red-brown hairs. LEAVES: Oval
to 10 cm, the tip blunt, the midrib below hairy and also the leaf stalk, to 15
mm. FLOWERS: Fragrant, cream-white, 1–4 in leaf axils, on stalks to 2–5 cm.
Flower parts in fours, rather flat, star shaped, stalks and outer calyx with
brown hairs, central ovary with silky pale hairs. FRUIT: A drupe to 2 cm,
pointed and orange-yellow, contains one red-brown seed.
ECOLOGY: Widespread in riverine forest and other vegetation beside streams, often
scattered as small trees, even in upland dry evergreen forests, in wooded
grasslands and on rocky hills in dry areas, 500–2,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in most parts of Tanzania; Uganda, Kenya, Eritrea, Ethiopia,
Sudan, across the southern Sahara into West Africa.
USES:
Food:
– The fleshy ripe fruit pulp is sweet and eaten raw as a snack. Ripe fruits are
collected from the ground or picked from the tree.
– Ripe fruits are dried in the sun, pounded, and the powder used for making
juice or the local brew.
Medicinal: The bark is used as medicine for anaemia, asthma and malaria
(Zigua).
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The wood is used for timber, carvings, tool handles and beehives. The
tree gives good shade.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are available from October to December.
STORAGE: Dried fruits can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild but can be propagated from seeds.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: An important fruit tree which should be domesticated and bred.

456
 THE SPECIES

Mimusops kummel Sapotaceae

Flowering shoot

Fruit

Pistil

457
 THE SPECIES

Mimusops obtusifolia (M. fruticosa) Sapotaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Mgambo; English: Round-fruited red milkwood; Sambaa:
Mgama, Mgambo; Swahili: Mgambo kapu, Mnguvi; Zaramo: Mgama.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen shrub close to the sea shore but usually a much-branched
spreading tree up to 20 m. BARK: Grey, rough well grooved, young branches
with brown hairs, soon lost. LEAVES: Long oval, 3.5–8 cm, wider towards
the tip, stiff, upper surface a dark shiny green, lower dull green, tip rounded,
base narrowed to a stalk about 1 cm, fine vein network raised, side veins curving
towards tip. FLOWERS: Star like, white-cream petals in 2 whorls, on
curved stalks, hairy brown, 1–2.5 cm long, 1–6 stalks, from leaf axils, each
flower to 11 mm across surrounded by 4 + 4 brown hairy sepals, of two sizes;
8 petals to 8.5 mm, divided into 3 narrow lobes, from a tube only 2.5 mm,
some petal-like stamens, hairy outside, 8 altogether (see illustration). FRUIT:
A round berry, orange-red, to 2.5 cm diameter, the skin tough, containing
1–5 dark shiny seeds in edible flesh.
ECOLOGY: Lowland dry evergreen forest, riverine forest and coastal evergreen
thicket, 0–800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in
Buds
the coastal areas of
Tanzania from
Tanga to Ruvuma
River, including
Zanzibar and
Pemba. Also in
coastal Kenya,
Mozambique, Flowers
Zimbabwe, Comoro
Islands, Madagascar
and South Africa.

Fruit

4 stamens
Three-lobed petals
and the 8 stamens
4 staminodes

458
 THE SPECIES

Mimusops obtusifolia (contd) Sapotaceae

USES:
Food: Ripe fleshy fruit are sweet; eaten raw
as a snack and seeds discarded.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and heavy and used for fuelwood, poles, tool handles,
spoons, dhow building, carvings, gunstocks, bedsteads and clogs. The tree pro-
vides good shade and bee forage.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from November to January.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated; easily propagated from seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Several other Mimusops species are edible:
1. M. bagshawei (Bondei, Sambaa, Zigua: Mgambo; Haya: Msali; Luo: Olalwait;
Maasai: Leliat; Swahili, Mgama, Mgambo): a tree up to 40 m with large
spreading crown and fluted stem. BARK: Thick, dark brown. LEAVES: Stiff,
often wider at the tip, clustered at ends of branchlets, 7–12 cm long, shiny dark
green above, pale, dull below. FLOWERS: Green-yellow-cream, fragrant, small.
FRUIT: Orange-yellow berry, 3 x 2 cm, egg shaped, tip pointed, with 1–3 brown
seeds. Found only in Kagera Region, e.g. Minziro Forest in Bukoba District in
rainforest, 1,100–2,400 m. Also Kenya, Uganda and southern Sudan.
2. M. somaliensis (M.
schliebenii) (Bondei, M. bagshawei
Sambaa, Swahili:
Mgama; Sambaa:
Mgambo): a tree up to
20 m. LEAVES: Large,
stiff, 4.5–11 cm x 2–5
cm wide, smooth
above, hairy below.
FLOWERS: Cream, in
Flower
clusters between
leaves. FRUIT: Yellow
when ripe, to 1.7 cm
across. Coastal
woodland, 150–300 m,
in Tanga, Lindi and
Mtwara Regions; also
coastal Kenya.
Fruit

459
 THE SPECIES

Mollugo cerviana Aizoaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Hehe: Ilolompya, Kibogaboga.

DESCRIPTION: An attractive annual herb, very small, with many slender, stiff
upright stems 4–17 cm long. LEAVES: Narrow and stalkless, arising in whorls
on the stem, some in a rosette at the base, grey-green, flat, 2–26 mm long,
3 mm or less wide, the rosette of leaves to 18 mm, often dying quickly. FLOWERS:
In short heads with 1–4 greenish flowers (stalked only in var. spathulifolia),
no petals but 5 tiny sepals, each flower only 2 mm long. FRUIT: A capsule with
tiny brown seeds.
ECOLOGY: A weed of roadsides, cultivation, waste places, bare ground and dry river
beds; two varieties have a different geographic and altitude range: var. cerviana
400–1,700 m; var. spathulifolia, 0–800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in the tropics and subtropics of Africa and Asia, including
Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are used as a vegetable. Tender leaves are collected, sorted, chopped
and cooked. Coconut milk or groundnut paste may be added and then the
vegetable served with ugali or rice.
Medicinal: Leaves are used as medicine for stomach-ache and constipation.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fodder and is suitable for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Collected during the rainy season, i.e. January to April.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people. However, it can be propagated by seeds and cuttings.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: Regarded as a troublesome weed in areas where it occurs.

460
 THE SPECIES

Mollugo cerviana Aizoaceae

Flower with 5 sepals

Flower head

Flowering and fruiting shoot One enlarged seed

461
 THE SPECIES

Momordica foetida Cucurbitaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES : Chagga: Mokiki; Gogo: Kisalasala; Gorowa: Oroondi; Hehe:
Nyasalasala; Iraqw: Oroondi; Kimbu: Kasasalya; Nyamwezi: Kasasalya;
Pare: Ikungulanyoka; Sambaa: Lushwe.
DESCRIPTION: A hairy climber or creeping herb from a stout perennial rootstock,
with simple or forked tendrils opposite the leaves. Young stems spotted dark
green. The plant has a strong unpleasant smell. LEAVES: Heart shaped,
alternate, often unlobed, 8–12 cm across, the edge with small widely spaced
teeth, deeply notched, to a stalk about 2 cm. FLOWERS: Sexes on separate
plants. Female flowers single, on long axillary stalks, with 5 pale yellow
petals, to 5 cm diameter, the centre black (ovary hairy), 4–8 male flowers
grouped together in a broad bract on a long stalk, 5 oblong sepals, 5
spreading petals. FRUIT: Easily recognized, pale yellow to brilliant orange,
to 6.5 cm long, covered with soft orange bristles, narrowed to a beak at
the tip, and at the base to a stalk over 2.5 cm long. The fruit bursts when ripe to
expose flat seeds in a red pulp.
ECOLOGY: Forest edges and clearings, margins of swamp and riverine forest and at
edges of thickets, also a weed in farmland and a colonizer of disturbed ground,
up to 2,400 m; rainfall 1,100–2,100 mm. Tolerates a wide range of soil types.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in tropical Africa from Guinea and Cameroon south to
southern Africa. This species is common in all parts of Tanzania, including on
Zanzibar. Also in Kenya and Uganda.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are collected, chopped, boiled and eaten with beans or peas together
with a staple. It is eaten in small amounts as a famine food and in emer-
gency situations. The leaves have a bad smell and a bitter taste.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are crushed and the liquid applied into the ears to treat earache.
– Roots are used to treat intestinal worms and constipation.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fodder.
SEASON: Collected in the dry season
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by local people.
Can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: A troublesome weed of gardens and farms.

462
 THE SPECIES

Momordica foetida Cucurbitaceae

Simple tendrils

Female flower

Fruit

463
 THE SPECIES

Momordica rostrata Cucurbitaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Hehe: Litambalanzoka; Maasai: Enkamposhi, Olamposhi;
Nyamwezi: Lyungu-lya-nzoka; Sambaa: Kunguiva; Sandawi: /.Umphá;
Sukuma: Lyungu-lya-nzoka; Swahili: Tunda nyoka.
DESCRIPTION: A climbing or trailing plant from a fleshy rootstock often seen
protruding above the soil surface, grey-green. Young green stems are weak
and thin but become woody and white with age, simple tendrils grow opposite
the alternate leaves. LEAVES: Compound, 5–9 leaflets, the first 3 divide
again giving up to 3 groups of 3, each one oval to rounded, the edge wavy
toothed, rounded at the tip. FLOWERS: Separate male and female plants;
flowers orange with a brown base, about 2 cm across, female flowers solitary,
almost stalkless, numerous male flowers with 5 free petals, the 5 anthers
contorted and folded and in 3 groups. FRUIT: Ovoid to egg shaped, stalk
less than 1.5 cm, bright orange-red when ripe, 3–7 cm long, up to 4 cm
across, beaked at the tip, with 8 ridges (or almost smooth), containing flat brown-
black seeds in yellow edible pulp. Seeds have a thick sculptured covering.
ECOLOGY: Common in dry woodland and rocky places in open grassland (Acacia–
Commiphora), deciduous bushland, thicket, wooded grassland, 0–1,700 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In Tanzania this species is found in Kagera, Mwanza, Shinyanga,
Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Tanga, Dodoma and Singida Regions. It is also found in
Kenya, Uganda and southern Ethiopia.
USES:
Food:
– Ripe fruit are edible. They are cut in half and the juicy pulp eaten raw. It is
sweet and much liked by children.
– Tender leaves are collected and cooked alone or with other vegetables such
as amaranth and peas. Coconut milk or pounded groundnuts may be added
and the dish is then eaten with ugali or rice.
– The fruits are boiled and eaten.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fodder and ornamental purposes. A powder ob-
tained from peeled, dried and crushed roots can be used for preservation of
cereals. The powder can also kill stalkborers.
SEASON: Rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not planted or protected by the local
people. Can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Only scattered within its area of distribution.

464
 THE SPECIES

Momordica rostrata Cucurbitaceae

Tendril
Female flower

Swollen rootstock

465
 THE SPECIES

Monanthotaxis poggei Annonaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Ha: Bulyankende; Tongwe: Lujongololo.
DESCRIPTION: A climbing shrub or liane, 1–6 m, young stems covered with rusty
hairs. LEAVES: Long oval, 8–16 cm, usually with long pointed tips, base
wide to a very small channelled stalk, with rusty hairs, the thin blade green
above but densely covered below with silky silver-brown hairs, clear
nerves with rusty hairs. FLOWERS: Solitary or 2–4 flowers beside or above
leaves on short hairy stalks, narrow hairy bracts about 1 cm long, 2–3 tiny
hairy sepals surround the flowers, which usually have 6 white-yellow fleshy
petals in one whorl, rusty hairs outside. FRUIT: 6–8 fruits, 1–2 cm long on
a stalk about 1 cm, each fruit usually one-seeded, covered with rusty hairs.
ECOLOGY: Evergreen forest and riverine forest, 700–1,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found only in western Tanzania, e.g. in Gombe Stream National
Park and Mahale Mountain National Park in Kigoma Region. Also in the Congo
basin and in Angola.
USES:
Food:
Fruits are edible. The pulp of ripe fruits is sweet and eaten fresh as a snack.
Medicinal: Roots are used as medicine for stomach-ache and an antidote for
snakebite.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for firewood, storage pots and withies. The tree is used
for ornamental purposes because of its sweet-scented flowers and as a source
of bee forage.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from April to May.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people. It can be propagated using fresh seed.
STATUS: In Tanzania, this species is only found in Kigoma Region.
REMARKS: Fruits are also eaten by chimpanzees.

466
 THE SPECIES

Monanthotaxis poggei Annonaceae

Flowers

Fruiting branch

467
 THE SPECIES

Multidentia crassa (Canthium crassum) Rubiaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Muwewe; Bende: Mugogolo; Hehe: Mbwewe, Muwewe;

Matengo: Mandikiti; Ndendelule: Mandikiti; Nyamwezi: Mkukumba,
Mukukumba, Muyogoyogo; Nyakyusa: Ingulungulu; Rangi: Musede;
Sandawi: Nam; Tongwe: Lungogolo; Zinza: Munyabitwa.
DESCRIPTION: A deciduous shrub or small tree to 6 m. BARK: Grey-black, rough,
thick and fire resistant, peeling off the main trunk to expose a reddish
underbark; if cut, much whitish sap. Young shoots stout, the corky bark powdery
grey-white-yellow. LEAVES: Rather large, in opposite pairs and more than
one pair found at the tips of branches—conspicuous on bare trees. Leaves
fleshy, becoming stiff or papery, 3–27 cm long x 2–15 cm wide, tip usually
blunt, smooth above, paler and hairy below with a clear vein network,
on a stalk to 2.5 cm, persistent long-pointed stipules to 1 cm. FLOWERS: Yellow-
green, in dense bunches in leaf axils, on stalks to 5 cm, all parts hairy,
even woolly, each flower with 5 fleshy petals only 6 mm long, the calyx tubular
with 5 equal lobes (contrast Canthium). FRUIT: Green mottled brown, yellow,
dull red or brown spotted with white, round but flattened to 4 cm wide with
2 lobes, fleshy and edible.
ECOLOGY: Found in woodland, thicket and grassland, particularly on burnt hillsides
and rocky places, 900–2,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in most parts of dryland Tanzania excluding coastal areas.
Also found in north-west Uganda, Burundi, the Congo basin, Sudan, Central
African Republic, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Angola.
USES:
Food:
Fruits are edible. Ripe fruits are fleshy, sweet and eaten raw. They are eaten
as a snack and are generally well liked.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are pounded, soaked in water and the juice applied into the ears to
treat earache.
– Roots are used as medicine for earache, stomach-ache and intestinal worms.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The wood is used for firewood, charcoal and spoons. The tree is used for
ornamental purposes and bee forage.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from April to June.
STORAGE: Ripe fruits are collected, dried and stored for several weeks.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people. It can be propagated using seeds.

468
 THE SPECIES

Multidentia crassa (contd) Rubiaceae

STATUS: Locally common.

REMARKS: Several other Multidentia species have edible fruits, including the
following two:
1. M. fanshawei (Hehe: Mdegege, Msadasada; Sambaa: Mkulukwa) a shrub 1–
3 m tall found in Iringa and Mbeya Regions;
2. M. sclerocarpa (Sambaa: Kiviruviru, Ntuavuka) a shrub or small tree up 13 m
tall which is found only in Tanga Region.

M. crassa

Flowers

Branch with fruits

469
 THE SPECIES

Myrianthus arboreus Cecropiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Mkonde; Ha: Umufe; Hehe: Mfutsa; Luguru: Mdewerere,
Mfuza, Mkwayaga, Mlowelowe; Matengo: Mhunsa; Nyiha: Liwisa; Sambaa:
Mkonde; Tongwe: Isakama; Zigua: Mkonde.
DESCRIPTION: This rainforest tree is easily recognized by its huge leaves and its
fruit. A large shrub to medium-sized under-storey tree, about 10 m (to 20 m),
the short trunk divided into several steeply ascending thick branches to an
untidy spreading crown. It is one of the few Tanzanian trees to have thick
stilt roots to 60 cm long. BARK: Smooth, thin and brown, watery sap below.
LEAVES: Alternate, usually 5–7 leathery leaflets, the whole blade 30–90
cm across on a stalk to 50 cm long. Each leaflet oval, wider at the tip,
edges sharply toothed, the central leaflets about 25 cm long x 9 cm wide, but
the outer leaflets half that size, the lower surface hairy, white between
many raised brown veins. Leaves red when young. FLOWERS: Separate male
and female flowers, usually paired heads beside leaves; male stalk much divided,
about 15 cm long, the terminal branches densely covered with tiny flowers,
each with 2–4 stamens, dark yellow; round female flower heads with 20–50
tiny flowers, yellow, about 3 cm across, shortly stalked. FRUIT: Compound,
bright yellow when ripe, 6–10 cm across, on a stalk to 6 cm, oval to
round (variable depending on how many flowers were fertilized), each section
about 2.5 cm and 5-sided, a tough sandpapery skin, soft pulp inside, a thin
layer of sweet gelatinous flesh around one hard oval light brown seed.
ECOLOGY: Rain or swamp forest, in clearings and regrowth, riverine or lakesides,
700–1,200 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania, e.g. in Kigoma, Rukwa, Morogoro, Arusha,
Songea and Tanga Regions. Also in Uganda, extending to southern Ethiopia
and southern Sudan, the Congo basin, northern Angola and west to Guinea.
USES:
Food:
Yellow, ripe fruits are collected from the forest and eaten as a snack. The
fruit is sweet, with a flavour like Annona. A well-known fruit eaten in many
parts of Tanzania.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are used as medicine for improving lactation in women. The leaves
are pounded, boiled and the liquid drunk three times a day.
– Roots are boiled and the liquid gargled to treat sore throat.
Other: The wood is light and used for firewood, wooden pots and spoons. Fruits
are used as fodder for pigs. The tree is important for shade, soil enrichment
(leaves) and bee forage.

470
 THE SPECIES

Myrianthus arboreus (contd) Cecropiaceae

SEASON: Collected in the early dry season.

STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated but usually protected while
clearing land for farming. Can be propagated using fresh seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: This tree has been grown from seed in Kilolo (Hima nursery), Iringa
Region, and produced fruit in 4–5 years.

Tip of mature
leaflet to show
actual size

Young leaf

Compound fruits cut

across to show many
sections

Mature fruit section

Male flowers ready to eat

471
 THE SPECIES

Myrianthus holstii Cecropiaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: English: Giant yellow mulberry; Hehe: Mftsa, Mfutsa, Mkwaliti,
Mufutsa, Mvalambi; Kaguru: Mfuza; Kinga: Mabagala; Luguru: Mdewerere,
Mkwayaga, Mlowelowe; Matengo: Mahusa, Muhusa; Nguru: Mkonde;
Nyakyusa: Mskisya, Msuisya, Mswiza; Nyiha: Liwisa; Sambaa: Mkonde,
Mkonde dume; Tongwe: Isakama; Wanji: Libangala; Zigua: Mkonde.
DESCRIPTION: A medium-sized tree to 1–20 m with a short trunk and large branches,
often with stilt roots to 60 cm high. BARK: Grey-brown, much watery sap inside
which turns black in the air. LEAVES: Distinctive, very large, 25–60 cm
across and compound palmate with 5–7 leaflets, the largest central leaflets
20–30 cm long, outer leaflets smaller, edge saw toothed, upper surface smooth
dark green, lower side grey-green, hairy, with conspicuous veins, on a brown
hairy stalk 7–35 cm long. FLOWERS: Sexes separate: male flowers on thick
branched heads 4–15 cm across, 6 cm long, densely covered with tiny green
flowers with orange anthers; female flowers 20–40 on a stalked head,
yellow, 2 cm diameter. FRUIT: Round and yellow, 4 cm across, with
hard sections, each conical and pointed (resembling a small pineapple).
Each seed in a section surrounded by acid edible pulp.
ECOLOGY: Rainforest, montane forests, sometimes at edges or in regrowth and along
rivers, 900–2,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In Tanzania it is found in Tanga, eastern and the Southern High-
lands. Also in Uganda, Kenya, parts of Central Africa, and south to Mozam-
bique, Malawi, northern Zambia and eastern Zimbabwe.
USES:
Food:
Fresh fruits are collected from the tree and eaten as a snack.
Other: The wood is white, soft and used for firewood, torches and cups.
SEASON: Collected from February to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local people.
Can be propagated by fresh seeds, coppices and root suckers.
STATUS: Generally scattered within its area of distribution.

472
 THE SPECIES

Myrianthus holstii Cecropiaceae

Female flower heads

Compound fruit from

female plant

473
 THE SPECIES

Myrsine africana Myrsinaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Barabaig: Segedid; Bondei: Zuma; English: Cape myrtle; Gorowa:
Mahheli; Maasai: Olsegetit; Matengo: Kanakalayi.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen perennial undershrub or small tree, 1–5 m, often much
branched; branches grey-brown-purple and finely grooved, new shoots densely
hairy. BARK: Red-brown, rough. LEAVES: Alternate, simple and small, 0.5–2
cm long, rather crowded on branchlets, leathery, shiny green above,
almost stalkless, variable in shape, the edge usually with tiny sharp teeth,
often confined to the upper leaf, tip narrowed, often notched, base narrowed.
FLOWERS: Small (3 mm), male and female or both, in axillary clusters among
newly grown leaves, green-white to pink-crimson, rather large purple anthers
hang out beyond the 4 petals, calyx with glands. FRUIT: Round berries,
5 mm diameter, pink-purple when ripe, thinly fleshy, containing one
seed.
ECOLOGY: Upland forest edges, open wooded grassland, stony hillsides in grassland
and pasture, sometimes riverine on sandy soil, volcanic soil or lava, 1,200–
3,600 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in the northern, central and southern highland areas of
Tanzania (not in Uluguru Mountains). Also found in Kenya, Uganda, and in
other mountains of eastern Africa from Ethiopia and Socotra to Zambia, Angola,
South Africa; also the Azores, the Arabian peninsular eastwards to China, and
in Europe cultivated from seed as an ornamental shrub.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fleshy fruits are picked and eaten fresh (Lwanji, Kinga).
Medicinal: Fruits are used for treatment of intestinal worms, chest pains and
general stomach problems. Fruits are dried, pounded, and the powder is
soaked in water. The liquid is then drunk three times a day.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and used for firewood and withies. The plant is used
for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: The fruits are collected from June to December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local people,
but can be propagated from seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: A suitable species for hedges and as an ornamental in highland areas.

474
 THE SPECIES

Myrsine africana Myrsinaceae

Part of female
flowering branch

Flowering branch

Fruit in section

Male flower
Female flower

475
 THE SPECIES

Nicandra physaloides Solanaceae

Central America, Peru
L OCAL NAMES : Bondei: Kibwabwa; Hehe: Nyasongwe; Sambaa: Kibwabwa,
Mnavu-zinge.
DESCRIPTION: An erect annual herb, usually 1.5 m, with stout branched stems,
angled and grooved. LEAVES: Alternate, simple, rather large and oval, wider
at the base, bright green, to 12 cm long x 7 cm across, the edge irregularly
and deeply toothed, abruptly narrowed at the base to a stalk about 3
cm. FLOWERS: Solitary in leaf axils, almost hidden within a characteristic
green calyx, the 5 winged sepals heart shaped with 2 curved pointed lobes at
the base, the corolla pale blue or mauve, white within, funnel shaped
with 5 round short lobes, to 4 cm across. FRUIT: A round yellow berry
held within the persistent inflated calyx, brown and membranous, the
berry containing numerous small brown seeds, each sepal now 3 cm x 2 cm.
ECOLOGY: A weed of croplands, wastelands, gardens, sometimes a dominant weed
in maize, 100–2,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: A weed originating from Central America and Peru, now cosmopolitan
and found in various parts of Africa; Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South
Africa. Widespread in Tanzania.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are used as a vegetable. Tender leaves are collected, chopped, washed
and cooked alone or with other vegetables such as amaranth or cowpeas.
Then coconut milk or pounded groundnuts are added and it is served with
ugali or rice.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The plant is used for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by
local people, but can easily be propagated from seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

476
 THE SPECIES

Nicandra physaloides Solanaceae

Winged calyx

Axillary flower turned

outward

477
 THE SPECIES

Nymphaea lotus Nymphaeaceae

Indigenous [Plate 3]
LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Lombo; Digo: Toro; English: White lotus, Winter lotus; Hehe:
Lubehe; Luo: Yunga; Ngindo: King’ala; Nyamwezi: Maleve; Swahili:
Myungiyungi.
DESCRIPTION: An aquatic plant growing from a large oval tuberous rhizome.
Many stalks carry leaves which float on the surface or are submerged, depending
on the season and the water level. There are air spaces inside the stalk and leaf
tissue. LEAVES: Large and rounded to deeply heart shaped, the basal lobes
touching or slightly overlapping, 10–32 cm long, no hairs but clear spreading
veins to the edges, which have regular sharp brown teeth, 7–9 primary
veins below, the whole network raised, green above but red-purple-brown below.
FLOWERS: White, fragrant, solitary at or above the water surface, 10–18 cm
across, 4 green sepals, 16–20 petals, a mass of yellow stamens in the
centre. FRUIT: Rounded but flattened, 4–9 cm diameter, containing many
seeds, ripening under water.
ECOLOGY: A water plant of sheltered still water 0.5–2.5 m deep, also in swamps and
fringes of Lake Victoria, 0–1,200 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in many parts of Tanzania, including Zanzibar and Pemba
but not in the central part. Also in Uganda, Kenya, Egypt and widespread in
tropical Africa into South Africa and Madagascar. Widely cultivated in the
Americas, a variety in Australia.
USES:
Food:
– Tubers are edible. They are collected, boiled and eaten.
– Alternatively, the tubers may be sliced, dried in the sun and then pounded
into flour. The flour is then used to make porridge.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Tubers are collected all year around.
STORAGE: The flour from pounded tubers can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local people.
Regarded as a water weed. Can be propagated using seed, suckers and rhizomes.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Another water lily, N. nouchali var. caerulea (English: Blue lotus of
Egypt, Water lily; Nyamwezi: Maleve; Swahili: Myungiyungi), is also eaten
in the same way. It resembles the above species but has blue flowers and is
widespread in East Africa and southwards to South Africa. Also found in Egypt,
Sudan and West Africa. Several other exotic species of Nymphaea are cultivated
in ponds for ornamental purposes.

478
 THE SPECIES

Nymphaea lotus Nymphaeaceae

Flower and floating leaves

Fruiting head

Lower surface of young leaf

and margin enlarged

Section of rhizome

Under water rhizome with

buds and young leaves

479
 THE SPECIES

Oldenlandia corymbosa var. corymbosa Rubiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Hehe: Nyangulunga; Sambaa: Mkeyamasha.
DESCRIPTION: An erect or prostrate sparsely branched annual herb, stems to 30 cm;
sometimes rooting from the nodes. LEAVES: Small and narrow, about 4.0
cm x 0.5 cm, usually six to eight times longer then wide, base narrowed, tip
pointed, arising at nodes with a stipular sheath. FLOWERS: Very small,
white or some pink stripes, on long stalks from leaf axils, 4 petal lobes
longer than the 2.5 mm tube, 2 mm or less across, 4 very narrow red-green
sepals. Sometimes 2–5 flowers on a divided stalklet to 1.8 cm. FRUIT: Dry
capsules, pale brown, membranous, about 2.8 mm wide, held on thin stiff stalks
reaching well beyond the leaves, tending to hang down, somewhat 2-lobed
containing several pale brown seeds.
ECOLOGY: Grassland with long or short grass, bushland, montane scrub, shallow
soil on rocks, sandy river ridges, furrows and dry ponds on black-cotton soil,
cultivated and disturbed ground, 0–2,300 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Most parts of Tanzania including Zanzibar Island, but excluding
the central and western parts of the country; widespread in Africa including
Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya.
USES:
Food:
– Tender leaves and stems are cooked with other vegetables such as
Amaranthus and Cucurbita species and act as a softener for the other cooked
vegetables.
– Leaves and stems are burnt, the ash mixed with water then filtered and the
liquid used as a tenderizer when cooking other vegetables.
Medicinal: Leaves are pounded, soaked in warm water and the liquid drunk
to treat stomach disorders.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used as fodder for rabbits and for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Usually collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: The ash obtained from burnt leaves and stems can be stored for several
months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people, but can be propagated by seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Common and easily obtainable within its habitat.
REMARKS: There are five varieties in East Africa; sometimes an abundant weed.

480
 THE SPECIES

Oldenlandia corymbosa var. corymbosa Rubiaceae

Leaves

Fruit

Flowers

481
 THE SPECIES

Oldfieldia dactylophylla Euphorbiaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Haya: Msamina; Nyamwezi: Mkalanga, Mliwanfwengi,
Muliwanfwengi.
DESCRIPTION: A semi-deciduous tree up to 15 m high with a short bole, usually
swollen at the base; spreading branches give it a flattish or rounded open crown.
Thick branchlets covered with red-brown hairs. BARK: Grey-black, scaly, with
deep vertical cracks and ridges, rather like crocodile skin. LEAVES: Compound,
digitate like fingers of a hand with 3–7 unequal leaflets, each one shortly
stalked, dark green and leathery, long oval, shiny above but brown hairy
below, to 12 cm long. The leaves have stalks, 10 cm, alternate on the branches.
FLOWERS: Very small, on male and female trees, buds hairy brown. Female
flowers solitary, male flowers in dense clusters, orange brown, April–October.
FRUIT: Round and dull yellow-green, softly hairy, 2 cm diameter, edible pulp
around the seeds; fruit break open to release seed.
ECOLOGY: Found in miombo woodland; 1,100–1,500 m, rainfall 700–1,000 mm.
Grows on various soil types including sandy loams, sandy clay loams and red
clay loams.
DISTRIBUTION: Common in Mwanza, Tabora and Singida Regions. Also found in
Malawi, Zambia and eastern Angola.
USES:
Food:
The fruit pulp is edible. Ripe fruits are collected from the tree and the pulp
around the seeds is eaten while the seeds are rejected. They have a sweetish
taste and are favoured by children and herdsmen.
Medicinal: A decoction from the roots is used as medicine for treatment of
STDs and hernia. It is also used as an aphrodisiac. Roots are washed, boiled
and the liquid is given to the patient three times a day (Nyamwezi).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for firewood and for making spoons.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from April to May.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by local people.
Can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Uncommon and only scattered in its area of distribution.

482
 THE SPECIES

Oldfieldia dactylophylla Euphorbiaceae

Fruiting branchlet

Fruit section

Buds and flowers

483
 THE SPECIES

Oncoba spinosa Flacourtiaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES : Chagga: Mdara; Kerewe: Msebeye; Kimbu: Mduvi; Maasai:

Olboldoli, Olsanangururi; Mwera: Ng’ewe; Nyakyusa: Msaibi; Nyika: Msangu;
Nyamwezi: Mduvi; Sambaa: Mtonga; Swahili: Mdara; Tongwe: Kaposo,
Katwa; Zinza: Msuguswa.
DESCRIPTION: A semi-deciduous spiny shrub or small tree 4–10 m, much branched
to a rounded bushy crown. BARK: Smooth, light-grey brown, young
branches speckled with lenticel dots, becoming dark brown, scaly with
age. Branches with straight, axillary spines to 8 cm, slender and sharp,
while the main trunk may have shorter compound thorns. LEAVES: Alternate,
leathery, strong shiny green, often recurved, broadly oval, about 8 cm long,
margin with small rounded or pointed teeth, sometimes few, base tapering
to a short stalk, tip well pointed. FLOWERS: Solitary, showy and fragrant,
white or pale pink up to 9 cm across, on stalks 1–2 cm, with 8–10 white
overlapping petals about 3 cm long, twice the size of 4 sepal lobes, a mass of
golden stamens in the centre, the green-cream central stigma knob
about 4 mm across (seen clearly on young fruit). FRUIT: Round, shiny red-
brown when ripe, 5–6 cm in diameter, the hard “shell” marked with 8 faint
lines, the old calyx persists. Inside shiny brown seeds lie in a dry thick yellow-
brown pulp, edible but sour.
ECOLOGY: Found along river banks, in woodland, scrub forest, sometimes forming
thickets in river valleys, bushland, Brachystegia woodland, 0–1,800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widely distributed throughout tropical Africa, Arabia, South Africa.
Almost every part of Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.
USES:
Food:
The ripe orange-yellow pulp is eaten fresh. The seeds are rejected. It tastes
sweet and is eaten as a snack or as a famine food.
Medicinal: Roots are pounded, soaked in hot water and the liquid drunk to
treat headache and dysentery, and it is also used in “magic” ceremonies.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The dry fruit is bored with holes and filled with dry seeds of Sesbania to
make a rattle-like percussion instrument. Dry fruits are used as snuff con-
tainers (Sambaa).
SEASON: Fruits are collected from April to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local people.
However, it can be propagated from seed.

484
 THE SPECIES

Oncoba spinosa (contd) Flacourtiaceae

STATUS: Locally common.

REMARKS: Not much liked in cultivated areas because of its thorns and it is also
regarded as competing with crops.

Bud

Flowering stem with spines

Leaf edge enlarged

Stamen Pistil
Seed
Fruit section

485
 THE SPECIES

Opilia amentacea (O. celtidifolia) Opiliaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Arusha: Engirusha; Gogo: Mtulu; Hehe: Lukokonza, Nyamtulo;
Luguru: Mlende; Maasai: Engirushai; Nyakyusa: Kalemela; Nyamwezi:
Kaguha, Luvisu; Nyaturu: Musundu; Sambaa: Mwevumbulo; Sandawi:
Tsengeré; Sukuma: Lubisu; Zigua: Mwevumbulo.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen shrub, often a climber or erect to 10 m, branching
from near the base. Young branches green or reddish, hairy or not. BARK:
Older bark grey–dark brown, the pale breathing pores showing up as lines on
ridges of cork. LEAVES: Alternate, on stalks 3–8 mm, long oval, 5–12 cm,
tip usually pointed, upper surface shiny, 2–7 pairs veins clear below, base
narrowed or rounded, stiff. FLOWERS: Appear with the mature leaves,
small and regular, axillary, solitary or clustered, sweet-scented, covered with
little hairy bracts at first appearing like a cone, becoming catkin-like on a
stalk to 5.5 cm, the 5 tiny petals cream-yellow-green. FRUIT: An ovoid
drupe to 2.5 cm, yellow-orange when ripe, containing a large edible stone.
ECOLOGY: A plant growing in a wide range of environments from coastal bushland,
through Acacia woodland to dry forest, often in riverine forest; also in upland
rainforest, 0–1,900 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In all parts of Tanzania; also Kenya, Uganda; widespread all over
tropical Africa southwards to Angola.
USES:
Food:
– Fruits are edible. Ripe fruits are picked from the tree and eaten raw.
– Leaves are cooked as a vegetable, either alone or mixed with other veg-
etables, and served with a staple.
Medicinal:
– Pounded root is mixed with sodium bicarbonate and the mixture licked to
treat coughs.
– A root decoction or infusion is drunk for relief of fever, mental illness, head-
ache, influenza and stomach problems. The root has purgative and diuretic
properties.
– An extract of leaves containing sodium bicarbonate is used as an anthelm-
intic. A cold-water extract is drunk to treat oedema and a decoction used for
toothache.
– The bark is pounded and soaked and used to treat malaria.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is soft and light and used for firewood, combs, toothbrushes
and spoons. The flexible stems are used for making chairs and storage con-
tainers. The shrub is used for shade and ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Leaves are collected from April to November.

486
 THE SPECIES

Opilia amentacea (contd) Opiliaceae

STORAGE: Not stored.

MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, and not cultivated or protected by the local
people. However, it can be propagated by seeds and cuttings.
STATUS: Locally common.

Catkin-like as flower
stalks lengthen

Mature fruit

Cone-like bracts
around flower buds

Leaf shapes

487
 THE SPECIES

Opuntia vulgaris (O. ficus-indica) Cactaceae

Central America [Plate 3]

LOCAL NAMES: English: Cactus, Prickly pear; Fiome: Ahntsi; Hehe: Likidindi;
Sandawi: Tlan/.kakaso; Swahili: Masikio tembo, Mfurahisha mkundu,
Mpungate; Sukuma: Matwigampuli.
DESCRIPTION: A dense succulent bush with swollen articulated branches which
become woody, or a tree reaching 2–5 m. Sometimes forms impenetrable thickets.
The oval flattened stem joints grow one above the other, ear shaped,
to 40 cm long and bristling with tufts of very sharp spines. These green
stems fulfill the function of leaves and manufacture the plant’s food. LEAVES:
True leaves, small and thin, appear briefly at the tips of very young shoots and
soon fall off. FLOWERS: Bright orange-yellow, 6–8 cm across, with many
sepals, petals and stamens arranged spirally. Flowers develop in rows on
the upper edges of young joints almost all year round. FRUIT: Fleshy and
egg shaped but deeply depressed at the top, green, ripening brick-red–
yellow–purple. When ripe, the spiny skin, with is barbed hairs, slips off leaving
sweet edible flesh around the seeds.
ECOLOGY: A true cactus which grows in arid, semi-arid to humid areas, 900–2,400
m. It can grow in very hot dry areas and in poor soils.
DISTRIBUTION :Found in many towns and villages in Tanzania, including on
Zanzibar Island. Its origins are unknown, but probably Central or South
America. The plant is now very widespread in tropical and sub-tropical areas,
to north Africa and the Mediterranean.
USES:
Food:
The fruit is edible when it ripens and softens. The prickly hairs and spines
are removed by peeling off the outer skin to expose the sweet inner white
pulp which is eaten.
Other: The plant is used for ornamental purposes and erosion control, live
fence, boundary and grave marking and bee forage.
SEASON: Being a succulent, it can be harvested all the year round.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: It is planted by cuttings. First introduced for hedges, fodder or fruit,
the plant has become widely naturalized. Once established, it is hard to eradicate
and may become an unwelcome weed species. Severe control is required.
STATUS: Widely planted, and also spreads on its own.

488
 THE SPECIES

Opuntia vulgaris (O. ficus-indica) Cactaceae

One stem joint with

young fruit

Ripe fruit (c.10 cm long)

Flower

Habit

489
 THE SPECIES

Ormocarpum kirkii Papilionaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Arusha: Engokiki; Bondei: Hombo-kiumbu; Digo: Chitadzi, Kitazi,
Mtute; English: Small caterpillar pod; Gorowa: Natsiayi; Hehe: Kitimbwi
kidala; Iraqw: Natsiimo; Maasai: Esekilianjoi; Mbugwe: Muzisunde; Ngindo:
Kigoje; Nyamwezi: Mkondwampuli, Tuuti; Nyaturu: Musinda; Rangi:
Msongolamambo, Munni, Uwi; Sambaa: Hombo, Mhombo; Zigua: Kirumbu,
Kisogo, Kiumbu.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or small tree 2–9 m. BARK: Rough and grey. Young twigs
with a few white hairs. LEAVES: Usually clustered on short side shoots
with 7–13 pairs of leaflets plus a terminal leaflet, each oblong, about 1
cm, wider at the tip, which has a sharp point, the edge tightly rolled under,
darker above than below, leaflets well spaced along the stalk with some hairs.
FLOWERS: Large, pink, deep mauve in the centre, pea shaped, towards
the ends of branches, 1–3 together on short stalks, the standard petal about 1.5
cm long, wider across, ovary and stalk densely hairy, corolla remains around
the fruit. FRUIT: A very small pod, barely 2 cm, hairy, curled into a ring
within the brown petals—rarely maturing due to insect attack, so often there is
only one perfect seed.
ECOLOGY: A plant of Acacia–Commiphora or coastal bushland, dry bushed grassland,
0–1,700 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Common in all parts of Tanzania, and also in Kenya, the Congo
basin, Somalia, and south to South Africa.
USES:
Food:
The dried leaves are pounded and sieved. This powder is stirred into warm
water, which is then boiled while stirring to form a thick paste, which may
then be mixed with pounded groundnuts and eaten with ugali or rice.
Medicinal:
– Ash from this plant is rubbed onto swollen parts of the body after scarifica-
tion in order to reduce oedema and relieve allergic conditions.
– Roots are to treat rheumatism and stomach problems.
– Crushed leaves are rubbed on to the forehead to treat headache.
Commercial: Sold in local markets (Zigua, Sambaa, Bondei, Pare).
Other: Leaves are used as fodder for goats. The wood is used for firewood,
walking sticks and poles and the tree for fencing and as an ornamental.
SEASON: Collected during the rainy season and early dry season.
STORAGE: The vegetable powder made from pounded dried leaves can be stored for
several months.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but can be propagated by seedlings
and cuttings.

490
 THE SPECIES

Ormocarpum kirkii (contd) Papilionaceae

STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

REMARKS: O. trichocarpum (English: Large caterpillar pod; Hehe: Kitimbwi kigosi;
Maasai: Esikilianjoi; Nyamwezi: Mkondwampuli; Rangi: Msongolamambo,
Muuwi, Mwuwi; Sambaa: Hombo kiumbu) is used in the same way as O. kirkii.
Widespread in Tanzania; also found in Kenya, Uganda and southern Ethiopia.

O. kirkii

Developing fruit pod

Flower

Flowering shoot

Flower

Enlarged fruit pod and

section showing seed
O. trichocarpum

Fruit pod

Flowers and leaves

491
 THE SPECIES

Osyris lanceolata (O. compressa) Santalaceae

Indigenous [Plate 3]
L OCAL NAMES : Barabaig: Getakhubay; Bena: Lidunula, Mdunula; Chagga:
Mberegesa; English: African sandalwood, East African sandalwood; Fipa:
Mkaisya; Gorowa: Siginyanyi; Iraqw: Kipaa-atu, Kipatina; Ha: Umunyinya;
Haya: Omunyinya; Hehe: Mdunula; Maasai: Oloyesyyai, Olsesyani;
Matengo: Kilangati; Nyaturu: Munyingwampembe, Muvabaahi; Pare:
Kizulu, Mzulu; Rangi: Kibwala, Kimbwala; Sambaa: Mzulu; Swahili:
Msandali; Wanji: Lidunula.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen shrub or small tree 1–6 m, smaller branches drooping.
BARK: Smooth, grey, later thick and rough, branchlets obscurely angled.
LEAVES: Simple and alternate, crowded along the stems, grey, blue or yellow-
green, slightly fleshy, becoming tough and leathery, narrow oval, 1–7 cm long
with a fine sharp tip, edge tightly rolled under, the 2 mm stalk runs down
the stem forming a ridge. FLOWERS: Small, pale yellow-green on few-
flowered short heads from leaf axils, sepal tube pale green with 3–6 lobes
which are yellow-green like the disc, dull orange-green anthers. FRUIT: Waxy,
oval-rounded berries about 1 cm long, green-yellow ripening shiny red,
fleshy and edible, containing one seed.
ECOLOGY: A shrub of well-drained soils, Brachystegia woodlands, the under-storey
of highland forests, and in forest remnants, on rocky ridges and mountain slopes,
1,500–2,500 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found scattered in many parts of Tanzania except in the lowlands.
Also in Kenya, Ethiopia, Burundi, and south to South Africa.
USES:
Food:
– Roots and bark are used for tea and as a tonic in soup.
– Fruits are edible. Ripe fruits are picked from the tree and eaten raw, the
pulp is swallowed and the seed discarded. Only eaten as an emergency food,
especially by children and herdsmen.
Medicinal:
– Roots are used as medicine for diarrhoea.
– Bark and the heartwood are boiled and the liquid drunk to treat STDs and
anaemia.
Commercial: Roots and wood are sold locally and also exported for making
perfume.
Other: The wood is very hard, strong and heavy and is used for carvings,
grain mortars, fuelwood, pestles, pegs and building poles. The wood is scented
and used to make cosmetics and perfume. Roots are also used for making a
red dye. The tree is used as an ornamental and for soil conservation.
SEASON: Fruits are available throughout the year, but most abundant from July to
December.

492
 THE SPECIES

Osyris lanceolata (contd) Santalaceae

STORAGE: Not stored.

MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, but can be propagated from fresh seed and
suckers.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution. An endangered tree in Tanzania
due to over-exploitation.
REMARKS: This species has been over-exploited in most parts of Tanzania, including
Lushoto, Same and Kilimanjaro, because of its sweet-scented wood which has
been exported since the era of German administration for the manufacture of
cosmetics.

Fleshy fruit

Flower heads

493
 THE SPECIES

Oxygonum sinuatum Polygonaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Mbigili, Nyalenge; Chagga: Mbiinu; Hehe: Nyambigili;

Maasai: Echunge, Enkaisijoi; Nyamwezi: Mbigili, Nsokolo, Shyokolo; Sambaa:
Mbigili; Swahili: Kindri, Mbamba, Mbigili, Mbigiri; Zigua: Mbigili.
DESCRIPTION: An annual herb, bent over or erect, to 90 cm, often spreading, stems
green-red-brown, with very few or no hairs. LEAVES: Alternate, oval, to 6 cm
long, the edge deeply cut into irregular lobes, tip pointed, base narrowed
to a stalk 1–2 cm. Where the stalk joins the stem it is red and tubular for
about 5 mm with fine bristles on the edge (stipular sheath). FLOWERS:
White or pink, 2–3 mm, inconspicuous, along terminal leafless spikes
up to 28 cm. No petals, but 3–6 green sepals form a tube around the
ovary. FRUIT: The sepals make a hard wall around the erect fruit, an
indehiscent nutlet 8 mm long with 3 hard radiating prickles, containing
one seed.
ECOLOGY: A common weed in cultivation, roadsides and grasslands, 0–2,400 m.
Common on poor sandy soils.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in all parts of Tanzania. Distributed from Sudan and Ethiopia
in the north to the Congo basin in the south.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are cooked as a vegetable. They are collected and cooked with other
vegetables such as Amaranthus, Bidens and Galinsoga species in order to
soften them (Gogo, Hehe, Bondei, Zigua).
Medicinal:
– Leaves are squeezed and the juice is dropped into the eyes to treat conjunc-
tivitis (Nyamwezi).
– Roots are used for treatment of STDs.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Leaves and stems are used as fodder for goats and rabbits.
SEASON: Young leaves and shoots are collected in the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild and not cultivated, but can be
propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Well known as a troublesome weed—because it is efficiently distributed
by its prickly fruits.

494
 THE SPECIES

Oxygonum sinuatum Polygonaceae

Flower

Nutlet fruit with prickles

Stipular sheath

495
 THE SPECIES

Pappea capensis Sapindaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Arusha: Orimigomi; Fipa: Mwikalatulo, Mwunza; Gogo: Mtori,

Muanga; Gorowa: Getakhubay; Hehe: Mhungulu; Kuria: Momange; Maasai:
Oldimigomi; Nyaturu: Mjaghamba; Rangi: Iyarampimbi, Mtula-ikufa;
Swahili: Mbamba ngoma; Zigua: Mnenge; Zinza: Muliwa-mpamgo.
DESCRIPTION: A small, leafy, semi-deciduous tree, usually to 6 m, with a short trunk
branching low down to form a spreading rounded crown. BARK: Pale to dark
grey, smooth, with horizontal markings. LEAVES: Distinctive, oblong
in shape, usually in terminal clusters, dull dark green, stiff and wavy, the
edge sometimes spine-toothed, base rounded. FLOWERS: Green-yellow,
in spikes to 12 cm, male flowers at the end, female at the base of the spike.
FRUIT: Round, furry green capsules about 1 cm across, split to reveal a bright
orange-red jelly (the aril) covering a shiny dark red-brown to black
oval seed. This edible seed kernel is rich in oil. The juicy flesh is edible, slightly
acid but pleasantly flavoured.
ECOLOGY: Found in drier forest, savanna and open woodlands, bushland, bushed
grassland, on rocky hillsides, 900–2,400 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in most parts of Tanzania except coastal areas. Distributed
from Ethiopia and northern Somalia in the north to South Africa in the south.
USES:
Food:
– Both ripe and unripe fruits are collected from the tree and eaten raw. The
unripe fruits are sour, ripe ones sweeter.
– The bark is dried, pounded and the powder used as a tea and as an appe-
tizer in soup.
Medicinal: The bark is cooked with soup to treat indigestion, stomach-ache
and diarrhoea (Maasai).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard, heavy and durable. It is used for poles, fuelwood,
pestles, grain mortars, tool handles, spoons and pegs. The tree provides good
shade, fodder and bee forage.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from February to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Fruits are usually collected from the wild, but the tree can be
propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: A tree suitable for agroforestry systems.

496
 THE SPECIES

Pappea capensis Sapindaceae

Flowering spike

Fruit

497
 THE SPECIES

Parinari curatellifolia subsp. curatellifolia Chrysobalanaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Msaula, Msawulwa, Musaulwa; Bende: Mbula; English:
Mobola plum; Fipa: Mwula; Gorowa: Amafa-aa; Ha: Umunazi; Haya:
Munanzi, Munazi; Hehe: Msaula; Iraqw: Amafa-aa; Kerewe: Muhasi,
Munazi; Longo: Mnazi; Maasai: Olmatakuroi; Matengo: Mbora, Mbula,
Mbuni, Mbura; Ndendeule: Mbora, Mbuni, Mbura, Umbura; Ngindo: Mmula;
Ngoni: Mbora, Mbula, Mbuni, Mbura, Umbura; Nyakyusa: Mbula, Umbula;
Nyamwezi: Mbula, Mubula, Muwula; Nyasa: Mbula; Nyiha: Ibula, Ikusu,
Maula; Rangi: Mafaa, Mbula, Mbura, Mumora, Mumura; Sukuma: Mnazi;
Swahili: Mbula, Mbura; Tongwe: Mubula; Zaramo: Mbula; Zinza: Munazi.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen savanna shrub or tree to 15 m with erect branches
and a dense rounded crown. Trunk occasionally buttressed at the base.
BARK: Rough dark grey-brown, grooved, later flaking in large squares, sap
reddish. Young shoots with yellow-brown hairs. LEAVES: Oval and
alternate with clear parallel veins, leathery, shiny green above but hairy
grey-white below, to 8 cm long and 4.5 cm wide, tip blunt or notched on a
short stalk. FLOWERS: Small, white-pink, in short flat-topped heads, to 6 cm
across. Flower stalks and calyx with yellow-brown woolly hairs. FRUIT: Oval,
to 5 cm, with grey scales over yellow-red-brown skin. The fibrous yellow
flesh is sweet–acid and contains a hard stone with one edible seed kernel.
ECOLOGY: Deciduous woodland, to the upper limits of Brachystegia woodland, then
scattered in upland grassland, often persisting in secondary bushland and
cultivated land, 0–2,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in most parts of Tanzania including Zanzibar and Pemba
Islands, for example found in Kigoma, Iringa, Mwanza, Mbeya, Songea, Tabora
and Lindi Regions. Also in Uganda and Kenya and from Senegal to Sudan.
USES:
Food:
– The sweet flesh around the woody stone is eaten.
– Cooking oil is extracted from seeds. They are dried, roasted, crushed, boiled
in water, left to cool and the oil skimmed off.
– A soft drink is prepared by peeling ripe fruits and soaking them in warm
water (Hehe, Bena).
– A nice jam is prepared from ripe fruits (Tumbi–Tabora).
Commercial: Seed sold in local markets.
Other: The wood is hard and heavy, used for fuelwood, poles and tool handles.
The tree gives good shade and is important for bee forage.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from May to June in Tabora, Mpanda and Kigoma,
and October–December in the highland areas of Iringa, Njombe and Songea.
STORAGE: Dried seed can be stored in containers.

498
 THE SPECIES

Parinari curatellifolia subsp. curatellifolia Chrysobalanaceae

M ANAGEMENT : Collected from the wild, but the plant is often protected and
occasionally planted by local people.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution. Can be propagated by seed but
the seeds are difficult to germinate.
REMARKS: There are two subspecies which are not easy to distinguish. Subsp.
curatellifolia is found in Tanzania but begins to be replaced by subsp. mobola
towards the south of the country. Subsp. mobola (which has thicker orange-
brown hairs and flowers for a longer period) is very well known and used in
Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa, where it is always preserved in cultivated
areas. In South Africa, the fruit are used for making both soft drinks and mobola
plum wine. The dried fruit can be stored, and were used as provisions on
Livingstone’s long journey, for example. The seed kernel is also eaten. A good
species for growing in orchards or homegardens.

Flower heads

Mature fruit

Seed kernel

499
 THE SPECIES

Parinari excelsa (P. holstii) Chrysobalanaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: English: Forest mobola plum; Hehe: Mkanzaula, Msaula; Luguru:
Muula; Nyakyusa: Mbula; Pare: Muganda; Sambaa: Mbula, Mhula, Muula,
Muuwa; Swahili: Mbula, Mbura; Tongwe: Mubula; Zigua: Mula.
DESCRIPTION: A tall evergreen tree, much branched and bushy, the bole straight,
up to 20 m and 1 m across, the base slightly buttressed. BARK: Grey, finely
grooved, becoming rough, cracked and scaly. Dark branchlets dotted with pale
lenticels (breathing pores). Young shoots, flower stalks, all with pale brown
woolly hairs. LEAVES: Alternate, oval, to about 11 cm and up to wide, usually
with a long-pointed tip, narrowed to a short stalk, dark green shiny above,
pale brown, softly hairy below, the veins regular and parallel above and below.
FLOWERS: The terminal white flowers easily recognized on he flowering tree.
Each one very small, 6 mm across, with 5 cream-white petals, on branched
stalks beside leaves. FRUIT: A fleshy oval drupe, sometimes round, 2–5
cm long, green-brown with paler specks, 1–2 seeds inside, also edible.
ECOLOGY: Found in upland rainforest where it is often dominant, as well as in
riverine forest in Brachystegia woodland, 1,000–2,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In Tanzania this tree grows well on sandy soils in open deciduous
woodland, e.g. in Dodoma Region and around Lake Victoria, but is recorded for
most areas. Also in Uganda, and south to Malawi and Zambia; also widespread
in West Africa.
USES:
Food:
– The ripe fruits are collected from the ground, the rough, woody outer cover
removed and the soft fleshy pulp eaten as a snack, especially by children.
The fruits are eaten in small amounts and are said to taste like avocado.
– The kernels are oily and also eaten.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood yields good charcoal and good-quality timber for heavy con-
struction because it is very strong and tough. It is also used for firewood,
mortars and tool handles. The tree is used for shade in coffee farms and is
also an important source of bee forage.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from August to March, with an intermediate heavy
crop in November and December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the forests and is not cultivated or protected by the
local people.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

500
 THE SPECIES

Parinari excelsa (contd) Chrysobalanaceae

REMARKS: Suitable agroforestry tree for highland areas. The pointed leaf tips and
narrower leaves differentiate this species from Parinari curatellifolia.

Flower head

Section of fruit

Branchlet with fruit

501
 THE SPECIES

Parkia filicoidea Mimosaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES : Bende: Msepa; Nguru: Mkundi; Sambaa: Mkundi; Swahili:
Mkunde, Mlopa; Tongwe: Iseha; Zigua: Mkundi.
DESCRIPTION: A deciduous rain forest tree, 8–30 m, with a spreading flat crown and
small rounded buttresses. BARK: Scaly or smooth, grey to yellow-brown, dark
and fissured with age. Orange-coloured resin if cut. LEAVES: Bipinnate
and feathery with 4–14 pinnae at each side on a stalk to 20 cm. About 11–17
pairs of leaflets on each pinna, the leaflet oblong, slightly curved, tip
rounded, 2–3 cm. FLOWERS: Easy to recognize, small flowers in bright red
club-shaped heads hanging down on stalks to 30 cm, with a strong
unpleasant scent (attracting fruit bats). Heads up to 8 cm long. FRUIT:
Characteristic pods hang down in clusters, dark brown-purple, 30–60 cm
long with stalk, the pod somewhat narrowed between the seeds. Thick black
seeds lie in a dry mealy yellow pulp which tastes sweet.
ECOLOGY: Lowland rainforest and riverine forest, also in coastal forests, 200–1,400
m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania, e.g. in Tanga, Morogoro, Pwani and Lindi
Regions. Also found in Uganda and Kenya, and south to Mozambique, Malawi,
Zimbabwe and Angola.
USES:
Food:
– Young pods are collected, cut into short pieces, cooked like peas and eaten.
– Mature seeds are cooked and eaten, especially during periods of food short-
age (Luguru/Zigua).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is white, rather soft and used for firewood and to make water
containers, stools and beehives. The tree is used for shade and as an orna-
mental. The bark produces a red dye. An important bee-forage tree.
SEASON: Mature fruits are collected from January to April.
STORAGE: Dried seeds can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people. Propagation can be done by seed.
STATUS: Occasional within its habitat.
REMARKS: Parkia filicoidea is an important food tree for monkeys and baboons.

502
 THE SPECIES

Parkia filicoidea Mimosaceae

Leaf and flower heads

Enlarged leaflet

Enlarged seed

Fruid pod
Enlarged flower

503
 THE SPECIES

Peponium vogelii Cucurbitaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Sandawi: Hlampuka.
DESCRIPTION: A small or large climber or trailing herb to 8 m, usually roughly
hairy on all parts, tendrils divided into 2. LEAVES: Variable but
membranous, and 5 lobed, 5–18 cm x 7–26 cm wide, roughly hairy above and
on veins below as well as on the stalk 2–13 cm, the edge with sharp pointed
teeth, lobes variable, shallow or deep. FLOWERS: Conspicuous bright
yellow, male flowers 1 to many along a stalk 8–36 cm, bearing green-yellow
oval bracts to 3 cm, flowers 4–8 cm diameter, sweet scented, opening at night
and seen only in the early morning; female flowers also on long stalks, 1–5 cm,
the ovary white woolly. FRUIT: The stalk elongates to 7 cm, bearing a bright
red hairy thin-skinned fruit, usually elongated to 15 cm with a beak,
sometimes orange with green streaks, containing small dark seeds in fleshy
pulp.
ECOLOGY: Upland and lowland rainforest and forests on ground with high ground
water-table, upland bamboo thicket, also in woodland and bushland near open
water, 100–2,400 m; may also be local in rocky places, forest edges.
DISTRIBUTION: In most parts of Tanzania, including Zanzibar, but not in the western
areas. Also found in West and Central tropical Africa, Ghana to Ethiopia, south
through Kenya and Uganda to Angola and Mozambique, also on the Seychelles.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruit pulp is sweet and eaten raw, especially by children and herdsmen.
Medicinal: Leaves are used as medicine for menstrual problems.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Fruits are used as fodder for rabbits and pigs.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by local people.
Can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution, especially in open areas.
REMARKS: Regarded as a bad weed in fallow land.

504
 THE SPECIES

Peponium vogelii Cucurbitaceae

Male flower
head with bracts

Fruit ( 1/2 life size)

Seed (x 4)

Female and male flowers

505
 THE SPECIES

Phoenix reclinata Arecaceae (Palmae)

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Arusha: Olpiroo; Barabaig: Millan; Digo: Makindu, Mchindu;
English: Senegal date, Wild date palm; Gorowa: Intsanti; Haya: Makindu;
Iraqw: Thiaanthii; Maasai: Olpiroo, Oltukai; Ngindo: Mkindu; Nyamwezi:
Mlala; Nyaturu: Mkindu; Sambaa: Mkindu, Msaa; Sukuma: Bukindu;
Swahili: Mkindu; Tongwe: Lusanda; Zinza: Mchindu.
DESCRIPTION: A palm tree with a creeping rootstock. The mature palm trunk may
reach 10 m, slender and often bent over (“reclinata”), about 25 cm in diameter,
covered in very rough leaf scars. LEAVES: To 2.7 m long, growing out from a
fibrous leaf sheath, the crown of about 25 leaves arching over, leaflets narrow,
folded, bright shiny green, to 30 cm, stiff and pointed. Lower leaflets spiny
to 6 cm long, leaf stalk up to 50 cm. FLOWERS: Male and female on different
trees. Male flowers cream-brown, to 7 mm, female flowers greenish, 2 mm.
FRUIT: Yellow-brown, about 2 cm, edible.
ECOLOGY: A palm that usually grows in dense clumps beside swamps and rivers in
humid lowland woodlands, in highland forests or on open rocky hillsides, 0–
3,000 m. Also in moist wooded savanna grassland and in thickets.
DISTRIBUTION: Found throughout tropical Africa and widespread in Tanzania.
USES:
Food:
The ripe yellow or orange fruits are collected from the ground and eaten
immediately as a refreshing snack. They are sweet and much liked by chil-
dren.
Beverage: The growing shoots are tapped to make palm wine.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Leaves used to make mats and baskets. The fibres from the crushed
stem are used for the manufacture of scrubbing brushes. The stems are also
used for construction of livestock enclosures, houses, bridges, walls and fenc-
ing. Leaves are used for ceremonial and religious purposes, roofing and weav-
ing mats, hats and baskets. The tree is used for shade, as an ornamental
and is a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Fruits are collected at the end of the rainy season and into the dry season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT : Collected from the wild but also planted as an ornamental in
homestead compounds. Can be propagated by seed and suckers.
STATUS: Common in many areas, but it is troublesome to collect the fruits or leaves
because of the spines on the leaves.
REMARKS: The strong fibres from the leaves are used all over tropical Africa for
making baskets, mats, etc.

506
 THE SPECIES

Phoenix reclinata Arecaceae (Palmae)

Leaf

Fruit

Habit

507
 THE SPECIES

Phyllanthus engleri Euphorbiaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Digo: Mkuta-manena; Fiome: Maendahakhai; Gorowa:
Indakhakha; Hehe: Mkingiligiti; Iraqw: Indakhakha; Nyamwezi: Mgogondi
Nyaturu: Mubuntuwa; Sandawi: Samangwe.
DESCRIPTION: A deciduous spreading and much-branched thorny shrub or small
tree, conspicuous when bare in the dry season, often only a few fruit remain on
the grey branches covered with prickly conical cushions. BARK: Smooth
and grey, flaking irregularly with age, the bole commonly to 15-cm diameter.
LEAVES: Only scale leaves grow on the main stem, normal simple leaves
grow from shortened branchlets, which look like large scaly cushions.
These become hardened, with stout spiny stipules at the base. Leaf blade
usually wide oval, 2–5 cm long, tip sometimes pointed, dull deep green, paler
below, the edge clear (hyaline). FLOWERS: Very small, white, in bunches
beside leaves, male flowers only a few millimetres, female flowers with thread-
like styles. FRUIT: Rounded berries, in 3 sections to 3 cm in diameter,
pale yellow-green, outer skin smooth and papery, containing up to 6 dark
seeds in spongy edible pulp.
ECOLOGY: Locally common and scattered in deciduous woodland, bushland, rarely
in evergreen forest, 300–1,800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in most parts of mainland Tanzania, into Mozambique, Zambia
and Zimbabwe.
USES:
Food:
– Young and mature fruits are picked and eaten raw. They have an acidic
taste and rather unpleasant odour but are nevertheless much liked.
– The juicy fruits are crushed and squeezed. The juice is mixed with lemon
juice and onions to make a kind of vinegar which is used as an appetizer.
Medicinal:
– Leaves and fruits are chewed for treating coughs and stomach-ache.
– Roots are boiled and the juice is drunk to treat bilharzia, STDs, abdominal
pains and menstrual problems (Digo, Nyamwezi, Sambaa, Zigua) and chest
pain (Hehe). However, the bark and roots of this species are known to be
toxic.
Commercial: Fruits are now sold in urban markets (Tabora, Dodoma and Dar
es Salaam).
Other: The wood is used for carvings, cups, spoons, firewood and poles. Leaves
are used as fodder for livestock.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from April to August.
STORAGE: Mature fruits can be stored in the shade for about three months.

508
 THE SPECIES

Phyllanthus engleri (contd) Euphorbiaceae

MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people. It can be propagated from seed.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: The tree is much browsed by wild game.

Flowering shoot

Scale leaf

Variable leaf shapes

Pink sepals

Clear leaf
Prickly conical edge (hyaline)
cushions
(cataphylls)

Spiny stipule

Fresh fruit

Dry fruit
Open dried fruit

Seeds
Bare tree with a few fruit

509
 THE SPECIES

Piliostigma thonningii Caesalpiniaceae

(Bauhinia thonningii)

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bende: Mfumbe, Mnsakansaka; Digo: Mtsekeshe, Mutseketse;
English: Camel’s foot tree, Monkeybread; Fiome: Galapi; Fipa: Mfumbe,
Msindamboga, Nakifumbe; Gorowa: Galapi; Haya: Mtindambogo; Hehe:
Mkombalwiko, Mvambangoma; Iraqw: Galapi; Maasai: Ilsagararam (plural),
Olsagararami, Os sangararam; Mate: Chitembe, Titimbo; Matengo: Chitimbe,
Jitimbo; Mwera: Mguwauwa; Ngindo: Msegese; Nyamwezi: Mtindambogo;
Nyasa: Chitimbe; Nyaturu: Musasu; Rangi: Mngalapo, Mugalapo; Sambaa:
Mgonambogo, Msegese, Msegesege; Sangu: Mkombalwike, Muhela; Sukuma:
Mtindwa-mbogo; Swahili: Mchekeche, Mchikichiki, Mkichikichi, Msegese,
Mbamba ngoma; Tongwe: Msakanasaka; Zigua: Msegese; Zinza: Msindaga.
DESCRIPTION: A rounded deciduous tree, 3–5 m, branches twisted. BARK: Thick,
dark and rough, fibrous within. Dark red if cut. LEAVES: Large and bilobed,
a small bristle in the deep notch, often folded along midrib, leathery, pale
green, to 12 cm long, hairy, lower surface brown, many raised veins.
FLOWERS: White, cream or pink, hanging down in sprays 10–20 cm, 5
petals, only 2 cm long, the calyx cups very hairy, fragrant. FRUIT:
Flat brown and woody pods, hairy at first, 15–20 cm long, persisting on
the tree but finally decaying on the ground to free pea-sized seeds. Pulp
surrounding the seed is eaten.
ECOLOGY: Found in woodland, wooded grassland and bushland, 0–1,830 m; rainfall
600–1,500 mm. Thrives on a variety of soils.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in tropical Africa from Senegal to the Sudan and south
to Namibia and South Africa. Found in most parts of Tanzania, e.g. in Pwani,
Tanga, Morogoro, Tabora, Iringa, Mwanza and Kagera Regions.
USES:
Food:
– The brown pod is cracked, seeds are removed and the pulp eaten as a snack
or as emergency food; used in small amounts. It tastes sweet and is eaten
especially by children and herdsmen.
– The fruits are collected in large quantities during famine periods. They are
then pounded and the powder soaked in water, the liquid stirred and drunk
(Gogo, Hehe, Nyamwezi).
Medicinal:
– Tender leaves are chewed and the juice swallowed to treat stomach-ache,
coughs and snakebite.
– The ash obtained from burnt leaves is rubbed into snakebite wounds after
scarification in order to hasten healing.

510
 THE SPECIES

Piliostigma thonningii (contd) Caesalpiniaceae

– Roots are used to treat prolonged menstruation, haemorrhage and miscar-

riage in women and also for treatment of coughs, colds, body pain and STDs.
– Infusion of the bark is used to treat coughs, colds, chest pains and snakebite.
Other: Fruits are used for fodder. The wood is used for poles, firewood, grain
mortars, tool handles, spoons and bedsteads. The bark is used for ropes. The
tree is good for shade, bee forage and ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Fruits are collected during the dry season between May and August.
STORAGE: Fruits can be stored for about four months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by local people.
It can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

Flower head
Leaves

One flower

Pod fruit

511
 THE SPECIES

Piper guineense Piperaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Tambuu; English: Ashanti pepper; Sambaa: Tambuu;
Swahili: Mtambuu mwitu; Tongwe: Ilende-lya-kenyinamwami; Zigua:
Tambuu.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen climber 4–20 m, climbing into trees by means of
small adventitious roots growing from the stem near the nodes, basal
and older stems with corky ridges, generally hairless. LEAVES: Alternate,
very variable, round to long oval, 5–20 cm long, tip long-pointed, base
round or narrowed, often unequal, to a stalk 1–4 cm, about 5 veins spreading
from the base. FLOWERS: Minute flowers grow on solitary spikes, 2–9 cm,
terminal or opposite leaves, yellow to green. FRUIT: Red, along the elongated
spike, each one shortly stalked, rounded, 3–6 mm, may also be orange-yellow
or brown.
ECOLOGY: Evergreen forest and forest edges, usually in wet places, gallery forest
along rocky rivers, 700–1,700 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in Mwanza, Kagera, Rukwa and Kigoma Regions, e.g. in
Rubare Forest Reserve in Bukoba District. Also in Kenya, Uganda, Sudan,
west to Mali and Guinea Bissau and south to Angola and Zambia.
USES:
Food:
– Leaves are chewed with betel nut (Areca catechu) as a substitute for Piper
betle.
– Fruits are dried and used as a spice when cooking rice in the same manner
as Piper nigrum.
Medicinal: Roots are chewed and the juice swallowed as an aphrodisiac.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The plant is used as an indoor ornamental plant.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from October to December.
STORAGE: Dried fruits can be stored for more than a year.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but can be propagated by seeds and
cuttings.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: Piper guineense is popular and widely used in West Africa, where it is
known commercially as Ashanti pepper.

512
 THE SPECIES

Piper guineense Piperaceae

Flower spikes

Berry fruits

Stem with corky ridges

and adventitious roots

513
 THE SPECIES

Pistacia aethiopica Anacardiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Mastic tree; Maasai: Iltorel, Lasamarai, Oldangudwa,
Olongoronok.
DESCRIPTION: A spreading evergreen shrub or tree 3–15 m, often multi-stemmed.
BARK: Rough, brown-black, exuding a resinous gum if cut, most parts
smell of turpentine or mango when crushed. LEAVES: Compound to 10
cm long on a characteristic winged stalk, aromatic, usually 3–4 pairs of
opposite leaflets, each 1–5 cm long, red when young, stiff when mature,
few or no hairs. FLOWERS: Very small, greenish (olivaceous), purplish
or yellow-cream with a red tinge on stalks, in compact heads on stalks 1–5
cm, no petals but tiny petal-like bracteoles, 4–6 stamens. FRUIT: Small,
rounded, red on one side only, to 5 mm diameter, containing one flattened
seed, smelling like mango when crushed.
ECOLOGY: Upland dry evergreen forest, with Juniperus, or associated bushland
and wooded grassland, 1,500–2,500 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Only in the northern parts of Tanzania; Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia
and Somalia.
USES:
Food:
– Gum tapped from bark is chewed by the Maasai and is believed to be very
nutritious.
– The bark is used as a substitute for tea.
Commercial: Sold locally.
Other: The wood is hard and used for poles, fuelwood, tool handles and tooth-
brushes. The tree is used for ornamental purposes and is a source of bee
forage.
SEASON: Mastic gum is tapped and collected during the dry season: August–
November.
STORAGE: The gum can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild but can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.

514
 THE SPECIES

Pistacia aethiopica Anacardiaceae

Male flower

Male flowering branchlet

Female flowering
branchlet

Female flower

Fruiting branchlet

515
 THE SPECIES

Pistia stratiotes Araceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Water lettuce; Hehe: Nyamayingiya; Nyamwezi: Ileve;
Tongwe: Kakomakoma; Zigua: Chantende.
DESCRIPTION: A floating aquatic herb, stemless, with tufts of fibrous roots hanging
down to great depths. The roots end in a large root cap. The plant is reproduced
when the short underwater stems break off and produce new leaf rosettes.
LEAVES: Many leaves make a floating rosette, held up by air trapped in leaf
bases and between numerous hairs, leaves vary in size with habitat but reach
14 cm long and 8 cm broad, the tip flat or rounded, hairy both sides but
more hairs below, 5–7 parallel veins, prominently winged, below.
FLOWERS: Very inconspicuous, hidden in a short-stalked specialized leaf
(spathe) between the leaves, tiny male and female flowers, the spathe to 1.3
cm, green-white, edges hairy. FRUIT: A thin-walled, several seeded berry
which splits irregularly to release seed.
ECOLOGY: A plant of open still freshwater ponds, lagoons, dams, edges of lakes,
river mouths, 0–1,800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In all parts of Tanzania, including Zanzibar and Pemba. Also in
Uganda, Kenya, and generally pantropical.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are used as a vegetable. Young leaves are collected, chopped and
cooked alone or mixed with other vegetables such as amaranth and peas.
Then coconut milk or pounded groundnuts are added and the dish is eaten
with ugali or rice.
Medicinal: Roots are used for treating burns. The fresh roots are collected,
pounded and applied on burns and without further dressing.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used as fodder for rabbits and pigs and for ornamental
purposes in ponds, dams, etc.
SEASON: Leaves are available throughout the year.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from ponds, but can be propagated using seeds and suckers.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: Water lettuce is known to be a notorious weed of ponds, wells and dams.

516
 THE SPECIES

Pistia stratiotes Araceae

Floating rosette of leaves

Water surface

Fibrous roots

517
 THE SPECIES

Platostoma africanum Lamiaceae (Labiatae)

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Kisugu; Swahili: Kisogo.
DESCRIPTION: A weakly erect or trailing annual herb or a short-lived perennial to 1
m, stem pale green and 4-angled. LEAVES: Opposite, oval, to 5 cm x 3.5 cm,
usually smaller, tip pointed, edge toothed, base narrowed to a 2 cm stalk,
pale grey-green below. FLOWERS: Small, along a narrow terminal flower
head, 2–15 cm, flowers often spaced out, only 2–3 mm, white, 2-lipped,
spotted pink-mauve, a small white bract with green tips beside each flower,
the green calyx has a rounded upper lobe overlapping the lower lip, often with
white hairs. FRUIT: 4 ovoid nutlets.
ECOLOGY: In all wet forest regions, often in partial shade at forest edges, roadsides,
stream banks, grassland, 100–2,500 m. Sometimes a weed in tea plantations
and recorded in open miombo, in rice and maize shambas, and on lava.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in most parts of Tanzania; Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Malawi
and the Congo basin into West African rainforests.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are cooked alone or with other vegetables and served with a staple
(ugali or rice). Sometimes coconut milk is added.
Medicinal: Roots are soaked in warm water and the resulting liquid drunk to
treat headache and as an aphrodisiac (Sambaa).
Commercial: Sold locally
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild and not cultivated. Can be propagated
by seed.
STATUS: Locally common.

518
 THE SPECIES

Platostoma africanum Lamiaceae (Labiatae)

Flower spike

519
 THE SPECIES

Polyceratocarpus scheffleri Annonaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Luguru: Mkenene, Muenene; Sambaa: Mkenene.
DESCRIPTION: A tall forest tree. BARK: Grey, young branchlets with fine rusty hairs
soon lost, later dark and rough. LEAVES: Alternate, mostly large and oblong,
16–30 cm, the pointed tip blunt not sharp, smooth shiny above, a few scattered
rusty hairs below but only clear on the young midribs, 9–15 lateral nerves, not
very prominent, edge wavy, on an 8-mm stalk, thick and wrinkled.
FLOWERS: Arise on older shoots, 3 sepals joined to form a circular calyx
about 1 cm diameter, wrinkled and rusty hairy outside, the 6 large petals in
2 whorls, hairy both sides, the outer whorl to 3.5 cm long, inner smaller,
numerous central stamens. Flower stalks thick and curved, about 1.5 cm, with
rusty hairs. FRUIT: At least 20 cylindrical carpels twisted together, almost
stalkless, strongly curved, 15–20 cm long and about 2.5 cm wide, somewhat
narrowed between seeds (about 25) which are up to 1.8 cm long, striped
purple-brown.
ECOLOGY: Rainforest, 800–1,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Only found in Tanga and Morogoro Regions.
USES:
Food:
The outer bark is removed and the inner bark dried, pounded and sieved.
The powder is used as a spice in soup or tea.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for poles, fuelwood, tool handles, bedsteads and spoons.
The tree is suitable for shade and as an ornamental.
SEASON: The bark is collected all year round.
STORAGE: The powder can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated. It can be propagated by
seed.
STATUS: Endemic to Tanzania. This rare species is difficult to find in the forest and
is listed as “endangered” in the 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants. Needs
propagation and conservation.

520
 THE SPECIES

Polyceratocarpus scheffleri Annonaceae

Fruit

Seed and section

Bud with ring of 3 sepals

Flower section

521
 THE SPECIES

Polygonum salicifolium (P. serrulatum) Polygonaceae

Indigenous

L OCAL NAME : Matengo: Mchendeka, Msendeka; Ndendeule: Mchendeka,

Msendeka; Ngoni: Mchendeka, Msendeka.
DESCRIPTION: A slender weak-stemmed annual herb, low on the mud at the
edge of water or erect to 1 m, the green stems turning brown below, usually
branched and well jointed, rooting from the bristly joints. LEAVES: Alternate,
nearly stalkless, the blade long and narrow to 11 cm, dark green,
narrowed at the base and clasping the stem in a well-developed sheath
with a long bristle-haired fringe; hairs along leaf edges and on veins below.
FLOWERS: Small white–pale pink–red sepals from red-brown bracts along
slender spikes, 2–9 cm, the axis looks zigzag on young heads. FRUIT: An
indehiscent nutlet, 3-sided, smooth and shiny, enclosed by the sepals.
ECOLOGY: Found in damp places, often growing in water, in swamps, 0–2,400 m.
Associated with Cyperus latifolius. Grows in black humid clay in or near water.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in all parts of Tanzania, including on Zanzibar and Pemba
Islands; also all over tropical Africa, from Eritrea and Ethiopia south to
Mozambique; also in tropical Asia, Australia and America; naturalized in
Madagascar.
USES:
Food:
The young leaves and shoots are collected, chopped, boiled and served with a
staple. It is mainly eaten as a famine food.
Medicinal:
– The ash obtained after burning the plant is licked in order to treat sore
throat and tonsillitis.
– A decoction from pounded leaves is used as a purgative. Leaves are crushed
and rubbed into the skin as a remedy for skin diseases.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fodder and ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Collected in the dry season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local people.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
R EMARKS : Another species (P. pulchrum: Hehe: Nyakisumbi; Sambaa:
Lukantamila) has edible leaves that are used as a vegetable. The leaves are
also used to treat STDs. The leaves are pounded, soaked in water and the infusion
taken three times daily. The species is found throughout Tanzania, including

522
 THE SPECIES

Polygonum salicifolium (contd) Polygonaceae

Zanzibar. It is also found in Kenya, Uganda, in tropical and subtropical Africa

and Asia.

P. salicifolium

Sheath P. pulchrum
with hairs

Lens-shaped fruit

Flower with 5 sepals

523
 THE SPECIES

Polysphaeria parvifolia Rubiaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Sambaa: Mkame; Swahili: Mkanja, Mlapaa, Mrigi.

DESCRIPTION: A small tree or shrub 1–6 m, usually about 3 m, the slender stems
often with a few short hairs. The side branches arise just above the nodes.
BARK: Red-brown and peeling off in long strips from older stems. LEAVES:
Opposite, narrow oval to rounded, 5–9 cm long, tip usually pointed,
sometimes hairy below, base round to heart shaped, to a very short stalk, a pair
of tiny, undivided hairy stipules, 1 mm. FLOWERS: White, appearing with
the leaves in small stalkless clusters at the nodes, a calyx cup with equal
lobes and spreading hairs, the corolla tube to 4 mm, tube and style hairy,
throat hairy. FRUIT: Round berries to 1 cm across, in dense clusters,
orange-red when mature.
ECOLOGY: A shrub of dry evergreen forest, woodland, coastal bushland and scrub,
old plantations and abandoned cultivation sites, 0–1,400 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Mainly in coastal areas, including Zanzibar and Pemba, also in Kagera
Region; in coastal Kenya and in Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruits are collected from the tree and eaten fresh as a snack.
Medicinal: Roots are used as medicine for treatment of stomach-ache.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and tough and is used for firewood, building poles,
pegs, tool handles and animal traps. The tree is used for shade and is a
source of bee forage.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from April to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by the local
people. It can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Locally very common.
REMARKS: P. multiflora (Swahili: Mgudi) also has edible fruits. It is a shrub or
small tree, 1–3 m high, found in central, eastern and southern parts of Tanzania.
The species is also found in Kenya, the Comoro Islands, Mauritius and Somalia.
It is reported to be cultivated in Mauritius.

524
 THE SPECIES

Polysphaeria parvifolia Rubiaceae

Fruiting branch

Flower enlarged and

opened

Flowering branch

Fruit enlarged

525
 THE SPECIES

Portulaca oleracea Portulacaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES : Bondei: Danga-danga, Tako-da-hasani; Digo: Tako-la-hasani;

English: Common purslane, Purslane; Maasai: Engaiyagut; Samba: Danga-
danga; Swahili: Tako la hasani; Zigua: Danga-danga.
DESCRIPTION: A low-growing fleshy annual herb, the numerous spreading fleshy
stems reddish, to 30 cm long. LEAVES: Alternate, succulent, flat and shiny,
spoon shaped, widest at the round tip, up to 3 cm long with a few 1 mm long
hairy stipules at the base, soon falling. FLOWERS: Bright yellow, about 1
cm across, with 5 petals, many central stamens and 2 sepals, opening in the
morning in bright sunshine for a few hours. Flowers 3–5 together in terminal
clusters, without stalks, surrounded by membranous scales and 2 or more
leaves. FRUIT: A round capsule opening transversely, the top falling off
like a small cap to set free many seeds.
ECOLOGY: Common in secondary regrowth after cultivation, as a cosmopolitan weed
of cultivation and in other disturbed areas, even on rocky ground with shallow
soils, doing well up to 2,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION:
Found in many parts of Tanzania, e. g. in Tanga, Arusha, Morogoro,
Kilimanjaro and Shinyanga Regions. Found in Africa from Eritrea and Ethiopia
through East Africa south to Mozambique and South Africa.
USES:
Food:
Leaves and young shoots are collected, washed, chopped and cooked alone
or mixed with other local vegetables, and usually also with coconut milk,
onions, tomatoes and salt. It is then served with a staple (ugali, or bada—
ugali made from cassava flour).
Medicinal:
– The cooked vegetable is used as a remedy for constipation.
Commercial: Not marketed
Other: The plant is used for fodder and is suitable for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Leaves and young shoots are usually collected during the dry season when
other vegetables become scarce.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but can easily be propagated using
shoots and stem cuttings.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its habitat and is also regarded as a
troublesome weed.
REMARKS: This species has been cultivated in France, Denmark and the Nether-
lands, including some erect and improved cultivars. P. quadrifida is a related

526
 THE SPECIES

Portulaca oleracea (contd) Portulacaceae

species which is known and used in the same way as P. oleracea. It resembles P.
oleracea but has smaller leaves and is also widespread in Tanzania and Kenya.

Fruit cluster

527
 THE SPECIES

Pouteria adolfi-friedericii subsp. australis Sapotaceae

(Aningeria adolfi-friedericii)
Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bende: Kuti; Fipa: Mwengele; Sambaa: Kuti, Mkuti; Tongwe:
Mwale.
DESCRIPTION: A very tall tree, to 50 m, with a clear straight bole to about 16
m, topped by a relatively small dense crown, mature trees buttressed at the
base. BARK: Pale, grey-brown, smooth to lightly fissured, much white latex if
cut and an unpleasant smell. Flower and leaf stalks, buds and shoots covered
with golden-brown hairs. LEAVES: Stiff and large to 22 x 8 cm, usually
smaller, dark shiny green above, hairy and pale orange below, 10–20 pairs
prominent veins, the tip pointed, on a twisted stalk to 2 cm. FLOWERS: Cream-
green, very small, in clusters beside leaves, sepals and flower stalks brown,
hairy, soon falling to the ground. FRUIT: Hard, green, narrow, to 4 cm with
a beak, the soft hairy skin milky but inside is one shiny brown seed to 3 cm
long with a large white scar (hilum).
ECOLOGY: Generally, the species occurs in upland rainforest, frequently associated
with Podocarpus, rarely in riverine forest, 1,430–2,500 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In Tanzania this subspecies grows in Tanga Region, western areas
and in the Southern Highlands, e.g. in Mbeya, Tanga, Rukwa and Kigoma
Regions. Also found in Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, the Congo basin, Rwanda
and Sudan.
USES:
Food:
Seeds are pounded, boiled, the liquid filtered off and cooled. The oil which
floats to the top of the pot is then skimmed off and used for cooking. Ripe
fruit pulp is sweet and eaten raw.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for timber, firewood and charcoal. The tree is used for
shade.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from January to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild but can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its habitat.
REMARKS: P. alnifolia (Malacantha alnifolia) (Luguru: Mgombogombo; Sambaa:
Mguoguo, Mnguoguo, Msambia-ongwe, Ngoma, Nguoguo, Nguru: Mguoguo;
Pangwa: Mpange; Swahili: Mguoguo; Tongwe: Mlale, Mulale) has similar
uses to P. adolfi-friedericii. It is a tree up to 25 m high with a fluted bole and
buttressed base found in Tanga and Morogoro Regions. It is also widespread
from Senegal to Sudan and south to Mozambique.

528
 THE SPECIES

Pouteria adolfi-friedericii subsp. australis (contd)

Leaf and flowering branchlet (subsp. keniensis)

Young flower
(subsp. keniensis)

Seeds and fruit (subsp.

adolphi-freidericii)

529
 THE SPECIES

Pouzolzia mixta (P. hypoleuca) Urticaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Mkaafuu; Hehe: Mtwaki; Sambaa: Mkaafuu.
DESCRIPTION: A deciduous perennial shrub, 1.5–3 m, with open branching stem,
soft, fleshy and juicy, the outer stalk fibrous and woody but a wide spongy
pith or hollow centre. BARK: Smooth iron-grey, “lumpy”. LEAVES: Alternate,
entire, the oval blade 2–8 cm, smaller at ends of branchlets, tip long pointed, a
hairy stalk, red-brown to 3 cm with a pair of pointed brown stipules at the
base, upper surface rough with both long and short hairs, lower surface
markedly white-silver with hairs (children stick woolly leaves together).
FLOWERS: Very small, stalkless, in dense axillary clusters beside new
leaves or in axils of fallen leaves, numerous male flowers, cream, hairy;
fewer green-yellow female flowers with deep red sepals. FRUIT: Smooth, shiny,
2.5 mm, dispersed within the persistent membranous flower parts, young fruits
pale yellow-green.
ECOLOGY: Wooded grassland, especially along edges of riverine forest or on rocky
outcrops, 100–1,200 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widely distributed in Tanzania. Also found in Uganda, Ethiopia,
Sudan, south to South Africa and in Yemen.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are used as a vegetable. Tender leaves are collected, chopped and
cooked with coconut milk or pounded groundnuts. It is then served with
ugali or rice.
Medicinal: Adventitious roots are crushed and the jelly-like liquid obtained is
used to treat burns.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used as an ornamental and is a source of bee forage. The
fibre is used to make fishing nets and string.
SEASON: Leaves are collected in the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: The hairs on the leaves cause itching. Once cultivated at Amani Botanical
Garden for its fibre.

530
 THE SPECIES

Pouzolzia mixta (P. hypoleuca) Urticaceae

Male bud

Female flower

Flowering shoot

Lower and upper leaf surfaces

Leaf axil with stipule, male and female flowers

531
 THE SPECIES

Pseudeminia comosa Papilionaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Nyamwezi: Limbizu.
DESCRIPTION: A strong climber 2–9 m, or forming a low tangled thicket, the slightly
ridged stems, arising from a tuberous rootstock, are usually rust coloured and
covered with bristly or soft hairs. LEAVES: 3 leaflets on long stalks 5–21 cm,
leaflets wide oval, the two outer leaflets unequal-sided, all about 3.5–13 cm
long and wide, base often rounded, the leaflets entire or 2–3 lobed, the
edge with widely spaced teeth, both sides lined with hairs, the lower
surface often silky silvery apart from rust-brown veins, pairs of narrow
pointed stipules at the base of the leaf stalk. FLOWERS: Pea shaped, the large
standard petal to 2.6 cm long, green to dull purple-brown outside, pale
violet inside, wings violet, keel violet tipped green. Flower head long
stalked, 4–42 cm, appearing terminal, flowers in pairs with conspicuous narrow
bracts and bracteoles, the short tubular calyx has 5 lobes drawn out
into long hairy points. FRUIT: Pods narrow oblong, flattened, to 2 cm
long, covered with long bristly hairs and soft short hairs, breaking open to set
free 2 rough brown-black seeds.
ECOLOGY: Bushland, Brachystegia woodland, old cultivation, 800–1,800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in most parts of Tanzania except Tanga Region and the
Southern Highlands. Also in Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
USES:
Food:
Root tubers are dug up, peeled and chewed. The sweet juice is swallowed
and the remains spat out.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fodder and is suitable for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Tubers are dug up during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and is not cultivated or protected by the local
people. It can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Locally common.

532
 THE SPECIES

Pseudeminia comosa Papilionaceae

Flower

Unequal-sided
leaflet Seed

Hairy calyx
around fruit pod
Calyx opened out

533
 THE SPECIES

Pseudospondias microcarpa Anacardiaceae

Indigenous

LOCAL NAMES: Bende: Kashira-nguruwe; Ha: Mgwiza; Haya: Muziru, Omubolu,

Umubalu; Kuria: Muitinina, Mushiro; Tongwe: Buhono; Zinza: Mugomba.
DESCRIPTION: A large spreading tree 15–20 m, bole up to 2 m in diameter and
strongly buttressed, the trunk often irregular, twisted, the branches growing
near the base and often covered with epiphytic plants. BARK: Smooth and thin
when young, becoming yellow-grey and rough, flaking in large pieces. LEAVES:
Odd, pinnate, on stalks to 30 cm, with 2–8 pairs leaflets plus 1, each leaflet
stalked, rather stiff, oval 5–20 cm, base very unequal, tip long pointed,
darker above than below. Basal leaflets the smallest. FLOWERS: In loose
heads, 10–32 cm, beside leaves, the stalks dull red-brown, very small white
male and female flowers, parts in fours. FRUIT: A soft edible drupe to 2.5
cm, blue-black when ripe, the stone inside is 4-sided and contains the seeds.
ECOLOGY: Common on lake shores, rainforest edges, riverine and in swamp forests.
It occurs naturally at medium altitude, 900–1,700 m; rainfall 1,200–2,100 mm.
Thrives in well-drained loamy soil.
DISTRIBUTION: Only in western parts of Tanzania, e.g. in Mwanza, Kigoma, Kagera,
Rukwa and Mara Regions. Also in Kenya and Uganda and from Senegal to the
Sudan and south to Angola and Zambia.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruits are sweet. They are collected and eaten fresh as a snack, mainly
by women and children as they collect firewood from the forests. It is eaten
occasionally and in moderate amounts.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The seeds are used to make beads. The wood, which is moderately soft,
is used for grain mortars, stools, water troughs and for making canoes. A
good tree for shade. The bark is pounded to produce a red paste which is
used for smearing on winnowing trays to make them grain proof (Tongwe).
SEASON: Collected during the rainy season, September–December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected in the wild and not cultivated or protected by local people,
but can be propagated from seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

534
 THE SPECIES

Pseudospondias microcarpa Anacardiaceae

Enlarged male
flowers

Female flower with

young fruit (enlarged)

Fruit

535
 THE SPECIES

Psorospermum febrifugum Clusiaceae (Guttiferae)

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Mfwifwi; English: Christmas berry; Gorowa: Da-aahugmo;
Iraqw: Da-aaslsmo; Matengo: Kihibihibi, Kihivahivi; Ngindo: Kalijenge;
Nyamwezi: Msalunhunda; Nyaturu: Mofere; Rangi: Kibabibabi; Sambaa:
Mkandandogowe; Swahili: Mchakwe; Tongwe: Kangululungululu; Zigua:
Mhelahela.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or tree 1.5–6 m. BARK: Grey-brown, rough, rather corky,
flaking and peeling in strips. LEAVES: Opposite, broad oval, usually 3–7 cm,
tip pointed or blunt, dotted with translucent glands, almost stalkless, the
lower surface covered with rusty star-like hairs, upper surface a dark
shiny green with a clear vein network. FLOWERS: Inconspicuous, sweet
smelling, cream-white, only 6–8 mm across, in branched heads to 4 cm,
5 outer sepals, usually densely hairy and glandular, the 5 hairy petals inside,
with many stamens. FRUIT: Round berries 6–10 mm, bright to dark red,
topped by the style, in terminal clusters.
ECOLOGY: Deciduous woodland, wooded or more open grassland over a wide range
of altitude, 0–2,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in most parts of Tanzania except the northern and Tanga
areas. Also in Uganda and Kenya, and widespread in tropical Africa.
USES:
Food:
Fruits are edible. Ripe fruits are collected from the tree and eaten fresh.
They are sweet and are much favoured by children and herdsmen.
Medicinal:
– Roots and leaves are boiled and the juice is drunk to treat leprosy.
– The bark is dried, pounded, mixed with ghee or oil and rubbed into the skin
of a person suffering from scabies.
– Roots are also used as a mouthwash for tongue diseases and a gargle for
tonsillitis.
Commercial: Sold locally.
Other: The wood is used for fuel and tool handles. The bark yields a yellow
dye. The tree is used for ornamental purposes and bee forage.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected in November and December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated. Can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Locally common.

536
 THE SPECIES

Psorospermum febrifugum Clusiaceae (Guttiferae)

Flowering heads

Rusty star-like hairs

on lower surface

Enlarged flower and section

Berry fruit

Fresh and dry seeds

537
 THE SPECIES

Psydrax parviflora subsp. rubrocostata Rubiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES : Gogo: Msechela; Haya: Mshangati; Kerewe: Mkome, Muebe;
Luguru: Msada; Meru: Omemuta; Safwa: Livilo; Zinza: Mgongo,
Mkomambuzi, Mshangule.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen shrub or tall tree 2–27 m, the bole sometimes fluted.
BARK: Slightly cracked, brown to light grey, a distinctive almond smell if cut.
LEAVES: Well spaced along the stem, opposite, long oval, 5–15 cm, with a
clear pointed tip, stiff, shiny above, the midrib paler, sometimes red, 4–8
main side nerves with hairy pockets in the angle with the midrib below,
a stalk to 1 cm with a pair of triangular stipules, to 7 mm, clasping the
base. FLOWERS: Tiny, cream-white, in dense stalked heads to 6 cm across,
20–100 flowers, each tubular with a ring of hairs inside as well as a hairy
throat, the 8 mm style longer than the 4 corolla lobes. FRUIT: Round to
two-lobed, soft and black, 5–8 mm long, 8–14 mm wide, 1–2 seeded and
sometimes almost split in two.
ECOLOGY: A species of moist lowland forests and montane rainforests, 0–2,800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In Tanzania found, for example, at Narok in Arusha Region, Nyumba
Nyitu in Iringa Region, Mbeya Peak in Mbeya Region, near Hululu Falls in
Bunduki Forest Reserve (Morogoro Region), in coastal areas and on Zanzibar
and Pemba Islands. Also found in Kenya, Uganda and Malawi.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruits are picked from the tree and eaten fresh as a snack. They are
much liked by children and forest workers.
Medicinal:
– The fruits are used as medicine for coughs and colds.
– Roots are cooked with animal soup (meat and bones) and taken as a treat-
ment for intestinal worms and general body pains.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for timber, firewood, charcoal and tool handles. The
tree is used for shade, as an ornamental and is a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from January to May.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not planted. The species can be propagated
by seed.
STATUS: Locally common.

538
 THE SPECIES

Psydrax parviflora subsp. rubrocostata Rubiaceae

Flower head

Triangular stipules

Fruit

539
 THE SPECIES

Pupalia lappacea var. velutina Amaranthaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Mamata; Hehe: Lulyamindi; Iraqw: Mumuhai; Nyamwezi:
Ilamata; Sambaa: Mamata; Swahili: Mnasa nguo; Zaramo: Mnamata; Zigua:
Mamata.
DESCRIPTION: A small hairy herb, usually sprawling along the ground, annual or
perennial. LEAVES: Opposite, long oval to rounded, to 10 cm long, the tip
rounded, narrowed at the base to a short stalk, hairy both sides. FLOWERS:
Very small and papery, yellow-purple-red, in alternate clusters to 13 mm
across, along terminal spikes, each fertile flower has a pair of sterile flowers
either side, the cluster soon becomes surrounded by very pale hooked bristles,
spreading like a star as the stalk lengthens. FRUIT: Ovoid capsules, only 2.5
mm, containing a shiny brown seed.
ECOLOGY: A plant of dry bushland, the spiny burrs easily catching on passing
animals, including people, 0–2,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In all parts of Tanzania; also occurs in Kenya and most of Uganda.
Widespread in tropical Africa north to Egypt, also in South Africa, Madagascar,
the Arabian peninsular and Asia as far east as the Philippines.
USES:
Food:
Tender leaves are collected, chopped, washed and cooked. Pounded ground-
nuts or coconut milk are added and then served with ugali or rice.
Medicinal: Roots are used as medicine for STDs and snakebite and as a pur-
gative. The roots are boiled and the infusion drunk three times a day.
Other: Leaves and stems are used as fodder.
Commercial: Not marketed.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild. The plant can be propagated by
seed.
STATUS: Locally common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Regarded as a serious weed but is also believed to be an indicator of
fertile soils in areas where it grows.

540
 THE SPECIES

Pupalia lappacea var. velutina Amaranthaceae

Open flower
Flower clusters

One fertile, two

sterile flowers

Part of fruiting head to

show hooked bristles

541
 THE SPECIES

Pygmaeothamnus zeyheri Rubiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Dwarf medlar; Hehe: Kindokoli, Kitokoli; Matengo:
Maboya, Mandungu; Nyamwezi: Mpenzwa.
DESCRIPTION: A low shrub with creeping underground stolons sending out 3–6
annual woody stems to 30 cm high, forming a bushy ground cover over a
considerable area; stems may be reddish and hairy. LEAVES: Rather large,
shiny green, 4–12 cm, long oval and wider at the tip, upper leaves tips
pointed, lower more rounded, opposite or in whorls of 3–4, usually erect and
stiff, a few bristly yellow hairs both sides, tapering to the base into a bristly
stalk to 1 cm; triangular bristle-tipped stipules, 5 mm. FLOWERS: Small, about
1 cm, faintly scented, tubular, green-yellow-cream, few to 40, together
from lower axils, on much-branched stalks to 4 cm, calyx tube 8 mm, with
bristle hairs, buds slender, pointed, corolla tubular with 5 reflexed lobes.
FRUIT: A fleshy yellow drupe, somewhat pear shaped, flattened to 3 cm
long, usually with 1 seed.
ECOLOGY: Wooded grasslands, other types of grassland, sometimes stony, 1,200–
1,400 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In Tanzania it is found in Kagera, Shinyanga, Tabora and Kigoma
Regions. Also in Burundi and the Congo basin and south to South Africa.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruits are fleshy and eaten raw as a snack. They are sweet and much
liked by children and herdsmen.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is good for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated. It can be propagated by
seeds and suckers.
STATUS: Locally common.

542
 THE SPECIES

Pygmaeothamnus zeyheri Rubiaceae

Flowering branch

Enlarged flower and bud

Fruiting branch

543
 THE SPECIES

Pyrostria bibracteata Rubiaceae

(Canthium bibracteatum)
Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Pare: Mpwizopwizo; Rufiji: Mkonge; Sambaa: Mshizo; Swahili:
Mfupapo, Mkonge; Tongwe: Mbunisigo; Zaramo: Mkonge.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen shrub or tree 2–10 m, often with horizontal branching.
BARK: Pale grey. LEAVES: Opposite, rather large, long oval to 12 cm long
with reddish midribs and 4–5 pairs of lateral nerves, leaves dull stiff and
papery, turning brown black as they dry, base narrowed to a short stalk.
FLOWERS: Green-white-yellow in dense clusters of 4–30, almost
stalkless, beside leaves, each flower 4–5 mm, petals woolly inside, flowers
surrounded by paired, pointed bracts. FRUIT: Rounded berries, yellow-red
turning black, to 8 mm across, containing one seed.
ECOLOGY: In bushland, bushed grassland or secondary bushland, in woodland or
on forest edges at low altitudes, 0–900 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in coastal areas and low altitudes of Tanzania, including
Zanzibar, coastal Kenya, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Seychelles.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruits are fleshy, sweet and eaten raw as a snack. They are collected in
handfuls and eaten.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and used for building poles, withies, pegs, tool handles
and fuelwood. The tree is used for shade, as an ornamental and is a source
of bee forage.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from April to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated. It can be propagated by
seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

544
 THE SPECIES

Pyrostria bibracteata (contd) Rubiaceae

Flower clusters

Fruit

545
 THE SPECIES

Raphia farinifera Arecaceae (Palmae)

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Haya: Muhunge, Umondo; Nyamwezi: Mkamilila, Mukamilila;
Sangu: Livale; Swahili: Mwale.
DESCRIPTION: A massive palm growing in clusters in swamp forest, reaching 25 m
but usually much less; the trunk 60 cm or more across and to 10 m high, cov-
ered with large leaf bases, old rotting ones, plant debris and epiphytes. LEAVES:
Pinnate and erect, only slightly spreading, to 8 m long, usually less, the base
sheathing the stem. The leaf stalk very strong, orange-brown to crimson
when young, cylindrical, to 1.5 m long and 20 cm diameter at the base,
narrowing to 12 cm across where leaflets arise; 150 or more leaflets grow in
2 planes, each to 1 m long x 8 cm wide, edged with little spines, drooping only
v
very slightly or rather stiff. Leaflets -shaped in cross-section (reduplicate).
FLOWERS: Male and female on the same plant, grow in massive hanging
heads from the stem apex, to 3 m x 35 cm. After flowering, the plant dies,
often the majority in an area dying in the same year. FRUIT: Shiny orange-
brown and ovoid (like a cone), about 10 cm long x 5 cm across, with 12–
13 rows of tightly packed convex scales. Inside an oily layer and one seed about
5 cm long, shaped like the fruit.
ECOLOGY: Widespread in gallery forests, freshwater swamp forest, along river banks
and in the western shoreline forests of Lake Victoria, 0–2,500 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in Tanga Region and other coastal areas of Tanzania and in
the Southern Highlands as well as on Zanzibar and Pemba Islands. Also in
Uganda, Kenya, throughout southern tropical Africa and on Madagascar.
USES:
Food:
Fruits are crushed in a mortar, water added, boiled and left to cool. The
floating oil is then skimmed off and used in cooking.
Other: The outer layer of the young leaflets is easily removed and makes ex-
cellent fibre for string, ropes, baskets and mats—the raffia of commerce. The
strong midrib is used locally for rafters, chairs, ladders, etc.
Commercial: Not marketed.
SEASON: Collected all year round.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Fruits are collected from the wild, and in Tanzania the palm is not
cultivated or protected by local people. It can, however, be grown as individual
plants or in a plantation on raised ground as long as there is good moisture in
the soil and the climate is conducive to its growth. Propagated by use of seed-
lings.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible.

546
 THE SPECIES

Raphia farinifera Arecaceae (Palmae)

Massive flowering head

Enlarged part of flower head

Fruit

547
 THE SPECIES

Rhus natalensis Anacardiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Arusha: Ormisigiyoi; Chagga: Mpungulu; Chasi: Sasakimo; Digo:
Mbwananyahi, Mgwanyahi; Fipa: Msangula; Haya: Msagara, Omusheshe;
Hehe: Mtunumbi; Iraqw: Datei, Mstunga, Sirongi; Kerewe: Musheshe; Kuria:
Msangura; Maasai: Olmesigie, Ilmisigiyo (plural), Olmisigiyoi, Ormisigiyoi;
Rangi: Msakasaka, Muizi; Sambaa: Mhunguru, Mhunguru-mhomba;
Sukuma: Mhunguru; Swahili: Mkono chuma, Mkumba, Mkuna chuma,
Mtishangwe, Mvunja kondo; Zinza: Msense.
DESCRIPTION: A many-branched shrub or tree, sometimes tending to scramble, up
to 8 m in height. BARK: Grey, often almost white, branchlets pale and dotted
with breathing pores, branches angular. LEAVES: 3-foliate, the central leaflet
largest, to 9 cm, usually dark green, rather leathery, hairless, sometimes
toothed, very variable, wider towards the tip, narrowed to the base, on a
stalk 2–4 cm. FLOWERS: Green-yellow with tiny flowers in loose heads to 15
cm. FRUIT: Oblong to bean shaped, smooth, red with thin flesh and a waxy
covering, about 5 mm, edible. The dry papery fruit soon fall.
ECOLOGY: Deciduous and evergreen savanna bushland and woodland, riverine
vegetation, forest edges. Often found on well-drained slopes, 0–3,000 m; rain-
fall 1,000–1,400 mm. Tolerates a wide range of soil types.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in all parts of Tanzania, including on Zanzibar and Pemba
Islands. From Guinea to Somalia and the Arabian peninsular, southwards to
South Africa.
USES:
Food:
Both the green and ripe fruits are collected in handfuls and eaten fresh as a
snack, especially by hunters. They taste acid but are refreshing. Eaten occa-
sionally in moderate quantities. Fruits are also used in brewing local alco-
holic beverages.
Medicinal:
– Roots are pounded and boiled and the decoction used to treat gonorrhoea,
colds, abdominal pains and hookworm.
– Leaves are crushed and put in a bath for women with prolapsed uterus.
Leaves are pounded, soaked in hot water and the resulting liquid used to
treat coughs.
Other: The wood is used for firewood, tool handles and charcoal. Leaves and
fruits are used for fodder.
SEASON: Fruits are collected in the dry season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple. It can be propagated by seed.

548
 THE SPECIES

Rhus natalensis (contd) Anacardiaceae

STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

Fruiting branch

549
 THE SPECIES

Rhus vulgaris Anacardiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Lidzadzi; Chagga: Mpungulu, Nyungu; Digo: Mbwananyahi;
Gorowa: Datlaii; Ha: Umukeri; Haya: Umusagara; Hehe: Muhehefu; Iraqw:
Datlaii; Isanzu: Mbulagankuku; Maasai: Emungushi, Engarachi, Ilmisigyio
(plural), Msigwe, Olmisigiyioi, Ormisigiyoi; Matengo: Mkenekene; Rangi:
Msakasaka, Muizi, Mwiizi; Sambaa: Mtuntano; Swahili: Mkono chuma, Mlama
mwitu, Mlishangwe, Mrinja kondo; Wanji: Lisekelu.
DESCRIPTION: A hairy multi-branched shrub or tree, 1–9 m. BARK: Smooth, dark
brown, branches yellow-red-brown, often densely hairy. LEAVES: 3 leaflets,
dull green, softly hairy, the central leaflet larger, 4–11 cm long x 2–6.5 cm
wide, the two laterals smaller, shortly stalked, edge entire or soft toothed
towards the tip, which is blunt or pointed, leaflets dark above, paler below.
FLOWERS: Small cream-green-yellow, parts in fives, in terminal loose heads
or from upper leaf axils, 5–20 cm long, all densely hairy. FRUIT: Drupes, with
thin flesh, flat and round, red-brown, only 3–5 mm across.
ECOLOGY: Common in upland evergreen bushland, forest edges, lake shore, river
banks, savanna woodlands and bushland, often in thickets or on termite mounds.
It occurs naturally both on hill slopes and in valleys, 800–2,700 m; rainfall
1,000–1,700 mm. Thrives in yellow sandy loams, but tolerates many soil types.
DISTRIBUTION : Found in all parts of Tanzania; Uganda and Kenya and from
Cameroon to Ethiopia and south to Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and Zimba-
bwe.
USES:
Food:
The tiny fruits are occasionally eaten in handfuls as a snack. They can be
eaten unripe or ripe, often both mixed together. The unripe fruit are green
and have a refreshing but slightly acidic taste, whereas the ripe red-to-black
fruits are sweet.
Medicinal:
– Fruits are pounded, boiled and the decoction drunk to treat diarrhoea.
– Roots are pounded and the powder cooked with porridge which is then drunk
to treat gonorrhoea.
– The bark is boiled and the decoction used as a wash for wounds.
– The leaves are pounded and used as a treatment for piles.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for firewood and charcoal. Stems are used for tooth-
brushes.
SEASON: Fruits are collected at the end of the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.

550
 THE SPECIES

Rhus vulgaris (contd) Anacardiaceae

MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple, but can be propagated using fresh seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
R EMARKS : R. longipes (Arusha: Emusigiloi; Barabaig: Sirong; Gorowa:
Aambalangw, Datei, Datlii; Iraqw: Ambalaki; Matengo: Mkenikeni; Rangi:
Mukundi; Swahili: Mchengele; Wanji: Lisekeru-dume) is a shrub or tree up to
12 m high with small edible fruit. The species is widespread in Tanzania. It is
also found in Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia and south to South Africa.

Flowering shoot

Part of fruiting head

551
 THE SPECIES

Ricinodendron heudelotii subsp. africanum Euphorbiaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : English: Cork-wood tree; Luguru: Mkungunolo; Mwera:
Mkangaula; Ngindo: Nnjunju; Nguu: Mtondoro; Sambaa: Mtondoro; Swahili:
Maua, Muawa; Tongwe: Sitobaga; Zigua: Mtwatwa.
DESCRIPTION: A deciduous tree 25–40 m, with a very straight trunk, over 1 m across
in large specimens. The spreading rounded crown is fairly open, sometimes
with short buttresses at the base. Young trees have whorled branches arch-
ing upwards. Branchlets to 1 cm thick, densely brown hairy when
young. BARK: Grey-brown, thin and smooth at first, becoming scaly and dark
with age. LEAVES: Compound digitate with 3–6 leaflets like fingers, the larg-
est central leaflets 10–30 cm long, the tip long and pointed, narrowed to the
base and hardly stalked, the edge with small black glandular teeth, often
silvery hairs below. At the base of the leaf stalk are fan-shaped leafy stipules
with deeply toothed edges. FLOWERS: Green-white-yellow and small. Male
heads 15–30 cm and female heads shorter and denser, 6–10 cm. FRUIT: Cap-
sules 4–5 cm across, 2–3 lobed, green-yellow, slightly fleshy and smelling of
rotten apples; containing 2–3 red-brown-black seeds, rounded and flat, over 1
cm across.
ECOLOGY: Evergreen forest and secondary associations, 100–1,200 m. A light-de-
manding tree of lower altitude tropical rainforests. Common in gaps and at
forest edges.
DISTRIBUTION: Subsp. africanum is found in Tanga Region and other eastern and
southern areas of Tanzania; also in Uganda, and from Nigeria eastwards to
Sudan, south to Angola, Mozambique. (A var. tomentellum is restricted to coastal
Kenya and Tanzania.)
USES:
Food:
Seeds produce edible oil. The seeds are pounded, boiled and cooled. The float-
ing oil is skimmed off, boiled and filtered and used for cooking. Seeds may
also be pounded and the powder used for making porridge in times of food
shortage.
Medicinal: Roots are used by the Sambaa to treat diarrhoea and constipation.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is very soft and perishable but is used for domestic utensils
such as spoons, cups, bowls and plates. The oil produced from seeds is used
in soap making.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from October to December.
STORAGE: Dried seeds can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated. The species can be propa-
gated by seed.

552
 THE SPECIES

Ricinodendron heudelotii subsp. africanum Euphorbiaceae

Female flower
(enlarged)

Flowering shoot and a leaf

Fruit capsules

Persistent leafy stipules

553
 THE SPECIES

Ricinodendron heudelotii subsp. africanum (contd)

STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.

REMARKS: R. rautanenii is used in the same way as R. heudelotii and bears the
same local names. It is a tree up to 25 m high found in Morogoro and Lindi
Regions. Also found in Angola, Namibia and Mozambique. It has an edible
floury pulp, green or red when fresh, surrounding a very hard brown nut,
which contains a single pale seed from which a yellow oil can be extracted.
Found in open deciduous woodland, 200–500 m, usually on well-drained soils.
The fruit are eaten by wild game, and elephant like the bark. The pale yellow
timber is very light and can be used for packing cases. Fresh pulp can be dried
and pounded to a flour and used to make porridge.

R. rautanenii

554
 THE SPECIES

Ricinodendron heudelotii subsp. africanum (contd)

R. rautanenii

Young fruit

Hard brown stones contain

the seed kernel

Buds

Soft fruit covering on

stone partly removed

555
 THE SPECIES

Ritchiea albersii Capparidaceae (Capparaceae)

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Sambaa: Mwaza-njama, Mwooza-nyama; Swahili: Mdudu.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or small tree, 2–15 m, the stems arising from underground
tubers. BARK: Smooth, grey. LEAVES: Compound, with 1–5 shortly stalked
leaflets, each long oval, 5–17 cm, the tip long pointed with a hair, the main
stalk to 10 cm long. FLOWERS: Green and white in terminal groups of 3–
10 flowers, 4 sepals, thin petals to 4.5 cm long from a cup-shaped recep-
tacle, many stamens to 4 cm, the ovary stalk more than 2 cm. FRUIT: A brown
long-oval capsule, to 4.5 cm, slightly grooved, eventually splitting to release
seeds.
ECOLOGY: Upland rainforest, often at margins, less common in rainforest at lower
altitudes and in evergreen thicket, 1,100–2,400 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In Tanzania found, for example, in Kigoma, Tanga, Kilimanjaro,
Iringa and Arusha Regions. Also in Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, west to
Nigeria and south to South Africa.
USES:
Food:
– Root tubers are dug up, peeled, soaked in water for several days and dried in
the sun. The dried tubers are pounded into flour which is used to make
porridge.
– Tubers are peeled and cooked. The water is drained several times in order to
reduce the concentration of toxic constituents before eating them with tea.
This is a famine food.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for shade and ornamental purposes. The wood is used
for firewood and to make tool handles.
SEASON: Tubers are dug up during the rainy season.
STORAGE: The flour made from pounded roots can be stored for several weeks.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated. Propagation can be done
using seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: The tubers are known to be toxic if not well prepared.

556
 THE SPECIES

Ritchiea albersii Capparidaceae (Capparaceae)

Enlarged flower

Fruit and group of seeds

Flowering branch

557
 THE SPECIES

Rothmannia engleriana Rubiaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Hehe: Mkumba, Mpumba; Matengo: Mpumba; Nyamwezi:
Mkondokondo, Mlozilozi, Mutwinya; Nyaturu: Mupumba; Sangu: Mpumba;
Sukuma: Mkondokondo; Zinza: Muharangundo.
DESCRIPTION: A small, spindly tree, 2–9 m, with light branching, often whorled,
giving a rounded or flat-topped crown. BARK: Young shoots with soft hairs.
Older branches with cracked reddish bark, becoming dark brown and scaly
with age. LEAVES: Usually in opposite pairs but clustered at branch tips,
occasionally in threes, oval 9–30 cm long, shiny, leathery and stiff, a few
hairs below, wider at the tip, base narrowed to a short stalk up to 1.5 cm, often
drying yellow-green. FLOWERS: Sweet scented, large, white and trumpet
shaped, hanging down in terminal heads with 3–17 flowers, the 5 corolla
lobes overlap left in bud, surrounded by the tubular calyx with yellow hairs,
each flower to 8 cm long, the lobes 3 cm long, shiny white inside, dotted with
red-purple spots but yellow hairy outside. FRUIT: Round to oval, 2–4.6 cm,
covered with soft dark orange hairs, containing many brown seeds sur-
rounded by soft edible pulp. The calyx remains attached.
ECOLOGY: Common in Brachystegia woodland, 1,100–1,900 m.
DISTRIBUTION: All inland parts of Tanzania. Also in parts of Central Africa, south to
Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and Angola.
USES:
Food:
– The ripe fruit pulp is juicy and edible. The hard pericarp is broken and the
soft endocarp sucked out. Ripe fruits are very sweet and have a fragrant
and sweet smell. They are eaten as a snack and much liked by children.
– The pulp is soaked in warm water, squeezed, sugar added and the liquid
filtered. This refreshing juice can then be drunk before or after being cooled.
Medicinal: Roots are chewed and swallowed or pounded and soaked in cold
water and the infusion used to treat snakebite and stomach-ache.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for firewood and to make tool handles and spoons.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from July to September.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated. It can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Locally common.

558
 THE SPECIES

Rothmannia engleriana Rubiaceae

Enlarged flower section

Mature flower

Fruit Flowering branch

Fruit section

559
 THE SPECIES

Rourea orientalis Connaraceae

(Byrsocarpus orientalis)
Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES : Bondei: Hombo-kisogo, Kisogo; Digo: Kisogo; Hehe: Liyenzi;
Sambaa: Kisogo; Swahili: Msogo; Zaramo: Kisogo, Mhombo; Zigua: Kisogo.
DESCRIPTION: A deciduous shrub or small tree to 6 m, sometimes a climber, the
branches red-grey-brown with clear breathing pores, almost without hairs.
LEAVES: Alternate, compound, odd pinnate with 6–14 pairs of leaflets,
more or less opposite along the 25 cm stalk, with a terminal leaflet,
each one long oval to 4 cm, the tip blunt, the base somewhat rounded. FLOW-
ERS: Present before leaves appear, white-yellow, fragrant, on axillary
stalks to 5 cm, bearing several flowers, 5 tiny sepals, 5 long narrow petals
about 1 cm, 10 central stamens. FRUIT: Yellow-red and oval (a follicle), 2 cm
long x 1 cm across, enclosed in a soft bright red aril. The whole folicle opens on
one side to set free black seed.
ECOLOGY: Forest edges, woodland, bushland, 0–2,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in many parts of Tanzania, including Zanzibar. Also in coastal
Kenya, south to Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Angola.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are collected, dried in the sun and then pounded and sieved. The
powder is steeped in hot water, stirred and boiled to form a thick vegetable
paste which may be mixed with pounded groundnuts and eaten along with
ugali or bada (Sambaa, Zigua).
Medicinal: A decoction of the roots is used as a remedy for diarrhoea, STDs
and blockage of the urethra. Also used as a prophylactic against tick fever
and for treating headaches.
Commercial: The vegetable powder is sold in local markets (Bondei, Sambaa).
Other: The wood is used for firewood. The plant is used for ornamental pur-
poses and is a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Leaves are collected from November to June.
STORAGE: In the powdered form the vegetable can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: Leaves are collected from the wild as the tree is not planted. How-
ever, it can easily be propagated by seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: A popular and easily prepared vegetable among the Bondei, Sambaa
and Zigua people.

560
 THE SPECIES

Rourea orientalis Connaraceae

(Byrsocarpus orientalis)

Mature fruit and seed

Mature leaves and fruit

Section of flower
with long stamens Variation in leaflet shape

561
 THE SPECIES

Rubia cordifolia Rubiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Ukakaka; Chagga: Kichangoru, Kitariche, Pare: Ndusi;
Sambaa: Lukaka, Mguira, Ukakaka; Swahili: Kifundo, Ukakaka; Zigua:
Ukakaka.
DESCRIPTION: A climbing, scrambling or creeping herb, the brittle branched stems
up to 6 m, having quite strong recurved prickles on the 4 ribs and hairs
as well, stems woody at the base. LEAVES: Very distinctive, in whorls of 4
(without stipular sheaths in between), blades narrow or wide oval, 0.7–
8.5 cm long, tip long pointed, base heart shaped to relatively long stalks,
blade rough hairy above, young leaves white hairy below, edges with curved
prickles, 5–7 clear nerves from the base. FLOWERS: Very small, on stalks be-
side leaves, to 2.5 cm, the 5-part corolla yellow-green-cream, bud tips pink-
purple, 4–6 mm wide. FRUIT: Pairs of fleshy berries round black lobes, each
5 mm across, sometimes only one.
ECOLOGY: Mostly at forest edges in clearings or thickets, in riverine bushland in
dry areas, even open grassland and bushland, scrubland and rocky gullies,
1,100–2,600 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In all parts of Tanzania. Also in Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Somalia,
and south to South Africa.
USES:
Food:
Leaves and stems are collected and roasted or burnt to ashes. The ash is
soaked in water and filtered. The filtered solution is used to soften other
vegetables when cooking. Alternatively, the ash may be used as a substitute
for sodium bicarbonate.
Medicinal:
– Leaves and stems are pounded and soaked in cold water. The infusion is
used to treat diarrhoea and stomach-ache.
– Roots are pounded, boiled and the decoction used as an antidote for general
poisoning and stomach disorders. It is also gargled to treat toothache and
mouth sores.
Other: The roots produce a black dye. The plant can be used for ornamental
purposes.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: The ash from burnt plants can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: The plant is only collected from the wild. It can be propagated by
seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: Well known as a troublesome weed on farms.

562
 THE SPECIES

Rubia cordifolia Rubiaceae

Recurved prickles
on stem

Variable leaves

Climbing habit

Flowering shoots
Enlarged flower and fruit

563
 THE SPECIES

Rubus apetalus (R. adolfi-friedericii) Rosaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Bondei: Mshaa; Chagga: Iwero; Hehe: Lidung’o, Lumwino,
Mdung’o; Maasai: Ngayakuji; Matengo: Utongonya; Pare: Mtelia; Sambaa:
Mshaa; Swahili: Utonge; Wanji: Lidoni.
DESCRIPTION: A scrambling shrub 1–3 m, the tangled hairy stems well armed
with hooked prickles 2–6 mm long, a very variable species. LEAVES: Com-
pound, 3–7 leaflets, often trifoliate, each leaflet oval and pointed, the base
straight, the edges well toothed, a terminal leaflet reaching 4–10 cm, dull
or hairy grey-green above and more or less grey-white and hairy be-
low. FLOWERS: Small, 6–9 mm, in loose terminal heads, 3–21 cm, cylindri-
cal and hairy, longer than the leaves, each flower has 5 faintly scented
pink-white petals, or none, falling early, sepals 6–7 mm. FRUIT: More
than 40 single-seeded fleshy drupes make a compound fruit to 1.5 cm long,
hairy or not, falling with the receptacle, green-yellow-red, ripening purple-
black and all stages seen together.
ECOLOGY: Edges of forest clearings, secondary bush and grassland, riverine forest,
upland grassland, roadsides, often forming thickets, 1,400–2,700 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In most parts of Tanzania except the dry central areas. Found, for
example, in Kagera, Kilimanjaro, Tanga and Rukwa Regions. Also in Uganda,
Kenya; from West Africa to Ethiopia and in most of southern Africa.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruits are collected in handfuls and eaten raw as a snack. They are
much liked by people of all ages. Both jam and juice are also made from ripe
fruits.
Medicinal:
– Ripe fruits are boiled in water, stirred and filtered. Sugar is added and
the liquid drunk to treat anaemia.
– An infusion from leaves is used for treating diabetes.
Commercial: Sold in local and urban markets.
Other: The fruits are used for fodder. The plant is used for ornamental pur-
poses and for boundary marking.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: The jam can be stored.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but can also be propagated by seed
or suckers and planted in the gardens.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: The different Rubus species are all very similar, giving rise to confusion

564
 THE SPECIES

Rubus apetalus (R. adolfi-friedericii) (contd)

in taxonomy, and the same local names. Several species apart from R. apetalus
have edible fruits, including the following:
1. R. rigidus (Bondei: Mshaa; Chagga: Iwero; Hehe: Lidung’o; Swahili: Utonge;
Wanji: Lidoni; Zigua: Mshaa) a scrambling shrub up to 3 m high with pink
flowers and small edible fruits. This species is widespread in Tanzania, Kenya,
Uganda and other parts of Africa;
2. R. steudneri (Matengo: Utongonya; Sambaa: Mshaa) with the same vernacu-
lar names as R. rigidus, a hairy scrambler with grey-green stems up to 4 m in
height and dark red to black fruits. It is found in Morogoro, Kilimanjaro, Iringa
and Tanga Regions. It is also found in Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia.

R. apetalus Older pinnate

leaves

Younger leaves
often trifoliate

R. steudneri
Flowers

Flowers and fruit

Ripe fruit

565
 THE SPECIES

Rumex abyssinicus Polygonaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Mdoda; Bondei: Nywanywa; Chagga: Kiweriweri; Hehe:
Lipembapemba; Sambaa: Gentamana, Mnywanywa, Nywanywa; Swahili:
Mchachu, Mchumvichumvi; Zigua: Nywanywa.
DESCRIPTION: A large, stout erect perennial herb to 4 m tall, the stem green-red,
to 3 cm wide at the base, with conspicuous sheathing stipules where leaves
emerge from the stems. LEAVES: Large and soft, to 30 cm long x 20 cm
wide, somewhat triangular with large, spreading basal lobes (variable
in shape), on a stalk to 14 cm, the lower stalks sometimes larger than the
leaves. FLOWERS: A large much-branched erect loose head to 40 cm long
x 25 cm across, tiny flowers on delicate stalks, green-brown-red, no petals
but six sepals, about 1 mm, the 3 inner sepals winged. FRUIT: The inner
sepals enlarge to 4–6 mm, becoming almost circular, net-veined, en-
closing the 3-sided shiny brown nutlet.
ECOLOGY: Does well in grassland, woodland and bushland, but most abundant in
the highlands where it may form thickets, 700–2,300 m; rainfall 1,100–2,200
mm. Thrives in volcanic soils and sandy loams.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania. Also in Kenya and Uganda and occurs in
most tropical African highlands; also in Madagascar.
USES:
Food:
The young stems and leaves are collected and eaten fresh. They are usually
eaten by herders, farmers and children. They taste acidic and are eaten as a
snack.
Medicinal:
– Pounded roots are used as a poultice for wounds. Roots are pounded and
soaked in cold water. The infusion is drunk to treat stomach-ache and to
relieve flatulence and indigestion.
– Tender leaves and stems are pounded and the juice drunk to treat pneumo-
nia and coughs.
– Pounded leaves are used for dressing wounds.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Crushed leaves are used to remove grease and for cleaning brass. It is
also used for fodder.
SEASON: Leaves are collected in the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple. It can be propagated by seed and suckers.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

566
 THE SPECIES

Rumex abyssinicus Polygonaceae

Enlarged fruit: a winged nutlet

Various leaf shapes

567
 THE SPECIES

Rumex usambarensis Polygonaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Mdoda; Bondei: Nywanywa; Chagga: Kiweriweri; English:
Sorrel; Hehe: Linyimbili; Maasai: Enkaisijoi, Enkaiswishoi; Sambaa:
Gentamana, Nywanywa; Swahili: Mchachu, Mchumvichumvi; Zigua:
Nywanywa.
DESCRIPTION: A weak hairless shrub or straggling climber to 3 m or more, stems
brown. LEAVES: In clusters, the lower leaves arrow shaped at the base, small
basal lobes bent backwards, upper leaves long oval and pointed, 5–9 cm,
3-veined from the centre, veins arching to the tip, on a stalk to 4 cm.
Basal lobes of leaves less than 1 cm wide. FLOWERS: On a much-branched
terminal head, each tiny flower pink-purple with 3 reflexed outer sepals
and 3 inner clear sepals, red, winged, enlarged in fruit. FRUIT: The inner
sepals become circular, net-veined, wavy edged, 4–5 mm across, red-
brown, with 2 small processes at the base around the 3-sided nutlet.
ECOLOGY: Common in montane grassland, open mist forest, bushland, exposed rocky
slopes and woodlands and gaps in montane forests, but also near swamps in
lowlands. Does best in soil rich in humus, 900–2,400 m; rainfall 1,100–2,200
mm.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in most highland areas of Tanzania, e.g. around Lushoto,
Mbeya Peak and in Mbizi Forest Reserve (Rukwa Region). Also in Kenya,
Uganda, Malawi and parts of Central Africa.
USES:
Food:
The young stems and leaves are eaten raw and taste salty. They are eaten
particularly by children as they collect water from streams and usually eaten
as a snack.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are pounded and soaked in cold water. The infusion is used to treat
coughs, rheumatism, stomach-ache and to reduce gas in the stomach.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Crushed leaves are used to remove grease and for cleaning brass. The
plant is used for fodder and provides bee forage.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild; not much cultivated but can be propagated
by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: In the past roots were boiled and the decoction drunk to treat smallpox.

568
 THE SPECIES

Rumex usambarensis (contd) Polygonaceae

It was also used as a cold bath for sufferers of the disease. The young stems and
leaves of R. bequertii and R. ruwenzoriensis are also edible.

Enlarged fruit

Flowering shoot

569
 THE SPECIES

Saba comorensis (S. florida) Apocynaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Ha: Umubhungo; Hehe: Lizwana; Muungo; Kuria: Mtegeti;
Luguru: Mbungo; Mara: Mtegeti; Matengo: Mbungu; Nyamwezi:
Ibungobungo; Nyasa: Mawungu; Rufiji: Ngombe; Sambaa: Mbungo; Swahili:
Mbungo, Mpira; Tongwe: Ilombo; Zigua: Mbungo; Zinza: Mubungu,
Omubungo.
DESCRIPTION: A climbing or scrambling creeper or shrub with hairless red-
dish stems dotted with white breathing pores (lenticels). The liana can be
to 20 metres long, its stems looping through the forest or scrambling over trees
and shrubs at forest edges, with brown tendrils to 12 cm or more. LEAVES:
Large, oval to oblong, leathery and shiny, darker above, tip usually rounded,
base rounded to heart shaped, 7–16 cm long. FLOWERS: In dense terminal
bunches, with many flowers, sweet scented, tubular, about 3.5 cm long, the 5
lobes as long as or shorter than the tube, white with a yellow throat, petal
lobes overlap to the left in the bud. FRUIT: A large berry, rounded, 2.5–6 cm
across, a thick green lemon-like skin, yellow or orange with age, con-
taining sweet-sour edible pulp around many seeds, each about 1 cm long.
ECOLOGY: Common in riverine forest and rainforest, at forest edges and in thickets,
up to 1,800 m; rainfall 1,200–2,400 mm. It grows profusely in the shoreline
forests of Lake Victoria.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania. Also in Kenya and Uganda; widespread in
Africa, through Central Africa to Ethiopia and southern Somalia south to Mo-
zambique.
USES:
Food:
– Fruits are collected when ripe (yellow–orange-brown). Each fruit is cut open
and the sweet pulp eaten with seeds being discarded. It is eaten as a snack.
A well-known fruit in many parts of the country with a sweet-sour taste
similar to tamarind.
– The pulp is soaked in water, sugar added and the juice drunk before or after
being cooled.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are pounded, soaked in cold water and the infusion used to treat
hypertension.
– A boiled root decoction is drunk as a treatment for rheumatism and infertil-
ity in women.
Other: The plant is useful as a source of bee forage and for ornamental pur-
poses.
SEASON: Fruits are collected at the end of the rainy season and beginning of the
dry season.

570
 THE SPECIES

Saba comorensis (S. florida) (contd) Apocynaceae

STORAGE: Not stored.

MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by local peo-
ple. It can be propagated using fresh seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: It has been tried as an horticultural crop in the Central African Repub-
lic.

Flowering branch

Climbing tendrils
(modified branchlets)
are hard hooks

Seed

Fruit section
Fruit

571
 THE SPECIES

Salacia leptoclada Celastraceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Ha: Mkavu, Umubhungo; Tongwe: Igandamakungu.
DESCRIPTION: A hairless shrub, small tree or liane 1–4 m, the young stems with
raised lines, green-grey–purple, later rough with raised breathing pores. BARK:
Dark grey, younger branches dark brown, long and drooping. LEAVES: Op-
posite (except on climbing shoots), generally long oval, 5–8.5 cm, the tip well
pointed, base narrowed to a very short stalk, papery or stiff, dark and shiny
above, paler below, vein network very fine and raised, the edge may have
widely separated shallow teeth, blade widest below the middle. FLOWERS:
Small, yellow-green, 5–7 mm across, 1–5 together, each one stalked but the
bunch has no stalk at the base from the leaf axil, buds 2.5 mm, generally cone
shaped, the central disc thick and fleshy with a conical ovary, 5 narrow
petals. FRUIT: Always rounded and smooth, 1–2.2 cm, orange-red when
ripe, a leathery skin around the fleshy berry.
ECOLOGY: Evergreen or deciduous forests, 100–2,200 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in Tanga Region and other eastern and southern areas of
Tanzania. Also coastal Kenya, and in West Africa, south to South Africa. Also
on the Comoro Islands and Madagascar.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruits are edible. They are collected and the pulp eaten raw as a snack,
especially by children and herders.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is useful for ornamental purposes and as a source of bee
forage. Fruits are eaten by chimpanzees.
SEASON: Fruits are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Only collected from the wild and not cultivated. The species can be
propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.

572
 THE SPECIES

Salacia leptoclada Celastraceae

Flowering shoot

Mature berry fruit

573
 THE SPECIES

Salvadora persica Salvadoraceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Mustard tree, Toothbrush bush, Toothbrush tree; Gogo:
Mkunghuni; Gorowa: Msaki; Hehe: Mkung’uni; Iraqw: Mswaki; Maasai:
Iremito (plural), Olremit, Oremit; Mbugwe: Modee; Mwera: Chigombo;
Ngindo: Mswaki; Pare: Mkayo; Sambaa: Mswaki; Sandawi: Muléwa; Sangu:
Mswake; Sukuma: Mswake, Muche; Swahili: Mswaki; Zigua: Mswaki.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen trailing shrub or small tree, 3–7 m. Young flexible
branches pendulous, older wood twisted. BARK: Cracked and brown.
LEAVES: Yellow-green, dull, rather fleshy but hard with rough gland dots
and raised veins, oblong to rounded to 5 cm. FLOWERS: In loose heads, to
10 cm, small, white. FRUIT: White, then pink to purple, 1 cm across, one-
seeded, juicy and strongly flavoured.
ECOLOGY: Grows in thorn shrub and savanna and on alkaline soils, 0–1,400 m. It
is very drought resistant and is an important indicator of saline soils, even
though it prefers the sandy clay soils of water courses.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread all over arid Africa and in the driest parts of India. It
grows in many parts of Tanzania, e.g. in Dodoma, Tanga, Morogoro, Lindi and
Kilimanjaro Regions.
USES:
Food:
– Ripe fruit are collected in handfuls and eaten raw as a snack. Fruit are also
eaten with honey (Sandawi).
– Leaves are pounded, mixed with water, the liquid filtered and used as a
tenderizer when cooking other vegetables.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are pounded and boiled in water and the decoction used as a remedy
for generalized body pains, backache, stomach-ache and chest pains. Pounded
leaves are used as a poultice for wounds.
– The root is ground and the powder rubbed on the forehead to relieve head-
ache. A decoction of the root mixed with meat soup is used for general body
pains, backache, stomach-ache and chest pain.
– The bark is soaked in water and the infusion drunk for treating sore throat.
Commercial: Fruits are not marketed but toothbrushes are sold in both rural
and urban markets.
Other: The young stems are used as toothbrushes. Leaves are good fodder.
SEASON: Fruits are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated. Can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common.

574
 THE SPECIES

Salvadora persica Salvadoraceae

Flowers

Flowering branch

Fruit

575
 THE SPECIES

Satyrium macrophyllum Orchidaceae

(S. cheirophorum)
Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Kikande, Nyamachebele, Nyamasebele; Hehe: Kikande;
Wanji: Chikande.
DESCRIPTION: A terrestrial orchid, usually 15–80 cm, an erect stem arising
from a pair of round-oval underground tubers, 1–2.5 cm long, 1 cm across.
LEAVES: 6–10 leaves along the entire length of the stem but 2–3 larger
basal leaves, 4–20 cm x 3–11 cm across, tip pointed, other leaves much smaller,
sheath-like around the stem. FLOWERS: Usually sweet scented, pale pink to
dark red with darker veins, 12–130 flowers on a cylindrical head 3–55 cm
long, about 2 cm across, each flower supported by a conspicuous leafy bract,
the sepals joined to the petals and lip in the lower third, the 2 spurs slender,
10–18 mm long, tapering very gradually, the upper parts of the flower convex
and hooded, sepals and petals narrow and oblong, much longer than
the lip, more than 10 mm. FRUIT: A small ellipsoid capsule opening by slits to
release very many tiny seeds.
ECOLOGY: Found in damp or poorly drained upland grassland, edges of scrub or
open Brachystegia woodland, 1,200–2,900 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In the Southern Highlands and other southern areas of Tanzania;
Kenya, south to South Africa.
USES:
Food:
– Tubers are dug out from the ground, peeled and washed. They are then
cooked and eaten like potatoes.
– The tubers are peeled, pounded, the flour fermented and then baked into
cakes, which are eaten with tea.
Commercial: Tubers and cakes are sold in markets.
Other: Plants can be used for ornamental purposes and are a source of bee
forage.
SEASON: Tubers are dug up during and soon after the rainy season.
STORAGE: Tubers can be stored for several months if kept cool and dry.
MANAGEMENT: Tubers are usually collected from the wild, but the plant can easily
be propagated from the tubers.
STATUS: Locally common but becoming increasingly rare due to over collecting.
Harvesting of orchid tubers destroys the whole plant and is thus an
unsustainable harvesting method which should be discouraged. To maintain
wild populations, studies on domestication are urgently needed.
REMARKS: One of several Satyrium species which are edible and need further stud-
ies for breeding and domestication.

576
 THE SPECIES

Satyrium macrophyllum Orchidaceae

(S. cheirophorum)

577
 THE SPECIES

Satyrium neglectum var. neglectum Orchidaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Bena: Kikande, Nyamachebele; Hehe: Limwapembe; Kinga:
Chikande; Matengo: Chikande, Kikande-mangonji-matali; Ngoni: Kikande-
mangonji-matali; Wanji: Chikande.
DESCRIPTION: A terrestrial orchid to 1 m, without hairs, the slender or stout stems
arising from hairy tubers, 1.5–3 cm long and to 1 cm across, the roots hairy,
wiry. Separate leafy sterile stems to 15 cm grow close to the flowering
stems, usually a pair. LEAVES: 2–5, on the sterile stem, the lowest 1–2 shorter
and surrounding the stem, tip blunt; upper leaves long narrow and pointed up
to 27 cm x 6.5 cm wide. FLOWERS: The flowering stalk, 4–35 cm, is stout with
6–12 sheathing leaves covering it, these leaves 13 cm long, narrow and pointed,
smaller towards the tip; the terminal cylindrical flower head 5–25 cm long with
very many small pink-yellow (to dark red or orange-yellow) flowers, usually
sweet scented, each one curved outwards, clearly hooded as the sepals and
petals are joined to one another and bent down, the 2 characteristic
spurs to 17 mm long (the opening only 2–4 mm and the flap above the
lip entrance not hairy). Each flower is backed by a wide pointed leafy
bract 1–3 cm long, typically bent backwards (reflexed). FRUIT: Ellipsoid
capsules open by slits to release tiny seed.
ECOLOGY: Upland or montane grassland, 1,800–2,700 m.
DISTRIBUTION: North-eastern and Southern Highlands of Tanzania; southwards to
South Africa. Another variety, var. brevicalcar, is found only in the Southern
Highlands. It has shorter lips and spurs.
USES:
Food:
– Tubers are dug up from the ground, peeled, cooked and eaten like potatoes.
– Tubers are peeled, pounded and the flour baked into cakes to be eaten with
tea.
Commercial: Tubers and cakes are sold in markets.
Other: Plants can be used for ornamental planting.
SEASON: Tubers are excavated during and soon after the rainy season.
STORAGE: Tubers can be stored for several weeks if kept cool and dry.
MANAGEMENT: Tubers are collected from the wild, but the plant can easily be propa-
gated from the tubers.
STATUS: Locally common but becoming increasingly rare due to over collecting.
Harvesting of orchid tubers destroys the whole plant and is thus an
unsustainable harvesting method which should be discouraged. To main-
tain wild populations, studies on domestication are urgently needed.

578
 THE SPECIES

Satyrium neglectum var. neglectum Orchidaceae

REMARKS: This is one of several Satyrium species which are highly valued as food
plants.

Flowering stem

Leafy sterile stem

Hairy tuber

579
 THE SPECIES

Sclerocarya birrea subsp. caffra Anacardiaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Arusha: Olmang’wai; Bena: Mbwegele; Bondei: Mng’ongo;
Chagga: Mango, Mang’we; Digo: Mngongo, Mng’ongo; English: Cider tree,
Marula, Marula plum, Gogo: Mbwejele; Gorowa: Gulgurchandi; Hehe:
Mbwegele; Iraqw: Gulgurchandi; Kaguru: Mbwegele; Kuria: Omongwe;
Maasai: Ilmang’ua (plural), Olmangisai, Olmang’uai; Makonde: Muongo;
Matengo: Mbwegele, Mtondoko; Mbugwe: Monyangu; Ngindo: Mng’ongo;
Nguu: Mng’ong’o, Nyamwezi: Mng’ongo; Nyaturu: Muhuvi; Pare: Mng’ong’o;
Rangi: Muangu; Sandawi: An/./.uma; Sukuma: Ng’ongo; Swahili: Mng’ongo,
Mng’ong’o, Mongo; Tongwe: Igongo; Zaramo: Mng’ongo; Zigua: Mng’ongo.
DESCRIPTION: A deciduous tree, 10–18 m, with a thick bole and large branches to a
light rounded crown. BARK: Grey, then black and thick with irregular
cracks and raised scales; inner bark pink-red. LEAVES: Compound pin-
nate, crowded at tips of branches, 3–18 pairs leaflets plus a central leaflet,
each stalked, usually less than 3 cm, tip blunt or pointed. FLOWERS:
Male and female flowers on the same or different trees; pale green male flowers
in spikes, hang down and attract insects; female flowers solitary, green-
pink. FRUIT: Rounded and fleshy, to 3.5 cm across, skin cream, spotted,
peeling away from the sweet flesh, which has a flavour somewhat similar to
mango; 2–3 large seeds inside, oily and edible.
ECOLOGY: A fruit tree of medium to low altitudes scattered in mixed deciduous
woodland and wooded grassland, often on rocky hills, 0–1,200 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widely distributed in Tanzania, including Zanzibar. Also in Kenya.
Subsp. caffra occurs throughout southern Africa from the Congo basin, Angola
and Namibia to South Africa and in Madagascar.
USES:
Food:
– The pale yellow ripe fruit are sweet but slightly acidic. They are peeled and
eaten very frequently as a snack, mostly by children. They are very rich in
vitamin C, and the pulp can be used to prepare jam and wine.
– The kernel is edible and produces an edible oil.
Medicinal:
– Leaves and fruits are chewed for coughs.
– A powder made from the bark is mixed with honey and used as a remedy for
coughs.
– A decoction of the leaves or bark is used to treat diabetes and snakebite.
Other: The wood is soft and used for construction, and to make traditional
chairs, grain mortars, boats, beehives, beer pots, milk pots, boats, carvings
and cups. Leaves and fruits are used for fodder. Fruits and roots are soaked
in hot water and the decoction used to treat poultry diseases.

580
 THE SPECIES

Sclerocarya birrea subsp. caffra (contd)

SEASON: Fruits are collected in the dry season.

STORAGE: The kernels can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple. The species can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Young trees are susceptible to fire damage. In southern Africa, S. birrea
is known as marula, and the fruit is used both locally and on a large scale for
the commercial production of alcoholic beverages, and the oil from the nut is
valued for cooking. Three subspecies are found in Tanzania: subsp. caffra, subsp.
birrea and subsp. multifoliolata.

Terminal leaves
Fruit

581
 THE SPECIES

Scolopia rhamniphylla Flacourtiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Haya: Omukanaga; Hehe: Mgola; Swahili: Mgovigovi.
DESCRIPTION: A much-branched shrub or tree, 3–12 m, with a bushy rounded crown.
BARK: Pale brown or grey, smooth or rough, the trunk sometimes with straight
spines to 15 cm, branches and branchlets with axillary spines to 6 cm.
LEAVES: Generally stiff and oval, alternate, 5–12 cm long, tip slightly pointed
or blunt, base narrowed to a 1 cm stalk, edges usually regularly round toothed,
the 5–8 pairs veins slightly raised on both sides as well as a dense vein net-
work. FLOWERS: Yellow-white, on few-flowered stalks, 1–2 cm, beside
leaves, 4 hairy sepals, 2 mm, and 4–6 narrow petals, 20–30 stamens.
FRUIT: A small berry, rounded to oval, 6–7 mm across, tipped by the old style
and remnants of the flower at the base, pink-purple-black, containing a few
angular seeds.
ECOLOGY: A tree of rainforest or dry evergreen forest and associated bushland,
riverine forest, 1,000–2,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In most parts of Tanzania except the central and western areas;
Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Cameroon, Angola and in the Congo basin.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruits are fleshy and eaten raw as a snack, especially by children and
herdsmen.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and is used for firewood, charcoal, poles, tool handles
and yokes. The tree is important as a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Fruits are collected from the wild and it is not cultivated but can be
propagated by seed.
STATUS: Locally common.

582
 THE SPECIES

Scolopia rhamniphylla Flacourtiaceae

Spines

Enlarged flower
Enlarged berry fruit and seed

583
 THE SPECIES

Scolopia zeyheri Flacourtiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Thorn pear; Hehe: Mgola, Luguru: Msona; Sambaa:
Mtwampara, Kikongoo; Wanji: Litungu.
DESCRIPTION: A spiny shrub or small tree, usually 2–7 m but up to 25 m, the trunk
60 cm diameter, often branching low down and young plants sometimes climb-
ing. BARK: Pale grey and smooth becoming dark brown-grey, rough and peel-
ing in flakes, the straight spines from leaf axils usually 1.5 to 5 cm but up
to 10 cm. (Occasionally a mass of spiny branchlets may grow out of the main
trunk.) LEAVES: Alternate, simple, leathery, dark green, stiff when older,
paler below, veins prominent both sides, variable in size and shape, nar-
row to almost circular, 2–9 cm long, the edge entire or with shallow rounded
teeth, broadly tapering to a round or notched tip, the base narrowed to a
1 cm stalk. Young leaves and stalks reddish. Sometimes leaves have a thin
waxy coating. FLOWERS: Very small, along axillary stalks, 1–3 cm, petals
white-cream-yellow fading brown, only the central yellow anthers conspicu-
ous, receptacle densely white-hairy. FRUIT: Rounded fleshy berries 5–10 mm
diameter, red-purple then black with a hair-like tip, containing 2–3 an-
gular seeds.
ECOLOGY: Found in dry evergreen forest, riverine forest, bushland, wooded grass-
land, open rocky or sandy sites (in drier places than S. rhamniphylla), 0–2,400
m.
DISTRIBUTION: In most parts of Tanzania except the central and western areas and
the Southern Highlands. Also in Kenya, Uganda; west to Cameroon and south
to South Africa.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruits are fleshy, sweet and eaten raw as a snack.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for firewood, poles, tool handles and spoons. The tree
is useful for fodder and is a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Fruits are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated. Propagation is possible using
seed.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: Several other Scolopia species are edible, including the following:
1. S. stolzii (Hehe: Mgola; Sambaa: Mkongola; Swahili: Mgovigovi) a much-
branched tree up to 15 m high with fleshy fruits. It is found in Iringa and

584
 THE SPECIES

Scolopia zeyheri (contd) Flacourtiaceae

Mbeya Regions and also in Cameroon, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimba-

bwe and the Congo basin;
2. S. theifolia (Hehe: Mgola; Iraqw: Indahaheye; Maasai: Oleleloi, Oladarrara;
Sambaa: Mkongola, Mtiwampara; Swahili: Mgovigovi; Wanji: Litungu) a
shrub or tree up to 15 m with smooth greying bark and small fleshy fruits. It
occurs in Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Tanga, Iringa and Mbeya Regions, and in Ethio-
pia and Sudan.

Flowering branch

Spines

Fruiting branch

585
 THE SPECIES

Senna bicapsularis Caesalpiniaceae

(Cassia bicapsularis)
West Indies and western South America
LOCAL NAMES: Swahili: Mwingajini.
DESCRIPTION: An erect, straggling or bushy shrub, sometimes scrambling or climb-
ing, 1.5–9 m, stems without hairs. LEAVES: Compound pinnate, rather small,
with 2–3 pairs of leaflets, oblong to almost circular, 1–3 cm, wider at the
round tip. FLOWERS: Bright yellow-orange with brown veining, on well-de-
veloped stalks beside leaves, usually with 4–8 flowers, 5 rounded sepals, clear
in bud, the 5 petals long oblong, wider at the round tip, to 1.3 cm long. In
the centre 10 unequal stamens: 3 large, 4 medium sized and 3 undeveloped.
FRUIT: Straight cylindrical pods to 15 cm long, tip rounded, sections just
visible, brown and somewhat swollen when mature, only very slowly breaking
open to set free many olive-brown flat seeds.
ECOLOGY: Originally planted in gardens but naturalized in grasslands, secondary
bushland, abandoned fields and roadsides, up to 2,100 m; rainfall 1,100–1,800
mm. It prefers well-drained soils.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania. Also in Uganda and Kenya; cultivated in
many parts of the tropics, often escaped and naturalized.
USES:
Food:
– The leaves are gathered, wilted and cooked as a vegetable. Can be served
alone or mixed with other leaves, beans or peas. The leaves are eaten as a
substitute when more preferred vegetables are not available. They are eaten
with a staple food.
– Seeds are roasted, pounded and used as a substitute for coffee.
Medicinal: Roots and leaves can be chewed to relieve stomach-ache.
Other: The plant is used for ornamental purposes and as a hedge.
SEASON: Leaves are collected in the early rainy season for food.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, but also planted as a hedge by the local
people using seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

586
 THE SPECIES

Senna bicapsularis Caesalpiniaceae

(Cassia bicapsularis)

Flowering branch

Fruit pods

587
 THE SPECIES

Senna singueana Caesalpiniaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Muhanjahanja; English: Winter cassia; Gogo: Mswaga,
Muhumba; Gorowa: Dalaagi; Hehe: Muhanza; Iraqw: Dalaa-akumo, Qarerei;
Kaguru: Muhumba; Luguru: Mhumba; Maasai: Engai-pulsan; Ngindo:
Mkundekunde; Ngoni: Mtepura; Nyamwezi: Mdimwambuli, Msambila,
Msambisambi; Nyaturu: Mutungulu; Pare: Msidati, Msindali; Rangi:
Mtungulu-mwiru, Mutungulu; Sambaa: Mhumba; Sandawi: Gelegela;
Sangu: Mhanja; Sukuma: Msambilya; Swahili: Mbaraka, Mkundekunde;
Zigua: Mhumba.
DESCRIPTION: A deciduous shrub or small tree, usually 4–5 m, with a light open
crown. BARK: Red becoming grey-brown and rough. LEAVES: Compound with
4–10 pairs oval leaflets, fresh green in colour, 2.5–5 cm long. Between each
leaflet pair there is a conspicuous gland on the stalk. FLOWERS: Strik-
ing deep yellow, fragrant, in large loose sprays to 15 cm, at the ends of
branches on the bare tree (April–September). The 5 sepals and 5 petals are
rounded and yellow, to 3 cm long; the 10 stamens are of three different sizes.
The flower stalks, 2–4 cm, have conspicuous glands. FRUIT: A narrow
cylindrical pod to 25 cm, sharply pointed and narrowed between seeds.
Pods hang in clusters and ripen the following year; yellow when ripe. Seeds
circular flat, only 5–6 mm.
ECOLOGY: Found in woodland, wooded grassland and bushland; often on termite
mounds, up to 2,200 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In all parts of Tanzania; widespread in tropical Africa, especially in
semi-arid areas; Uganda, Kenya; Eritrea to South Africa and the Comoro Is-
lands.
USES:
Food:
– Pods are fleshy, sweet and edible. They are collected as soon as they are ripe,
broken, the sweet pulp sucked out and the seeds discarded. They are mostly
eaten by children and herdsmen.
– Seeds are used as a substitute for coffee.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are pounded and soaked in cold water, the infusion is used as a
remedy for STDs, malaria, convulsions, epilepsy, coughs, intestinal worms,
constipation, heartburn and stomach-ache.
– A decoction of the roots is used to treat wounds and as a remedy for diarrhoea,
convulsions, dementia and STDs (Bondei, Hehe, Gogo, Nyamwezi, Sukuma).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for firewood and charcoal and to make spoons. The

588
 THE SPECIES

Senna singueana (contd) Caesalpiniaceae

tree is used for fodder, soil improvement, as an ornamental and is a source of

bee forage.
SEASON: Fruits are collected during the dry season, usually from July to Novem-
ber.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but can easily be propagated by
seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

Enlarged flower

Flower head and leaf

Fruit pod

589
 THE SPECIES

Senna singueana (contd) Caesalpiniaceae

REMARKS: The species is also known to be toxic. Care should be taken by following
the instructions given by the herbalist when using it medicinally. A suitable
candidate for agroforestry in dry areas.
A related species, S. occidentalis (Bondei: Komanguku; English: Stinking
weed; Gogo: Muwinganzoka; Hehe: Nyamaganga; Kuria: Maitanyoka;
Maasai: Eswaili; Sambaa: Muinu; Sukuma: Nzegenzege; Swahili: Mnuka
uvundo, Mwingajini) is an erect herb up to 20 cm high with compound leaves,
yellow flowers and erect and slightly curved pods. It is widespread in tropical
Africa and found all over Tanzania. The leaves of this species are used as a
vegetable. Seeds are roasted and used as a substitute for coffee. Leaves and
roots are used to treat stomach-ache, fever, snakebite, STDs and mental illness.

590
 THE SPECIES

Senna singueana (contd) Caesalpiniaceae

S. occidentalis

Flowering and fruiting branch

591
 THE SPECIES

Sesamothamnus busseanus Pedaliaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Sesame bush; Gogo: Mlyang’ungu, Mulyanhungu; Hehe:
Chung’ungu; Sangu: Ifufu.
DESCRIPTION: A spiny shrub or small tree, 1–5 m high, with a swollen trunk at
the base and soft wood. BARK: Dark coppery pink-green, scaling off in
papery shavings, branches pale red-brown, the young shoots hairy, many
spines, usually straight, 0.5–1.5 cm and swollen at the base. LEAVES: Decidu-
ous, growing in bundles from cushions along the stem, 2–5 cm long, wider at
the tip, which is rounded or notched, dense glandular hairs below but few
above. FLOWERS: The few sweet-scented flowers appear on the bare tree, white,
the tube often crimson, shortly stalked, the tube 2.5–4 cm long, wider at the
throat, the long thin spur to 6 cm, the flower 4–9 cm across with 5 pointed
lobes, 4 fringed. FRUIT: Woody capsules, glandular hairy when young,
brown oblong and flattened, to 4 cm long and 2 cm wide, containing numer-
ous winged seeds.
ECOLOGY: Found in dry Acacia–Commiphora bushland or grassed bushland on
shallow rocky soils, 300–1,300 m. Can survive in very dry conditions.
DISTRIBUTION: Recorded from central and southern Tanzania, e.g. in Dodoma,
Singida and Iringa Regions. Also in Kenya and Somalia.
USES:
Food:
– Leaves and flowers are wilted and cooked alone or mixed with other veg-
etables such as amaranth or peas and eaten along with a staple.
– Leaves are pounded, soaked in cold water and filtered. The infusion is used
as a tenderizer when cooking other vegetables.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are pounded and soaked in water. The infusion is drunk as a remedy
for constipation and intestinal gas.
– Pounded leaves and stems are applied to fresh wounds to stop bleeding. (In
northern Kenya and Somalia ground parts of the plant are used to make a
paste to stop bleeding.)
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is soft and used for making fire by friction. The tree can be
used for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but can also be propagated and cul-
tivated using seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.

592
 THE SPECIES

Sesamothamnus busseanus Pedaliaceae

Flower

Flowering head with buds

Fruit capsule

Open capsule Seed Habit

593
 THE SPECIES

Sesamum angolense Pedaliaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Gogo: Ilendi-lya-mhonjela; Hehe: Lilendi, Mkongela, Mlenda mtali;
Luguru: Mlenda; Maasai: Enderemet; Ngoni: Delele; Nyamwezi: Mlenda-
gwa-wima; Rangi: Irenda; Sandawi: Erenze; Sukuma: Ilendi; Swahili:
Mlenda; Tongwe: Ipela, Mlenda; Yao: Mkuyamani; Zaramo: Mlenda,
Mpombo.
DESCRIPTION: A densely leafy perennial herb, to 3 m but usually smaller, simple or
branched, the stem somewhat 4-angled. LEAVES: Almost without stalks, nar-
row oblong, 2–11 cm, the margins more or less rolled under, the upper surface
with rough hairs, the lower white with hairs, tip blunt or pointed. FLOW-
ERS: Tubular, pink–purple–red–pale mauve with deeper coloured markings,
3.5–7 cm long and 2–3 cm across the throat, the 5 petals more or less two-
lipped, a hairy persistent calyx with pointed lobes. FRUIT: A 4-side capsule
2.5 cm long, 6 mm across, densely hairy with a flat beak, breaking open to
set free tiny black seeds.
ECOLOGY: Found in disturbed grassland, roadsides, along river valleys and in open
woodlands and abandoned cultivation, 400–2,400 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Grows in most parts of Tanzania; also in Kenya, Uganda, south to
Zimbabwe, Zambia and Angola.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are wilted and cooked alone or mixed with other vegetables such as
beans, peas or amaranth and served with a staple.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are pounded, soaked in water and the infusion used to treat consti-
pation and to stop vomiting.
– Roots and leaves are used for treating measles and poisoning.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: Leaves are soaked in cold water which is then used as a shampoo that
oils and straightens the hair. The plant is useful as a source of bee forage
and for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Dried leaves can be stored for several months. Alternatively, they can be
stored in the powdered form.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, but can easily be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Locally common and easily accessible.

594
 THE SPECIES

Sesamum angolense Pedaliaceae

4-sided fruit capsules

Leafy shoot

595
 THE SPECIES

Sesamum calycinum var. angustifolium Pedaliaceae

(S. angustifolium)
Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Wild simsim; Hehe: Lilendi mtali, Mlenda mtali; Luo:
Onyulo, Anyulo, Olukenu, Kenu; Maasai: Oldelemet; Matengo: Mbonani,
Mlenda-mgunda, Lidelele-mgunda; Ngoni: Mbonani, Mlenda-mgunda,
Lidelele-mgunda; Ndendeule: Mbonani, Mlenda-mgunda, Lidelele-mgunda;
Nyamwezi: Mlenda-gwa-wima; Swahili: Mfuta, Mlenda mwitu.
DESCRIPTION: An erect, sometimes spreading, herb, one or only a few branches
from a woody base, 30–180 cm, stems more or less 4-sided, hairy at first.
LEAVES: Long and narrow, to 12 cm, a short stalk or none, the lowest
leaves coarsely and irregularly toothed. FLOWERS: Tubular, pink-red-
mauve-purple, often spotted in the throat, 2-lipped, 2–3.5 cm long, 4 sta-
mens, 5 sepals. FRUIT: Narrow capsules, to 25 cm long, 4 mm across,
straight, deeply 4-grooved, gradually narrowed into a flat triangular beak,
many 1-mm seeds inside have a rough surface.
ECOLOGY: Found in cultivated areas and wastelands, abandoned gardens, at
roadsides, in sandy river soils, grassland, 0–2,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION:
Found in most parts of Tanzania, including Zanzibar Island. Also in
Kenya, Uganda, from Sierra Leone to Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, the Congo
basin, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are collected, chopped and cooked together with other ingredients,
e.g. green vegetables, peas or beans, to thicken the sauce. The leaves are
slippery (okra-like) when crushed, with a mild to sour taste. It is eaten with
a staple.
Commercial: Not marketed.
SEASON: Leaves are collected in the rainy season, seeds in the dry season.
SSTORAGE: Dried leaves may be stored in containers for a long time to be used
during the dry season.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, but also protected and cultivated around
homesteads.
REMARKS The plant is normally used during the dry season when other vegetables
are not available.

596
 THE SPECIES

Sesamum calycinum var. angustifolium Pedaliaceae

(S. angustifolium)

Flower

Fruit capsule

597
 THE SPECIES

Sesuvium portulacastrum Aizoaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Sea purslane; Hehe: Nyangomba; Swahili: Mboga wa
pwani.
DESCRIPTION: A succulent perennial herb, no more than 30 cm tall, with trail-
ing reddish stems, often rooting at the nodes. LEAVES: Opposite, fleshy,
1–6.5 cm including the stalk, narrow oblong, smooth and round tipped,
upper surface flat; lower surface convex, the base half joined to the opposite
leaf base. FLOWERS: Single, about 1 cm, in leaf axils, shortly stalked, no
petals but 5 unequal green calyx lobes joined at the base, red-purple
inside and with a definite pointed tip, many stamens surround the ovary.
FRUIT: Small conical capsules split around the centre, the lid remaining
whole to set free many black seeds.
ECOLOGY: Found on the seashore at or about high-water level and on mud flats in
Zanzibar and Pemba. Also in rice fields.
DISTRIBUTION: A pan-tropical species; in Tanzania restricted to coastal areas, Pemba
and Zanzibar; also coastal Kenya.
USES:
Food:
The succulent leaves and stems are chopped and cooked alone or mixed with
other vegetables and then served with a staple. Coconut milk, onions, toma-
toes and salt may be added in order to make it more tasty.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The plant is used for fodder and ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated. The plant can be propagated
by seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: Regarded as a troublesome weed in rice fields. It is a useful plant for
conservation of soils along the sea shores of Tanzania.

598
 THE SPECIES

Sesuvium portulacastrum Aizoaceae

Enlarged flower and

flower section

Enlarged dehiscing
fruit and a seed

Habit

599
 THE SPECIES

Solanum anguivii (S. indicum) Solanaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Bondei: Njujui; Pare: Njujui; Sambaa: Njujui; Tongwe:
Ntunfululu; Zigua: Njujui.
DESCRIPTION: An erect perennial hairy woody herb or shrub to 2 m, with or
without prickles on stems and leaves, prickles either straight or recurved to 1
cm long. LEAVES: Alternate and simple, ovate, rather angular or lobed, to
20 cm long x 15 cm wide, densely hairy with unusual star-shaped hairs
(one ray longer than the others), leaf base unequal, on a thick stalk about 3 cm
long, midrib often spiny below. FLOWERS: White, yellow or mauve, webbed
between lobes, only 9 mm long, 15 mm across, in small stalked clusters
which arise from the main stem between the leaves, 5 erect anthers, 5 tiny
sepals enlarging in fruit. FRUIT: 1–6 berries on bent stalks, each 1 cm
across, dark green, striped, turning orange then red, black with age, con-
taining the seeds.
ECOLOGY: Common in secondary regrowth, disturbed land, abandoned cultivation,
thickets and at forest edges. It occurs naturally in lowland and at medium alti-
tudes up to 1,800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in most parts of Tanzania. Also in Uganda, Kenya and from
Senegal through West Africa to Ethiopia, south to South Africa and on the
Seychelles.
USES:
Food:
Fruits are collected, washed and eaten raw, or cooked with other vegetables
such as amaranth or peas.
Medicinal:
– Fruits are chewed as a remedy for coughs and chest pains.
– Roots are used to treat toothache.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The plant is used for fodder and ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Fruits are collected at the end of the rainy season and early in the dry
season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: It is collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by local
people. It can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.

600
 THE SPECIES

Solanum anguivii (S. indicum) Solanaceae

Flowers

Flowering and fruiting shoot

601
 THE SPECIES

Solanum schumannianum Solanaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Njujui; Haya: Omutura; Pare: Mndujwi; Sambaa: Njujui;
Swahili: Mtula, Mtunguja; Zigua: Njujui.
DESCRIPTION: An erect perennial herb or lightly branched small shrub, 1–3.6 m,
easily recognized by the stems which are densely covered in soft bristles
to 8 mm long, dark violet becoming pale brown. LEAVES: Alternate, long
oval, 6–25 cm by 2–8 cm, on long thin hairy stalks about 3 cm, no hairs
below, clear looped veins, tip long pointed, base narrowed. Young shoots pur-
ple-green. FLOWERS: Cream or mauve, 12 mm across, 5 reflexed petals turn-
ing brown before falling, many together in heads on a well-branched stalk
about 10 cm long, the stalk sometimes mealy hairy, pale brown, the flowers
hanging down. FRUIT: Soft round berries, 6–8 mm, in dense bunches on a
branched stalk, shiny green turning yellow then dark red.
ECOLOGY: A plant of dense evergreen and wet montane forests, open glades and
around water holes in forest areas, moist forest remnants, disturbed forest edges,
tea estates, locally common in dry montane forest, 1,300–2,700 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania; recorded, for example, around Morogoro,
in the West Usambara Mountains (Tanga Region) and in Mbizi Forest Reserve
(Rukwa Region). Also found in Kenya.
USES:
Food:
– Young and mature fruits are eaten raw or cooked with vegetables such as
peas, beans or amaranth to improve their flavour.
– Fruit are pounded and mixed with onion and lemon juice and the liquid
used as a substitute for vinegar.
Medicinal: Fruits are pounded, boiled and the decoction used as a remedy for
constipation and intestinal worms.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The plant is used for fodder, hedges and boundary marking.
SEASON: Fruits are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Dried fruits can be pounded and stored in powder form.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but sometimes cultivated near houses.
STATUS: Locally common and easily accessible.

602
 THE SPECIES

Solanum schumannianum Solanaceae

Fruiting branch

603
 THE SPECIES

Sonchus luxurians Compositae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Chagga: Mchunga; Luguru: Sunga; Pare: Mshunga-mboga;
Sambaa: Kwake, Mshunga-mboga, Pwake, Shunga-pwapwa; Swahili:
Mchunga; Tongwe: Ipempu.
DESCRIPTION: A robust perennial herb, erect or trailing, 1–2 m, succulent with much
white latex, older stems hollow and becomingiwoody at the base. LEAVES: Al-
ternate, pinnately divided, the lobes usually curved away from the tip, some-
what triangular, stalkless and clasping the stem with wide basal lobes, up to 15
cm long. FLOWERS: Heads of florets almost stalkless, yellow, about 8 mm
across, clustered at the ends of axillary branches towards the top of the stems,
central florets yellow, outer ray florets deep orange-yellow, surrounded by many
rows of phyllaries, 13–18 mm long, dark green with some brown, addi-
tional flower clusters below, all white woolly at the base. FRUIT: Tiny flat achenes
with many wavy hairs and stiff, straight bristles.
ECOLOGY: Found along roadsides in highlands, on mountain sides, grasslands,
1,500–2,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in the northern, north-eastern and Southern Highland ar-
eas of Tanzania. Also in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are chopped and cooked alone or mixed with other vegetables such
as Solanum, Bidens or Galinsoga, coconut milk or pounded groundnuts are
added and then they are eaten alone or along with a staple such as ugali or
rice.
Medicinal: Leaves are pounded and soaked in cold water. The infusion is used
as a remedy for fever and stomach upsets.
Commercial: Leaves are sold in local markets.
Other: The plant is used as fodder for rabbits, sheep and goats.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated but can be propagated by
seed.
STATUS: Locally very common.

604
 THE SPECIES

Sonchus luxurians Compositae

Flowering shoot

605
 THE SPECIES

Sorghum purpureo-sericeum Poaceae (Graminae)

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Wild sorghum; Swahili: Mtama mwitu.
DESCRIPTION: A robust annual grass, the main stalks up to 2 m, the nodes between
stem sections “bearded”, white hairy. LEAVES: Blades to 50 cm long, 1 cm wide.
FLOWERS: A branched panicle of glumes, more or less oblong, the primary
branches whorled, simple, with fine stalks bearing the dark paired spikelets,
thin and pointed to 10 mm long, the lower glume shiny red-brown-black,
hairy or not, with a stiff hair-like awn, bent and twisted. FRUIT: Typical
grass-like, smaller than rice grains.
ECOLOGY: Riverine or in lakeside sedimentary soils or black-cotton soil. Does well in
lowland and medium-altitude areas, 500–1,500 m; rainfall 1,000–1,300 mm.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in western and northern areas of Tanzania, e.g. in Kigoma,
Arusha and Rukwa Regions. Also in Uganda, Kenya, from West Africa to Su-
dan, Ethiopia and Somalia and south to Mozambique; also occurs in India.
USES:
Food:
The seed is eaten as a staple and tastes like rice. The heads are collected,
threshed and winnowed and the seed boiled like rice or ground to flour. The
flour is used to make ugali, which is then served with a sauce—beans, peas
or beef. It is eaten during periods of food shortage.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Dry stalks and leaves are used for fodder for livestock. Brooms are made
from the heads. The stalks can also be used for building simple shelters.
SEASON: Collected in the dry season
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by local peo-
ple. Regarded as a serious weed in farms and can easily be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

606
 THE SPECIES

Sorghum purpureo-sericeum Poaceae (Graminae)

One spikelet (enlarged)

607
 THE SPECIES

Sorindeia madagascariensis Anacardiaceae

Indigenous [Plate 4]
LOCAL NAMES: Bende: Muzingilizi; Bondei: Mkwingwina; Chagga: Mndaraho,
Mgoda, Mgweda, Mng’wang’wa, Ngomighaa; Digo: Mkunguma; Gorowa:
Msugwe; Hehe: Mpilipili; Luguru: Mhilihili, Mkungwina; Matengo: Msigisi;
Ngindo: Mpilipili; Mdarako; Pare: Mkunguma; Sambaa: Luhagalanguku,
Mkwingwina; Swahili: Mhilihili, Mkunguma, Mlakungu, Mpakasi, Mpilipili,
Mpilipili doria, Mtikiza, Mtunguma; Vidunda: Msurupi; Zaramo: Mpilipili,
Zigua: Chambula, Mkwingwina, Msungwi.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen forest tree, 8–25 m, without hairs. BARK: Grey-brown,
flaky. LEAVES: Compound, usually with 4 pairs of quite large alternate
leaflets, plus one at the tip (7–13), on a grooved stalk to 30 cm, lateral
leaflets one-sided at the base, all shortly stalked, tip blunt, rounded, edge
wavy, varying in length 9–23 cm, lowest leaflets smallest. FLOWERS: Bright
yellow, pink at the base, quite small, in hanging branched heads 20–95
cm long, usually from older branches below the leafy region, male and female
flowers separate, calyx brown-red, petals to 4.5 mm. FRUIT: Oval, 1–2.5 cm
long, in drooping clusters, green ripening bright yellow, sharply tipped,
containing a seed about 1 cm in soft edible pulp.
ECOLOGY: Found in riverine, coastal and upland forest, often in wet or seasonally
flooded places, 0-1,800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in all parts of Tanzania except in the west; also in Kenya,
south to Malawi and on Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands.
USES:
Food:
– Ripe fruits are collected from the tree and eaten raw as a snack. They are
sweet but slightly acidic and are much eaten by people of all ages.
– Ripe fruits are soaked in warm water, squeezed and filtered. Sugar is added
and the juice is drunk before or after being cooled.
Medicinal: Roots are used by the Sambaa for treatment of tuberculosis, schis-
tosomiasis and menstrual problems.
Commercial: Fruits are sold in local markets (Chagga, Sambaa, Luguru).
Other: The tree is good for firewood and the wood produces good timber for
furniture, doors, spoons, milk pots, grain mortars, tool handles, canoe paddles,
pestles and carvings. The tree is good for shade and is a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Fruits are available from September to January in Kilimanjaro Region
but only from September to October in Morogoro and Iringa Regions.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but sometimes retained on farms
during land preparation. It can easily be propagated by fresh seed.

608
 THE SPECIES

Sorindeia madagascariensis (contd) Anacardiaceae

STATUS: Locally common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: One of the best wild fruit trees and suitable for agroforestry.

Fruiting branch and leaves

Flowering branch

609
 THE SPECIES

Stachytarpheta jamaicensis Verbenaceae

West Indies
LOCAL NAMES: Swahili: Kikwayakwaya.
DESCRIPTION: A perennial plant of erect habit up to 1 m, well branched, woody at
the base, young shoots rather hairy and purplish. LEAVES: Oblong to long
oval, 2–11 cm long, blunt at the tip, the edges coarsely toothed, shallow
(the points one-sided), the base narrowed to a stalk about 1 cm. FLOWERS:
In terminal spikes, a conspicuous pale blue–deep blue–purple, the narrow spike
14–45 cm, without hairs, many narrow pointed bracts, stalkless flowers, the
corolla tube about 1 cm, slightly curved, the flowers lie in depressions
along the stalk; only 2 fertile stamens. FRUIT: Stays inside the calyx, 4 mm
long and splits into 2 1-seeded sections with linear seeds.
ECOLOGY: A plant confined to coastal areas near sea level; a common weed in Zan-
zibar occurring in pure stands over large areas, often a weed of coconut planta-
tions but also troublesome in shambas; sometimes planted as a hedge.
DISTRIBUTION: Coastal areas of Tanzania, including Zanzibar and Pemba. Intro-
duced and naturalized in many parts of Africa, Asia, Australia and Oceania.
USES:
Food:
Green leaves are chopped and cooked alone or mixed with other vegetables.
Coconut milk or pounded groundnuts are added. The vegetable is then served
with ugali or rice.
Medicinal: Leaves are pounded, soaked in cold water and the infusion used as
a remedy for headache (Digo, Bondei).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for hedges and ornamental purposes and the flowers
to make earrings.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but also from homestead compounds
where it is grown as a hedge. It is easily propagated by seed.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: Regarded as a troublesome weed.

610
 THE SPECIES

Stachytarpheta jamaicensis Verbenaceae

Flower spike

611
 THE SPECIES

Sterculia africana Sterculiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Mfune; English: African star chestnut, Tick tree; Gogo:
Mluze, Muluze; Kaguru: Moza; Luguru: Moza; Ngindo: Mtumbwi;
Nyamwezi: Mhozya, Muhozya; Sambaa: Mfune; Sandawi: Tlágwa; Sukuma:
Mhoja; Swahili: Mboza, Moza, Mtakaa; Zigua: Mboza; Zinza: Mkorogomwa,
Sagwia.
DESCRIPTION: A deciduous tree with a thick, fluted trunk, usually 5–12 m but may
reach 25 m, the erect branches spreading to a rounded crown. Branches soft
and brittle. BARK: Smooth, often shiny white, later flaking irregularly into
patches to reveal a beautiful underbark purple-green-white-brown. LEAVES:
Crowded at the tips of branches, deeply divided with 3–5 lobes, over 10 cm
across, on a stalk to 10 cm, lobes pointed. FLOWERS: Appear on the bare
tree, sexes separate on the same tree, in branched heads to 9 cm, green-yel-
low sepals (no petals) joined together, 2.5 cm across with red honey-guide
lines within. FRUIT: 1–5 woody beaked sections, boat shaped, with short
yellow hairs. One side only breaks open to free 3–10 flat, blue-grey seeds
which hang like ticks around the open edge.
ECOLOGY: A tree commonly found at low altitudes in hot dry areas, on rocky hills or
the fringes of woodlands, usually below 600 m.
DISTRIBUTION: A tree found in all parts of Tanzania, including Zanzibar and Mafia
Islands but not in the northern hills. Also in Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea,
south to Zambia and Mozambique.
USES:
Food:
Seeds are collected, pounded and then sieved. The resulting flour is cooked
with vegetables such as peas or amaranth as a substitute for pounded ground-
nuts or cooking fat.
Medicinal: Leaves and bark are boiled and the decoction inhaled to treat fever
and influenza. The infusion from the bark is used as a remedy for mental
disorders and snakebite (Gogo, Nyamwezi).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The bark produces a fibre, which is used to make ropes and mats.
SEASON: Seeds are collected during the dry season, i.e. July–December.
STORAGE: Seeds can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated, but can be propagated by
seed.
STATUS: Locally common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

612
 THE SPECIES

Sterculia africana Sterculiaceae

Young fruit capsules

Male flowers

Open mature capsule

with seeds

One female flower enlarged

613
 THE SPECIES

Sterculia appendiculata Sterculiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Tall sterculia; Luguru: Mfune, Mgude; Mwera: Mjale;
Ngindo: Mkunya; Nguu: Mfune, Mgude; Pare: Mfune; Sambaa: Mfune;
Swahili: Mfune, Mgude; Zigua: Mfune, Mgude, Mharata-nyani.
DESCRIPTION: A tall, straight deciduous tree up to 40 m high with a dense
rounded crown. Trees have a clear bole 15–20 m and often emerge above the
surrounding woodland. BARK: Pale yellow, smooth, conspicuous and pow-
dery. Branchlets have dense rusty yellow hairs. LEAVES: At the end of branches,
large, 14–30 cm across, the leaf blade divided into 3–7 lobes. Young
leaves usually densely woolly with rusty hairs, lost at maturity. Leaf
stalks over 6 cm, hairy at first. FLOWERS: Green-yellow-brown, to 2.8
cm across, in hairy few-flowered spray to 12 cm, before leaves. FRUIT: Made
up of 2–3 sections, each to 9 cm, covered with soft brown hairs on the out-
side. When opened, seeds line the edges, each 2 cm long, brown with a soft
yellow aril at the base.
ECOLOGY: A tree of coastal and riverine forests, coastal bushland and woodland at
low altitudes, 0–600 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in all coastal areas of Tanzania, and on Zanzibar, e.g. around
Tamoto-Handeni, Mtibwa and Kwamsambia Forest Reserves and in Longuza
Forest. Also in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique.
USES:
Food:
Seeds are collected from the ground, roasted and eaten whole or roasted,
pounded and cooked with vegetables as a substitute for groundnuts or cook-
ing fat.
Medicinal:
– A decoction of the bark and leaves is taken as a remedy for convulsions,
paralysis and impotence.
– A decoction from the roots is used to treat bilharzia and preventing miscar-
riage in pregnant women (Bondei, Sambaa, Zigua).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is soft, white and used for plywood. The tree is good for shade
and as an avenue.
SEASON: Seeds are collected from August to September.
STORAGE: Seeds can be stored for several weeks.
MANAGEMENT: Only collected from the wild, but the species can be propagated by
fresh seed.
STATUS: Locally common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

614
 THE SPECIES

Sterculia appendiculata Sterculiaceae

Leaf shapes

Flowers

Fruit

615
 THE SPECIES

Sterculia tragacantha Sterculiaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : English: African tragacanth, Parasol tree; Sambaa: Lufifia;
Tongwe: Kakubabolo, Mkubukubu.
DESCRIPTION: A massive deciduous tree which can reach 24 m, the trunk some-
times buttressed, but a long cylindrical bole to an oblong deep crown,
not spreading, the bole more than 1 m across and branching only near the
top. Young shoots with dense star-shaped hairs. BARK: Young saplings fine
grey with squared markings, later corky, deeply fissured into diamond-shaped
patterns, even on smaller branches, large oblong woody scales flake off.
LEAVES: Simple, alternate, very variable, 15–20 cm long and oval, often
with a pointed tip, waxy green at first becoming leathery, smooth and shiny
above, but yellow-red hairs below, edge rolled under, base rounded to a
brown hairy stalk, about 3 cm. FLOWERS: Buds in a cone-like structure
which opens out on the leafless tree at ends of branches into conspicuous
loose red-purple-pink heads, stalks 15–20 cm, with brown star-like hairs,
male and female flowers on the same tree, no petals but 5 coloured sepals
remain attached by their tips. FRUIT: A group of woody follicles, beaked
at the tip, shortly hairy, the follicles stick up from the ends of branches (as do
buds and flowers), green at first, then red-brown, finally grey-brown, split-
ting while on the tree along the upper side to expose 8 grey-blue seeds
around the edge of the woody “bowl”; inside, the carpels are yellow and
silky.
ECOLOGY: A tree of swamp and riverside forests, gallery forests, stream-side rem-
nants, occasional in dry mixed forest or on lake shores.
DISTRIBUTION: A tree of western Tanzania, recorded, for example, in Kagera, Kigoma
and Rukwa Regions; also in Central, West and southern Africa.
USES:
Food:
Seeds are roasted and eaten whole like peanuts, or roasted, pounded and
cooked with vegetables such as peas or pumpkins.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The bark is used for fibre. Gum, sapwood and other parts of the tree are
eaten by chimpanzees.
SEASON: Seeds are collected during the dry season.
STORAGE: Seeds can be stored for several weeks.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, not cultivated. It can be propagated from
seed.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.

616
 THE SPECIES

Sterculia tragacantha Sterculiaceae

One flowering stalk

Young cone-like
flower heads

Boat-shaped fruit
break open

Yellow-brown hairy Grey-blue seeds

follicles

617
 THE SPECIES

Sterculia tragacantha (contd) Sterculiaceae

REMARKS: Some other Sterculia species have edible seed:

1. S. mhosya (Gogo: Muluze; Nyamwezi: Muhozya; Rangi: Ibuibui,
Msusulavana; Sukuma: Mhoja; Swahili: Moza) a shrub or small tree up to 7
m high with palmate leaves, large pods and small black seeds;
2. S. rhynchocarpa (Pare: Mnoja; Sambaa: Moza) a small, much-branched tree
to 8 m with small palmate leaves and hairy pods occurring only in the Same
area;
3. S. quinqueloba (English: Egyptian plane tree, Large-leaved star chestnut,
Large-leaved sterculia; Fipa: Mkungulanga, Mpelemusi, Msaguye; Gogo:
Muluze; Hehe: Mkwelangedege; Kaguru: Muhembeti; Kimbu: Msavala;
Luguru: Muhembeti, Mhembeti; Nyamwezi: Mguwa, Mkungulanga; Rangi:
Ibuibui; Sambaa: Muhembeti; Sangu: Mkwelangedege, Mwingirangedege;
Sukuma: Muhoja; Swahili: Mbalamwezi, Mkwera nyani; Zaramo: Moza;
Zigua: Mhembeti; Zinza: Muhembeti) a large timber tree up to 22 m with
large palmate leaves, white bark and small black fruit. It is found in Tanga,
Morogoro, Shinyanga and Tabora and southwards to Mtwara Region. It is also
found in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

618
 THE SPECIES

Sterculia tragacantha (contd) Sterculiaceae

S. quinqueloba

Flowers and fruit on leafy shoot

Mature fruit capsules

open to release 2–3 seeds

619
 THE SPECIES

Strychnos cocculoides Loganiaceae

Indigenous [Plate 4]
LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Linyowa; English: Corky bark strychnos, Monkey orange;
Hehe: Mnywewa; Matengo: Lidongansanga, Litongawai, Mdonga,
Mtongawali; Nyamwezi: M’milwa, Mtonga, Mumilwa; Swahili: Mpera mwitu,
Mtonga; Tongwe: Libwaje, Lifumbu; Ngindo: Mtongatonga.
DESCRIPTION: A semi-deciduous shrub or small tree, 3–8 m, branches spreading to a
rounded crown. BARK: Thick, ridged and corky, brown. Branchlets hairy,
purple, with strong paired spines, curved, 1 cm or more. LEAVES: Oval to
circular, to 5 cm long, shiny above, dull below, 5 veins from the base. FLOW-
ERS: Small green-white, in dense heads about 3 cm in diameter. FRUIT: Round,
hard, woody, about 7 cm in diameter, dark green, speckled with white when
young, becoming yellow when ripe, containing a juicy pulp and many seeds.
Fruit may take a year to mature.
ECOLOGY: It grows naturally in Brachystegia and deciduous woodlands, often on
sand, especially on rocky hills, 0–2,000 m in drier parts of central and southern
Africa.
DISTRIBUTION: In Tanzania it is found, for example, in Tabora, Dodoma, Iringa,
Mbeya and Lindi Regions. Its distribution extends west to Angola and south to
South Africa.
USES:
Food:
– Fruits are edible. The fruit which has a juicy pulp is broken in half and the
sweet rather acidic pulp eaten raw. Seeds may be swallowed or discarded.
– A refreshing juice is made by soaking the pulp in water and adding sugar.
Medicinal:
– Leaves are pounded and applied on sores.
– Roots are pounded and boiled and the decoction used to treat STDs and
stomach disorders.
Commercial: Sold in rural and urban markets (Nyamwezi, Hehe). Also ex-
ported to Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa.
Other: The wood is used for building poles and firewood.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from June to August in Tabora, Kigoma, Dodoma,
Songea, Singida and Lindi Regions; July–December in the highlands of Iringa
and Mbeya Regions.
STORAGE: Ripe fruits can be stored in the shade for about two weeks.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but also retained in farms. Can be
propagated by seed.
STATUS: Scattered within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: One of the most important wild fruit trees in Tanzania.

620
 THE SPECIES

Strychnos cocculoides Loganiaceae

Enlarged flower

Section of fruit

Leafy branch with pairs

of strong curved spines

Enlarged spines

Pale bark, soft and

corky, split and cracked

621
 THE SPECIES

Strychnos innocua Loganiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES : Bena: Mng’ulung’ulu; Bende: Bunkundu; Bondei: Mkwakwa,
Mtonga; Digo: Mkwakwa, Mtonga; English: Dull-leaved strychnos; Gogo:
Mnhulwa; Gorowa: Furudou; Ha: Umuhongo kome; Hehe: Mbaya; Kuria:
Msege; Maasai: Endugai; Matengo: Lugulanguha, Madonga,
Mangurungundu, Mdonga; Mwera: Mgulungulu; Ndendeule: Mambuha;
Ngoni: Madonga choyo, Mchenga; Nyamwezi: Mkulwa, Mpundu, Mumundu,
Mumpundu; Nyaturu: Mkulungundu; Rangi: Mukomu; Sandawi: E’kegheke,
Gheke; Sambaa: Mtanga; Sandawi: G/.éke; Swahili: Mkwakwa,
Mgulungungulu, Mtonga; Tongwe: Kankundu; Yao: Mngulungulu; Zigua:
Mkwakwa, Mtonga; Zinza: Mkome, Mkwata.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or small straight-stemmed tree, usually 3–6 m, without
spines; branches often twisted and branchlets hang down. Four varieties, all
in Tanzania, with differences in leaf hairiness and venation. BARK: Pale grey,
smooth. Branchlets powdery grey-green to yellow-brown. LEAVES: In opposite
pairs, widely spaced, tough, dull blue-green, with 3–5 main veins and clear
net veining, both sides similar, oblong but wider at the rounded tip, 4–
10 cm long. FLOWERS: 8 mm long, green-cream, 2–4 in stalked clusters
beside leaves, calyx shorter than petals, a ring of white hairs in the
throat. FRUIT: Round, with a thick woody shell, about 5–7 cm across, blue-
green, ripening yellow-orange, containing many seeds in pulp.
ECOLOGY: Deciduous woodland, 0-1,400 m. Sometimes on rocky hills or in moist
savanna woodland, Brachystegia woodland, more often in coastal lowlands.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania, including Zanzibar Island. Also in Uganda,
Kenya; Sudan to West Africa and south to Zambia and Angola.
USES:
Food:
The hard woody fruit case is cracked open to expose the yellow seed aril,
which is eaten. The seeds are discarded. The aril tastes sweet and is eaten as
a substitute for other fruits, especially by children and hunters. Eaten as a
snack. If eaten in large amounts it causes stomach upsets due to the strych-
nine content.
Medicinal:
– Roots are boiled and the decoction used as an aphrodisiac and to treat STDs.
– Pounded roots are used to treat snakebite.
– An infusion from bark and twigs is drunk by pregnant women to put the
baby in the right position and to ease childbirth.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The wood is used for firewood, building poles and tool handles. Small
branches are used for toothbrushes and toothpicks. The tree is used for shade
and is a source of bee forage.

622
 THE SPECIES

Strychnos innocua (contd) Loganiaceae

SEASON: Collected in the dry season, August–December.

STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple. Can be propagated using fresh seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

Flowering branch

Fruit

Pair of leaves

623
 THE SPECIES

Strychnos madagascariensis Loganiaceae

(S. dysophylla)
Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Digo: Muhonga, Musikiro; English: Spineless monkey orange; Gogo:
Mnhulwa; Ha: Umuhongo; Sambaa: Mkangala; Swahili: Mkwakwa, Mtonga.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or small tree, usually deciduous, 2–12 m, often multi-stemmed
to a flat densely twiggy crown. BARK: Pale grey, smooth or grooved, no
spines but often hard, knobby side shoots, 1–3 cm, give the impression of
thorns, grey–dark brown branchlets, sometimes hairy, covered with pale
breathing pores. LEAVES: Simple, opposite, 2–10 cm, oval to circular, shiny
dark green above, much paler below, thin or leathery, 3–5 clear veins from
the base, outer veins running parallel to the leaf edge, tip usually rounded,
base narrowed, almost stalkless. FLOWERS: Small, 5 mm, yellow-green, 1–
4 flowers on short stalks from leaf axils, 4 rounded calyx lobes, hairs in
the corolla throat. FRUIT: Round berries 2.5–7 cm diameter, blue-green
or mottled green when young, ripening yellow with a thick woody shell,
remaining on the tree long after leaf fall, containing 7–12 thick angular seeds
in edible pulp.
ECOLOGY: Subsp. dysophylla is found in deciduous bushland and woodland, 900–
1,500 m. Subsp. engleri occurs at 0–500 m in similar habitats.
DISTRIBUTION: Subsp. engleri is only found in Tanga Region, while subsp. dysophylla
is widespread in Tanzania; also Mozambique south to South Africa.
USES:
Food:
The orange pulp in the fruit is edible.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The wood is used for construction of local houses, firewood, tool handles,
woven doors, storage containers and spoons. A decoction of the leaves is
used to treat cattle and goat diseases.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from June to August.
STORAGE: Ripe fruits can be kept in the shade for about two weeks.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, but can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Scattered locally within its area of distribution.

624
 THE SPECIES

Strychnos madagascariensis Loganiaceae

(S. dysophylla)

Fruit
Fruit section

625
 THE SPECIES

Strychnos spinosa subsp. lokua Loganiaceae

Indigenous [Plate 4]
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Mtonga; Digo: Mtonga; Gorowa: Khkokhoi; English:
Spiny monkey orange; Fiome: Amafughun; Fipa: Mtonga; Hehe: Mtangadasi;
Iraqw: Khkokhoi; Matengo: Lidonga kikumba, Limbua, Mdonga,
Mungulungu; Ndendeule: Mambuha; Ngoni: Chikumba, Madonga;
Nyamwezi: Mwage; Nyaturu: Mkulungundu; Pare: Mshegheshe; Rangi:
Mkambaiwe, Msumbaive, Mukomu; Sambaa: Mtonga; Sangu: Mtangadas;
Swahili: Mkwakwa, Mpapa, Mtonga; Zaramo: Mtonga; Zigua: Mkwakwa.
DESCRIPTION: A thorny semi-deciduous tree, often multi-stemmed, 2–5 m, up to 9
m, crown rounded. Young branchlets pale, surface powdery (not shiny),
older branchlets becoming corky, spines fairly stout, curved, black tipped,
usually in pairs along branches. LEAVES: Opposite, oval to round, to
10 cm, stiff, shiny green, edge wavy, 3–5 veins from the base, the vein
network conspicuous, usually without hairs, but sometimes hair pockets
(domatia) in the angles between lateral veins and the midrib. FLOWERS: Small,
cream-green-white, in bunches at the ends of branches. FRUIT: Round and
woody, green, turning yellow-brown when ripe, to 12 cm across, con-
spicuous and hanging many months on the tree. Up to 100 flat seeds lie in
juicy rather acid but edible flesh.
ECOLOGY: Grows in a wide variety of dry woodland, thickets and savanna wood-
land, frequently on sandy loams of river banks, 400–2,200 m; rainfall 1,100–
1,500 mm.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania, e.g. in Tanga, Lindi and Kagera Regions.
Also in Uganda and Kenya, and from Gambia east to Sudan, south to South
Africa.
USES:
Food:
Ripe yellow fruits are collected from the ground or from the tree, the hard
shell is cracked open, the sweet rather acid pulp eaten and the seed discarded.
Medicinal: A decoction from the root is used as a remedy for STDs, intestinal
worms, earache and colds.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for firewood, building poles, tool handles, bedsteads
and spoons.
SEASON: Fruits are collected at the end of the rainy season and into the early dry
season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: It is collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local
people, but can easily be propagated by seed.

626
 THE SPECIES

Strychnos spinosa subsp. lokua (contd) Loganiaceae

STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

R EMARKS : Another species, S. pungens (Bena: Litangadasi; Hehe: Mbaya,
Mtangadasi; English: Spiny-leaved monkey orange; Nyamwezi: Mhandagi,
Mkome; Swahili: Mtonga), is also edible but only very ripe fruits are eaten and
only in small quantities. A small tree up to 4 m high with spiny-tipped leaves
and large yellow fruits when ripe, it is found in miombo woodland from Tanza-
nia southwards to South Africa. A decoction of roots is used as a remedy for
stomach-ache and bronchitis, and an infusion from the leaves as a lotion for
sore eyes. The wood is used for firewood. Seeds are known to be poisonous.
[Plate 4]

S. spinosa

Fruit

One enlarged flower

Enlarged spines

S. pungens

627
 THE SPECIES

Synaptolepis alternifolia Thymelaeaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Matengo: Ntongotongo-lya-huluka, Nzukumbi; Sambaa: Kwavi;
Swahili: Mbibikiu, Mkatu; Yao: Ntongotongo lya huluka, Nzukumbi; Zaramo:
Kiga-nungu.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or woody climber to 10 m, with slender hairless branches.
BARK: Red-brown or black with clear breathing pores. LEAVES: Alternate or
opposite, narrow oval leaves to 4.5 cm long, the tip often pointed, base nar-
rowed to a 3 mm stalk, no hairs, sometimes wavy. FLOWERS: White–cream–
pale yellow in terminal heads, the calyx tube up to 1.8 cm, with 5 small lobes,
the petals with stiff hairs to 0.5 mm, the ovary with hairs at the base.
(S. kirkii has no hairs.) FRUIT: Yellow-red-orange berries included in the per-
sistent calyx base, oval, 1.2–2.3 cm long.
ECOLOGY: Riverine forest and thickets, Brachystegia woodland, secondary bushland
and wooded grassland, 0–1,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in the eastern part of Tanzania from Tanga to Mtwara Re-
gions. Also in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
USES:
Food:
The pulp of ripe fruit is sweet and eaten raw as a snack and the seed is
discarded. It is picked from the plant in handfuls and eaten fresh, especially
by children and forest workers.
Medicinal: Roots are chewed and the juice swallowed as a remedy for stom-
ach-ache and snakebite.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for constructing granaries and for withies in house
construction.
SEASON: Fruits are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and is not planted. Propagation can be done
using seeds.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.

628
 THE SPECIES

Synaptolepis alternifolia Thymelaeaceae

Flowering branch

Inner ring of 5 petals

with stiff hairs

5 petal-like sepals

Flower and section

629
 THE SPECIES

Synaptolepis kirkii Thymelaeaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Digo: Mjirambiri, Munjirembiri, Muzanira-kuzimu; Ngindo: Lukubi
wa msitu; Swahili: Mbibikiu, Mfunga waume, Mkatu.
DESCRIPTION: A small shrub, usually a climber, up to 4 m, the branches twin-
ing around other plants, stems arising from tuberous swollen roots. BARK:
Black with numerous lighter breathing pores, young shoots sometimes glandu-
lar. LEAVES: Opposite, ovate, tip pointed, 2–4.5 cm long, base rounded to a
short stalk, stiff and hairless, the lateral nerves clearly parallel. FLOW-
ERS: White-cream, sweet scented at night, one or more flowers in leaf axils,
often hanging down, the calyx tubular with 5 lobes, coloured and petal-like,
the 5 inner petals very small and bearing tiny glands making a ring at
the mouth of the tube. FRUIT: Hairless berries, oval, about 1 cm long, or-
ange when ripe, containing seed with a black lobe (caruncle) at one end.
ECOLOGY: A lowland tree of dry evergreen forest edges, Brachystegia woodland,
coastal and secondary bushland or thicket, 0–900 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in the eastern part of Tanzania, including Zanzibar and Pemba.
Also in coastal Kenya, Mozambique and South Africa.
USES:
Food:
The fruit pulp is fleshy, sweet and eaten raw as a snack.
Medicinal: A root decoction is used as a remedy for snakebite, impotence and
vomiting. It is also used as a charm for success in business and love affairs
(Zanzibar).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for ornamental purposes, and the stem can be used as
a substitute for ropes.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from March to May.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected only from the wild, but can be propagated using fresh seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.

630
 THE SPECIES

Synaptolepis kirkii Thymelaeaceae

Flower

Fruit section

Flowering branch

Enlarged seed

631
 THE SPECIES

Synsepalum brevipes Sapotaceae

(Pachystela brevipes)
Indigenous
LOCAL NAME: Luguru: Msambwa; Nguu: Msambia; Nyakyusa: Ndobilobe; Pare:
Mdu, Msambia; Swahili: Mchamvia, Mchocho jike, Msambia, Msamvia;
Zaramo: Mgelezi, Zinza: Mkarati.
DESCRIPTION: A much-branched tree, 3–25 m, the bole often like a pillar and deeply
fluted, slightly buttressed at the base, to a dense crown. Young shoots and leaf
stalks with dense hairs. BARK: Grey, rough, breaking into rectangular scales,
exuding white latex. LEAVES: Alternate, long oval, wider at the tip, 9–20 cm
long, young leaves grey, hairy, narrowed to a 1-cm stalk. A pair of 1-cm-
long hair-like stipules persist at the base of the leaf stalk. FLOWERS: Small
and fragrant, yellow-cream-green, in dense clusters on small cushions
on bare branches, below leaves. FRUIT: Yellow-orange, long oval with a
pointed tip and thick skin, 2.5 cm, containing milky juice and white acid–
sweet edible pulp. The one seed is shiny brown with a large scar on one
side.
ECOLOGY: Grows in lowland rainforest and riverine forest, commonly found on
river banks and margins of lakes or other sites with a permanently high water-
table. Up to 1,500 m; rainfall 1,500–2,500 mm. Thrives in deep well-drained
humus-rich sandy loams.
DISTRIBUTION: Absent from central and northern Tanzania but otherwise wide-
spread, including Zanzibar and Pemba Islands. Also in Uganda, Kenya,
throughout tropical Africa, West Africa to Sudan, south to Angola, Zambia,
Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe. Widespread and abundant in the shoreline
forest of Lake Victoria.
USES:
Food:
– The ripe orange-brown fruit are collected from the tree and the pulp eaten.
It is eaten very frequently as a snack.
– The ripe fruit are soaked in water, squeezed, filtered and sugar added to the
juice, which is then drunk before or after cooling.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and used for firewood, pestles, tool handles, charcoal
and domestic utensils. The tree provides good shade.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from October to February.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple, but can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Very common in most parts of Tanzania.

632
 THE SPECIES

Synsepalum brevipes Sapotaceae

(Pachystela brevipes)

Fruit

Flowering branch

Young flower
(enlarged) Flower opened out (enlarged)

633
 THE SPECIES

Synsepalum msolo (Pachystela msolo) Sapotaceae

Indigenous [Plate 5]
LOCAL NAME: Luguru: Mkumbulu, Msanyanzale, Msambwa; Nguu: Mnyohoyo,
Msambia; Nyakyusa: Ndobilobe; Pare: Mdu, Msambia; Sambaa: Msambia;
Swahili: Mchocho dume, Msambia, Msamvia; Zaramo: Mgelezi, Zigua:
Mnyohoyo, Msambia; Zinza: Mkarati.
DESCRIPTION: A medium to tall tree, usually 10–15 m but can reach 50 m. Young
shoots with dense, flat hairs. The bole is deeply fluted, especially at the base,
the canopy much branched and spreading. LEAVES: Large, 10–35 cm x 4–14
cm wide; wider at the tip, which may be sharp or rounded, the leaf base
obtuse or lobed to a short, thick stalk, the lower surface may have silver grey
flat hairs, 10–20 pairs lateral nerves, a pair of narrow stipules to 15 mm.
FLOWERS: Green-white, fragrant, very small, clustered on small woody cush-
ions on old wood, stalks 4–6 mm, 5 oval sepals, 6 mm, with orange hairs.
FRUIT: Rounded, dull yellow when ripe, 2.5 cm diameter, a thin skin
containing juicy flesh and one seed, to 1.8 cm, with a prominent scar.
ECOLOGY: A tree of lowland rainforest, extending into the lower fringes of upland
rainforest, riverine forest, 100–1,400 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania. From Ghana and Benin in the west and
extending to Kenya and Tanzania in the east.
USES:
Food:
– The fruits are edible. Ripe fruits are fleshy, sweet and eaten raw as a snack,
especially by children and herdsmen.
– The ripe fruit are soaked in water, squeezed, filtered and sugar added to the
juice, which is then drunk before or after cooling.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for building poles, firewood, charcoal, tool handles,
spoons and pestles. The tree provides good shade.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from December to April.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Fruits are collected from the wild; the tree is not cultivated but can
be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Relatively common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: A related species, S. ceraciferum (Afrosersalisia ceracifera) (Ha: Luzu;
Luguru: Mkumbulu, Msambia; Sambaa: Muokoyo, Muyohoyo, Mohoyo;
Swahili: Mchamvia; Tongwe: Mlyansekesi, Msakafya, Msankafya; Zigua:
Mnyohoyo) also has edible fruit. It is a tree 10–40 m high with fluted bole, dark
green shiny leaves and red fruits when ripe; found around Bukoba, Muheza,
Morogoro and Mpanda. It is also found in Guinea and extends to Sudan and

634
 THE SPECIES

Synsepalum msolo (Pachystela msolo) (contd)

southwards to Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and Angola. Its wood is used for
firewood, charcoal and domestic utensils. The tree provides good shade and its
latex is used to treat wounds.

Flower clusters
on old wood

S. ceraciferum

Flower clusters
on old wood

Enlarged flower

Seed and fruit

635
 THE SPECIES

Syzygium cordatum Myrtaceae

Indigenous [Plate 5]
LOCAL NAMES: Digo: Muziahi, Mzihae; English: Waterberry tree; Fipa: Msu, Musu;
Gogo: Muhulo, Muhuu; Gorowa: Awartu, Ijiraombe; Ha: Msivia; Haya:
Mugege; Hehe: Muvengi, Muvengi lulenga; Iraqw: Orokutuno; Isanzu:
Mungongampembe; Kinga: Imivengi; Maasai: Oloiragai; Matengo: Mhugu,
Mnyonyo, Mvenge, Mzio, Orokutuno; Ndendeule: Mgwilu; Ngoni: Mgwilu;
Nguu: Msungunde; Nyakyusa: Mpegele; Nyamwezi: Kasyamongo; Nyaturu:
Mondoyanjoghu, Munyongwampembe; Pare: Mlama; Rangi: Msuharu,
Mungalinya, Musuharu; Sambaa: Mshihwi, Msungudi; Swahili: Mkarafuu
mwitu, Mlati, Myamayu, Mzambarau mwitu, Mzambarau ziwa, Mzuari;
Tongwe: Msabasaba; Zaramo: Mtalala mweupe, Mzati; Zinza: Mzeze.
DESCRIPTION: A medium-sized evergreen tree, 8–15 m, sometimes a flowering shrub,
the crown compact and rounded from a short thick trunk, sometimes buttressed.
BARK: Dark brown, rough and fissured, breaking into small squares;
branchlets square, edges winged. LEAVES: Very many, near the ends of
branches, clasping the stem in opposite pairs, the next leaf pair at right
angles, leathery, blue-green, oblong to circular, to 8 cm, leaf base heart
shaped (“cordatum”). FLOWERS: Dense branched clusters to 10 cm across,
pink-white, with conspicuous stamens, abundant nectar. FRUIT: Fleshy,
oval, to 1.5 cm long, purple when ripe, edible but acid, 1 seed.
ECOLOGY: A tree of montane woodlands and often found beside rivers, also in sea-
sonal swamps in medium to high altitudes, up to 1,800 m, in riverine thicket
and forests, doing well in sandy loam soils.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in most parts of Tanzania except the southern areas. Also in
Uganda and Kenya; from West Africa to Ethiopia, south through Central Af-
rica to South Africa.
USES:
Food:
The fruits are collected from the tree and eaten raw. They taste sweet and
are eaten both as a snack and a famine food.
Medicinal: Bark and roots are boiled and the decoction drunk as a remedy for
indigestion.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for timber, firewood, charcoal, spoons, stools, beehives
and canoes. Fruits produce a purple dye. The tree is used for shade and is a
source of bee forage.
SEASON: Fruits are available from November to May.
STORAGE: Not stored.

636
 THE SPECIES

Syzygium cordatum (contd) Myrtaceae

MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, but also protected in gardens for easy ac-
cess. Can be propagated using fresh seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

Flower heads

Fruit

637
 THE SPECIES

Syzygium guineense Myrtaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Barabaig: Geta-da-qwal, Sonari; Bende: Mulalambo, Mulambo;
Chagga: Masdi, Mmasai; Digo: Mugiaki, Muziahi, Muziyahe; English:
Waterberry, Water pear; Fipa: Mlalambo, Msu, Musu; Gogo: Muhulo, Muhuu;
Ha: Mbogonte; Haya: Mchwezi, Muchwesi; Hehe: Muvengi, Muvengi lutanana;
Iraqw: Irgatu, Matlarmo; Kerewe: Issassa; Luguru: Msalazi; Makonde:
Mpegele, Nguluka; Matengo: Mkowosi, Nkolo; Maasai: Olairagai, Oleragi;
Ngoni: Makohozi, Makowozi, Matunda, Mkohozi; Ndendeule: Makowozi (fruit),
Matunda, Mhuruhuru, Mkohozi; Nyakyusa: Msengele, Muhu; Nyamwezi:
Kashamongo, Kasyamongo, Mwasya, Mzambalawe; Pare: Mlama; Rangi:
Mbajiru, Mkamati, Mkomati, Musuharu, Muswaru; Ngindo: Muhuluhuti;
Rufiji: Msarabo; Sambaa: Mschihui, Mshihwi, Mshiwi, Muhuba, Muhula,
Sambarau; Swahili: Mzambarau mwitu, Mzuari; Tongwe: Lusangabale,
Msabasaba; Zaramo: Mzarabo; Zigua: Muvenge, Muwenge; Zinza: Mgege,
Msangura.
DESCRIPTION: A densely leafy forest tree, usually 10–15 m, up to 25 m, the trunk
broad and fluted and the crown rounded and heavy, branchlets droop-
ing, stems thick and angular. BARK: Smooth when young, black and rough
with age, flaking, producing a red watery sap if cut. LEAVES: Young leaves
purple-red but mature leaves dark green, opposite, shiny and smooth on
both surfaces, the tip long but rounded, on a short grooved stalk. Leaves
variable in shape. FLOWERS: White, showy stamens, in dense branched
heads 10 cm across, the honey-sweet smell attracting many insects; stalks
angular, square. FRUIT: Oval to 3 cm, purple-black and shiny, 1-seeded,
in big bunches of 20–30.
ECOLOGY: A tree which grows best in moist soils with a high water-table and beside
rivers but will also grow in open woodland, lowland riverine forest and wood-
land and lower montane forests, 0–2,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widely distributed in tropical Africa and found in all parts of Tanza-
nia.
USES:
Food:
The pulp of the fruit is eaten and the kernel discarded. The ripe fruit are
collected from the tree or fallen on the ground. They should be collected
quickly after falling as they are perishable. A single tree can yield a consid-
erable amount of fruit. It tastes sweet and is eaten as a snack and famine
food.
Medicinal: A decoction from bark and roots is used as a remedy for stomach-
ache, intestinal worms and as a tonic and purgative. Fruits are used as a
remedy for dysentery.

638
 THE SPECIES

Syzygium guineense (contd) Myrtaceae

Other: The wood is used for fuel, poles, withies, beams and spoons. Fruits pro-
duce a purple dye. The tree is used for shade and is a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from February to May.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple. This species can be propagated using fresh seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

Fruit

Flowers

639
 THE SPECIES

Syzygium owariense Myrtaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bende: Kajibajiba, Kasiamongo; English: Waterberry; Fipa: Yunga;
Matengo: Ihugu, Mbuwa, Mhungu, Muhuwahuwi, Nhungu; Nyamwezi:
Kasyamongo, Mtumbu; Swahili: Mzambarau ziwa; Zinza: Mgege.
DESCRIPTION: A semi-deciduous multi-stemmed shrub or small tree up to 8 m, erect
branches to a bushy rounded crown. In swamp forests it grows small knee-
like breathing roots (pneumatophores). BARK: Grey, thick, smooth at first,
becoming dark grey, rough and flaking with age. LEAVES: Opposite, blue-
green, thick, leathery, smooth and shiny, about 10 cm long, leaf tip long
pointed but blunt, pink-yellow midrib, clear below, leaf stalk pink-red,
aromatic when crushed. FLOWERS: Creamy white or pink with numerous sta-
mens, sweet scented, in heads to 15 cm across, on angular square stalks.
FRUIT: Oblong and fleshy, about 1.5 cm long and 1 cm thick, green at first,
purple, then black when ripe, containing 1 seed.
ECOLOGY: Found in well-drained woodlands in lowl- and medium-altitude areas as
well as in swamp forests, on stream banks, in riverine thicket and woodlands at
higher altitude. It will also grow in semi-arid woodland, preferring stony ground
and hills. Up to 1,800 m; rainfall 1,200–1,700 mm. Tolerates a wide range of
soil types.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in the western and all southern areas of Tanzania, e.g. in
Mbeya, Rukwa, Mwanza and Songea Regions. Also in Uganda and from West
Africa to the Sudan, south to Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique.
USES:
Food:
The ripe purple fruits are collected and eaten raw. They have a fleshy soft
pulp and taste sweet. The seeds are discarded. Eaten as a snack.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Fruits produce a purple dye. The wood is used for firewood and spoons.
The tree is a good source of bee forage.
SEASON: Fruits are collected at the end of the rainy season and into the early dry
season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple. Can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: This is said to be the best Syzygium species for honey. The leaves and the
fruit contain the essential oil eugenol, which has been used for flavouring food.
Two other Syzygium species are also edible:

640
 THE SPECIES

Syzygium owariense (contd) Myrtaceae

1. S. masukuense subsp. masukuense (English: Small-fruited waterberry; Hehe:

Muvengi; Nyamwezi: Kasyamongo, Msambalawe; Swahili: Mzambarau
mwitu) a shrub or small tree, 1.5–25 m, with pale brown bark and fleshy blue-
purple ripe fruits, which are collected from April to June. Occurs in Iringa and
Mbeya Regions; also Malawi, Zambia and southwards to South Africa;
2. Syzygium sclerophyllum (Gogo: Muhulo, Muhuu; Hehe: Muvengi, Mkwaliti;
Kerewe: Issassa; Nyakyusa: Nguluka; Sambaa: Mshushi; Zaramo: Mzati)
a tree 7–30 m high with brown flaking bark, white flowers and purple-black
fruits. It is found in Lushoto, Iringa and Mbeya Regions. Also occurs in Kenya.

Flower heads

Buds

Long-pointed leaf tip

641
 THE SPECIES

Tacca leontopetaloides (T. involucrata) Taccaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Langa, Mwanga; English: East African arrowroot; Ngindo:
Utondo; Sambaa: Langa, Msakula, Mwanga; Swahili: Mlanga, Mwanga;
Tongwe: Kabuga; Zigua: Mwanga.
DESCRIPTION: A stout perennial herb, easily recognized by its habit, often only one,
characteristic, leaf and a green mottled stalk to 1.5 m tall, the underground
tuber to 10 cm across. LEAVES: 1–3, large, erect, the ridged stalk to 1 m
with a sheathing base, the leaf blade divided into 3, each part subdivided
again into irregular oval–rounded lobes, 3–12 cm long, from the winged
branches. FLOWERS: A head of 20–40 small green flowers tops a stalk
taller than the leaf, the head is surrounded by long thread-like bracts, pur-
ple with white tips, stiff at first then hanging down; also some leafy oval bracts
coloured green with purple. Each flower has 6 thick purple-green segments
8 mm long, the flower stalk lengthens in fruit to 4 cm. (See illustration.) FRUIT:
Rounded, with 6 ridges to 3 cm long, the green capsule containing many
red-brown seeds covered by a thin fleshy aril.
ECOLOGY: Grassland, bushland or woodland, usually on sandy soils, a weed of
cultivated or abandoned land, 0–1,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in western, eastern and southern Tanzania, including on
Zanzibar and Pemba Islands. Also on the Kenya coast, Uganda, other tropical
and subtropical areas from Asia to the Pacific, Madagascar, the Mascarene Is-
lands, Sierra Leone to Ethiopia, south to Zimbabwe.
USES:
Food:
Tubers are dug up from the ground, washed, grated, mixed with water and
the liquid filtered through cloth several times. Alternatively, the grated pulp
may be soaked in water for a week in order to remove some of the toxic
matter. The starch is then dried in the sun and made into porridge during
times of famine.
Medicinal: The stem is roasted and the sap squeezed out and used as a rem-
edy for earache (in the form of ear drops).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Tubers are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: The dried starch obtained from grated tubers can be stored for several
months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild; can be propagated by tubers and suckers.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Care should be taken when using this species for food as it is toxic.

642
 THE SPECIES

Tacca leontopetaloides (T. involucrata)

Mature flower head with fruit

Tuber

Enlargement of small portion

of flower head to show bracts
Thread-like bracts

Buds

Inner leafy bracts

Two outer bracts

643
 THE SPECIES

Talinum portulacifolium Portulacaceae

(T. cuneifolium)
Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Tonge; Kaguru: Mbwimbwi; Mwera: Nandele; Sambaa:
Tonge.
DESCRIPTION: A fleshy perennial herb, sometimes creeping, loosely rooted, often
growing up through thorny bushes, also shrub-like with woody basal stems,
1–5 m. LEAVES: Alternate, succulent, without stalks, very variable in
size but wider at the tip, which has a tiny point, about 4 cm long (to 7 x 4 cm),
veins not clear. FLOWERS: Arise from terminal stalks, one or more together,
bright purple-pink, over 2 cm across with 5 petals around many central
yellow stamens, open by noon, 2 green sepals below the flower. FRUIT: Ovoid
capsules about 8 mm long, shiny yellow-brown, breaking across to set free
tiny brown seeds.
ECOLOGY: Common in dry bushland, also on floodplains of rivers, steep rocky slopes,
disturbed roadsides, thin coastal soils on coral or limestone, 0–1,900 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in most parts of Tanzania. Also in Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia,
the Arabian peninsular, Burundi and Somalia.
USES:
Food:
Fleshy leaves and stems are chopped and cooked with other vegetables such
as Bidens or Cleome, and may be mixed with coconut milk or pounded ground-
nuts and served with a staple (ugali or bada).
Medicinal: A decoction of leaves is used as a remedy for constipation.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fodder and ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Collected during and soon after the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated, but can be propagated by
seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Locally very common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: A known weed.

644
 THE SPECIES

Talinum portulacifolium Portulacaceae

(T. cuneifolium)

Flower

Fruit capsules on
recurved stalks

645
 THE SPECIES

Tamarindus indica Caesalpiniaceae

Indigenous [Plates 5 and 6]
LOCAL NAMES: Arusha: Olmasambrai; Bende: Mshishi, Msisi; Bondei: Mkwazu;
Chagga: Mkakyi, Moya; Digo: Mkwadzu, Mkwaju; English: Tamarind; Gogo:
Msisi; Gorowa: Mithingiti; Hehe: Mnyali, Munyali; Luguru: Mdai; Maasai:
Masamburai, Olmasambrai, Olmasumoei, Oloisijoi; Matengo: Ukwezu;
Mbugwe: Mosinko; Ngindo: Mkwaju; Ngoni: Mapohora; Nyamwezi: Msisi;
Nyaturu: Mkwaju, Mukwaju; Rangi: Mkwaju; Sambaa: Mkwazu, Nshishi;
Sandawi: /ank’á; Sukuma: Bushishi, Nshishi; Swahili: Mkwaju; Tongwe:
Lusisi; Vidunda: Mdai; Zaramo: Mkwesu; Zigua: Mkwazu; Zinza: Msisa.
DESCRIPTION: A large tree, up to 30 m, with an extensive dense crown. The short
bole can be 1 m in diameter. Evergreen, or deciduous in dry areas. BARK:
Rough, grey-brown, flaking. LEAVES: Compound pinnate, on hairy stalks to
15 cm, 10–18 pairs of leaflets, dull green, to 3 cm, oblong, round at the tip
and base, veins raised. FLOWERS: Small, in few-flowered heads, buds red,
petals gold with red veins. FRUIT: Pale brown, sausage-like, hairy pods, crack-
ing when mature to show sticky brown pulp around 1–10 dark brown
angular seeds.
ECOLOGY: A very adaptable species, drought hardy, preferring semi-arid wood-
lands and wooded grasslands. It tolerates salty soils, coastal winds and monsoon
climates, 0–1,500 m. It grows in most soils, even sand or coral, but prefers deep
alluvial soil, often riverine in very dry areas. A long, well-marked dry season
seems to improve fruiting.
DISTRIBUTION: It grows in all parts of Tanzania, most abundant in woodland and
thorn bush but prominent at the coast and in Zanzibar; widespread in the rest
of tropical Africa, into India and South East Asia.
USES:
Food:
– Fruits are edible. The pulp of mature fruits is sour and eaten only in small
amounts. Seeds are discarded.
– Fallen ripe fruit are collected, cleaned, soaked in water and mixed with por-
ridge and also used in making millet bread. The mixture tastes sour.
– The green fruit can also be picked straight from the tree and eaten fresh,
with the seed, as a snack. They are enjoyed mostly by children and are
eaten occasionally and usually in small amounts.
– Fruits are peeled, soaked in warm water, squeezed and filtered. Sugar is
added and the juice drunk before or after being cooled. Alternatively, the
juice is packed in small polythene packets, frozen and used as an iced lolli-
pop. In many parts of the world the fruits are used in curries, chutneys and
sauces. Also made into jam, sweets and eaten raw.

646
 THE SPECIES

Tamarindus indica (contd) Caesalpiniaceae

Medicinal:
– Leaves are chewed or pounded and used as medicine for treatment of diar-
rhoea, dysentery, stomach-ache, malaria, sore throat and fever, as poultices
for wounds, abscesses, snakebite and to treat mental disorders.
– A root decoction is used as a remedy for asthma, leprosy, liver disease, rheu-
matism, amenorrhoea, boils, fever, hookworm and ulcers.
– Pounded seeds are used as a remedy for dysentery.
Commercial: The fruits are marketed locally in most major towns.
Other: The wood is very hard and heavy and is used for firewood, charcoal,
general carpentry, boat building, poles, walking sticks, trays, tool handles,
pestles, bows and carvings. Leaves are used for fodder. The tree is used for
shade, and as a windbreak, firebreak, ornamental and source of bee forage.
SEASON: Fruits are collected during the dry season.
STORAGE: The sticky pulp of the dried fruit is made into balls which can be stored
for about 2 years.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild. Protected by local people in compounds and
fields. Can be propagated using seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: One of the most popular wild fruit in Tanzania.

Mature pod and

angular seeds

Flowers

647
 THE SPECIES

Tapiphyllum burnettii Rubiaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Bena: Findokoli; Hehe: Fitokoli, Kindokoli; Nyamwezi:
Kambolambola; Rufiji: Nkobeliya.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or small tree, 1.5–5 m, with slender branches, dense pale
rusty hairs on young parts soon lost. BARK: Purple-brown, grooved. LEAVES:
In opposite pairs, the oval blades to 9 cm long, the base more or less rounded
to a 2 mm stalk, green with some rusty hairs above but dense silver to
pale rusty soft hairs below, main veins a bit darker. FLOWERS: Pale green–
cream–white, the slender tube over 1 cm, with 5 narrow pointed lobes,
the style and stamens visible, 3 to many flowers at nodes, the calyx also pale
rusty hairy and buds pointed. FRUIT: Rounded, fleshy, 1–3 cm diameter,
orange yellow when ripe, covered with rusty hairs and containing 2–5 red-
brown seeds.
ECOLOGY: Ravines, streams and rocky places in thickets and woodlands, 1,200–
1,500 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in most highland areas of Tanzania. Also occurs in Zambia.
USES:
Food:
Fruits are edible. Ripe fruits are picked from the plant and eaten raw. They
are fleshy and taste like chocolate and are much liked by children and herds-
men.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for ornamental purposes and is a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from October to April.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated, but can be propagated
from seed.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.

648
 THE SPECIES

Tapiphyllum burnettii Rubiaceae

Flower and buds

Fruit and seeds

Young fruits

649
 THE SPECIES

Tapiphyllum cinerascens var. cinerascens Rubiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Hehe: Kindokoli, Kitokoli; Nyamwezi: Kambolambola; Rufiji:
Nkobeliya; Sandawi: Sisimpirae.
DESCRIPTION: An erect shrub or small tree, 1–3 m, with the slender branches
spreading, branchlets covered with dense, rusty hairs which are usually lost
later. A woody rootstock, often quite large. LEAVES: Usually paired, opposite,
mostly 8 cm, long oval to a pointed tip, base rounded to a 6 mm stalk, rough
hairy above, dense soft hairs below, orange to grey, the stipule sheath
with pointed tips. FLOWERS: Small, pale yellow-green-white, axillary clus-
ters of 15 flowers, each long tubular with 5 lobes, rounded buds with an
orange-brown hairy calyx, about 4 mm long, and hairy bracts. FRUIT:
Rounded, crowned with the calyx remains, fleshy, yellow-orange-
brown-red when ripe, 8–9 mm across, covered with short and long brown-
ish hairs, containing 1–5 seeds.
ECOLOGY: Brachystegia woodland and secondary woodland, 1,100–1,300 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in the western and central parts of Tanzania, e.g. in Simbo
Forest Reserve. Also in parts of Central Africa, south to Zambia, Malawi and
Angola.
USES:
Food:
Fruits are fleshy and eaten raw as a snack, especially by children.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for fire sticks. The plant is important as a source of bee
forage and is suitable for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from November to May.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Only collected from the wild, but can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Scattered within its area of distribution. Listed on the 1997 IUCN Red List
of Threatened Plants.
REMARKS: There are two other species of Tapiphyllum known to be edible:
1. T. discolor (Hehe: Kindokoli, Kitokoli; Nyamwezi: Kambolambola; Sukuma:
Kambolambola) a shrub up to 4 m high with whorled leaves and yellow fruits.
It is found in Kagera, Mwanza, Kigoma and Shinyanga Regions. Also occurs in
Burundi, Zambia and the Congo basin;
2. T. obtusifolium (T. floribundum) (Hehe: Kindokoli, Kitokoli; Nyamwezi:
Kambolambola; Rangi: Msambalawe) a shrub 2–8 m high, usually much-
branched with dark grey bark and dark green fruits. It is found only in Dodoma,
Singida and Iringa Regions and is also listed in the 1997 IUCN Red List of
Threatened Plants.

650
 THE SPECIES

Tapiphyllum cinerascens var. cinerascens Rubiaceae

Tubular flowers

Fruit topped by
calyx remains
Stipular sheath

651
 THE SPECIES

Thylachium africanum Capparidaceae (Capparaceae)

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Mdudu; Gogo: Mwimachigulu; Maasai: Umududu; Pare:
Kishangalaji; Rangi: Mutungu; Sambaa: Shingaazi; Sandawi: Mtungu;
Swahili: Mdudu, Mtunguru; Zaramo: Mdudu; Zigua: Mdudu.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or small tree to 7 m, stems branched or not from a thickened
tuberous rootstock. BARK: Smooth or rough, light grey, grooved. LEAVES: Sim-
ple or trifoliate and sometimes mixed, on a stalk to 6 cm, leaflets long
oval, 3–10 cm, stiff, wavy, edges thickened on wrinkled stalks. FLOWERS:
White and green (no petals), some purple on the stamen and ovary stalks, char-
acteristic fat buds arise in terminal or axillary groups, usually 1–10, each 7–14
mm across, breaking open to release many spreading wavy stamens
to 3.6 cm, a “cap” remains hanging to one side, the flower stalk is jointed.
FRUIT: Oval, 3–6 cm, clearly stalked with up to 12 ribs, containing many
seeds.
ECOLOGY: Deciduous woodland, bushland and thicket, grassland with scattered
trees, riverine forest, abandoned cultivated areas, 0–1,600 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in all parts of Tanzania. Also in Kenya, south to South Africa
and on Madagascar.
USES:
Food:
– Tubers are peeled, cooked and the water drained off several times to reduce
toxicity before being eaten with tea. Alternatively, the tubers are peeled and
soaked in water for about a week, then washed and dried in the sun. The
dried tubers are pounded and sieved. The resultant flour is used to prepare
uji or ugali which is eaten along with cooked vegetables.
– Fruits are eaten by children.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for firewood, tool handles and spoons. The tree is
useful for shade, as a source of bee forage and for ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Tubers are usually collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Dried flour can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: Tubers are collected from the wild, but the plant can be propagated
by seed and cuttings.
STATUS: Relatively common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: A famine food which can be toxic if not well prepared.

652
 THE SPECIES

Thylachium africanum Capparidaceae (Capparaceae)

Ribbed fruit capsules

Wavy stamens

Calyx cap

653
 THE SPECIES

Tragia insuavis Euphorbiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Hehe: Nyaluvafya; Sambaa: Mbawa.
DESCRIPTION: A slender, twining or trailing perennial herb with stinging hairs
on stems and leaves. Stems arise from a woody rootstock and twine anti-clock-
wise. LEAVES: Alternate, ovate to oblong, heart shaped at the base, or
straight, to a stalk 1–6 cm, blade 4–10 cm, the tip pointed, edge sharply toothed,
5–7 nerved from the base, bright green above, paler below. FLOWERS: Yel-
low-green, very small and inconspicuous, male and female flowers, beside
leaves on stalks 4–10 cm, sometimes opposite leaves, sepals hairy. FRUIT:
A lobed capsule, breaking into rounded sections.
ECOLOGY: Locally common in deciduous bushland and thicket, sometimes by lakes
or rivers and in disturbed places, 500–1,300 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania and also found in western Kenya. Not known
elsewhere.
USES:
Food:
Tender leaves are chopped and cooked alone or mixed with other vegetables
such as amaranth, beans or peas. Coconut milk, pounded groundnuts or
pounded sunflower seed may be added and then it is served with ugali, rice
or potatoes.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fodder.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Leaves are collected from the wild, but the plant can be propagated
by seed.
STATUS: Locally common. Endemic to Tanzania and Kenya.
REMARKS: Also known to be a weed, and the nasty stinging hairs cause itching.

654
 THE SPECIES

Tragia insuavis Euphorbiaceae

Stinging hairs
on sepals
3-seeded
fruit capsule

655
 THE SPECIES

Treculia africana Moraceae

Indigenous [Plate 5]
L OCAL NAMES : English: African bread fruit, Wild jackfruit; Haya: Mbungu;
Luguru: Ezeya, Mjaya; Matengo: Maya, Mjaya, Mwaya; Ngoni: Maya.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen tree, 15–30 m, up to 50 m, with a dense spreading
crown and a fluted trunk. BARK: Grey, smooth, thick, exuding white latex
when cut, which later turns rusty red. LEAVES: Simple, alternate, very large,
about 30 x 14 cm (up to 50 x 20 cm), dark green, shiny above, leathery, paler
below, with some hairs on the 10–18 pairs of clear veins, tip pointed, a
short stalk to 1.5 cm. Young leaves red or yellow. FLOWERS: In heads, pale
green at first, later brown-yellow, rounded, 2.5–10 cm across, male and fe-
male flowers usually separate, growing beside leaves (axillary) or on older
wood, even on the trunk. Numerous small white trumpet-shaped flowers cover
the round flower head. Over several months it increases in size and weight
reaching 10–15 kg when in fruit. An edible oil can be extracted from the seeds.
FRUIT: Compound, rounded, very large, up to 30 cm across, on the trunk
or main branches, containing the seeds, buried in spongy pulp (resinous, slimy
and inedible). The outer surface turns yellow and is covered with rough pointed
outgrowths. Inside are hundreds of peanut-sized edible orange seeds.
ECOLOGY: A forest species, often beside rivers, 0–1,200 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania. Also in Uganda, other parts of tropical
Africa and on Madagascar.
USES:
Food:
– Fruits are collected, the seeds removed and the slimy flesh washed off. Then
they are roasted in a pan and eaten with or without removing the outer coat
first. It is eaten as a snack and is very nutritious.
– Seeds are roasted, pounded and cooked with vegetables as a substitute for
other oily seeds (groundnuts).
Other: The wood is white, soft and used for rough timber, firewood and char-
coal. The tree is suitable as an avenue tree and for shade.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from the ground from November to January.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and often protected when land is cleared for
agriculture. The species can be propagated using fresh seed.
STATUS: Common but not easy to access since it grows in wet places deep in the
forest.
REMARKS: This tree has a potential for domestication on farmland, in valley and
riverine areas or as an avenue tree.

656
 THE SPECIES

Treculia africana Moraceae

Male flower heads

Young flower
heads on twig

657
 THE SPECIES

Tribulus terrestris Zygophyllaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Mbigii; English: Caltrops, Puncture vine; Hehe: Mbigili;
Ngindo: Mbigili ng’ombe; Nyamwezi: Mbigili; Pare: Ikongo, Ikonkho;
Sukuma: Mbigili, Mbigiri; Swahili: Mbigili, Mbigiri; Zaramo: Mbigili; Zigua:
Ikongo.
DESCRIPTION: A hairy annual plant with trailing branches radiating along
the ground to 90 cm from a taproot. Characters vary widely. LEAVES: Oppo-
site, with unusual larger and small leaves alternating along the stem,
pinnately lobed, the larger 7–8 cm with 8 pairs oval leaflets, the smaller with
only 4 pairs leaflets. FLOWERS: Small, bright yellow, solitary on stalks
about 1 cm from the leaf axils of the smaller leaves, 1.5 cm across with
5 spreading petals 4–8 mm long, 10 stamens. FRUIT: A hairy rounded cap-
sule, green at first, hardening to a 5-angled spiny fruit which splits into 5
triangular sections, each with numerous small and 2 larger very sharp
spines at the tip, containing seeds. The fruit stalk to 1 cm.
ECOLOGY: A plant of open and disturbed places, often on sandy soils and in culti-
vated areas, 0–2,300 m.
DISTRIBUTION: All parts of Tanzania and East Africa; a plant occurring worldwide,
found both in tropical and some warm temperate climates.
USES:
Food:
Leaves are chopped, washed and cooked alone or mixed with other veg-
etables. Coconut milk or groundnut paste may be added and then they are
eaten with a staple (Pare, Hehe, Gogo).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fodder and is a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during and soon after the rainy season.
STORAGE: Leaves are pounded with other vegetables then dried and stored.
MANAGEMENT: Only collected from the wild and not cultivated. However, it may
easily be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: A problematic weeds in farmland. A related species, T. cistoides, which
bears the same local names as T. terrestris, is also eaten as a vegetable. It can
be differentiated from T. terrestris by its hairless leaves and stems and its large
bright yellow flowers. It is confined mainly to the coastal plains of Africa from
Ethiopia southwards to Mozambique and Madagascar.

658
 THE SPECIES

Tribulus terrestris Zygophyllaceae

Angled spiny fruit capsules

Unequal-length leaves

659
 THE SPECIES

Trichilia dregeana Meliaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Forest mahogany; Ha: Mnyongayonga; Sambaa: Mbamba,
Mkungwina, Ngolimazi; Swahili: Mkungwina, Mtimaji; Tongwe: Kamoko,
Kampakampaka.
DESCRIPTION: A very large evergreen tree to 30 m, with a straight trunk dividing
into large branches and a rounded crown. Buttresses absent or small. BARK:
Fairly thin and smooth, brown with clear breathing pores (lenticels); when
cut, the bark edges (slash) are red and white. LEAVES: Compound, with
4–6 pairs leaflets plus one on a stalk to 10 cm, each leaflet about 12 cm long,
always wider towards the pointed tip, often rounded at the base. The 7–12
pairs veins below are widely spaced with a few hairs. Dry or fallen leaves
turn dark brown (T. emetica leaves dry to pale yellow-brown or olive green).
FLOWERS: Few, in branched sprays to 6 cm, each large flower with 5 cream-
white hairy petals over 2 cm long, the 10 hairy stamens joined in a ring
around the central style. FRUIT: A rounded capsule to 3 cm across, pink to dull
yellow-brown and hairy, without a neck to the fruit stalk, splitting into
sections when dry to set free large black seeds which are almost covered by
a soft red aril.
ECOLOGY: A tree of mid-altitude rainforest, riverine and swamp forest, 800–1,500 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania except central and southern areas, for ex-
ample, found in Kigoma, Kagera, Tanga and Kilimanjaro Regions. Also in Kenya
and Uganda and from Guinea in West Africa to Ethiopia in the east and south-
wards to the Cape Province of South Africa, and also Angola.
USES:
Food:
A fatty suspension obtained after squeezing the aril in warm water is used
for cooking.
Medicinal:
– A decoction of the roots is used to induce labour in pregnant women and to
treat intestinal worms, colds and infertility.
– The bark and leaves are used to treat fever, lumbago and dysentery.
Commercial: Seeds are sold for soap making.
Other: The wood is pink, moderately heavy and easy to work and is used for
timber, poles, furniture, domestic utensils, canoes, beehives, water troughs,
carving, firewood and charcoal. Since the tree is an evergreen it is used for
shade and as an ornamental. Oil from the seed is used commercially for
making soap, candles and cosmetics.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from April to July.
STORAGE: Dried seeds can be stored for several months.

660
 THE SPECIES

Trichilia dregeana (contd) Meliaceae

MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, but often retained or planted in farmland. It
can be propagated using fresh seed.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: A promising tree for agroforestry.

Mature fruit capsule Young fruit

661
 THE SPECIES

Trichilia emetica Meliaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Chagga: Mbindiyo, Mchengo, Mkongoni, Mmbindio, Mtutu, Mwavai;
English: Cape mahogany; Natal mahogany, Gogo: Nyembemwitu, Myembe-
mwitu; Ha: Mtandaruka; Iraqw: Taewi; Luguru: Mgolemazi, Mjagengo,
Msukulilo, Mtengotengo; Maasai: Elkoroshi; Mbugwe: Letakaiko; Ngindo:
Muhukuliro; Nguu: Mgolimazi; Kaguru: Mgolemazi; Nyakyusa: Msanguti;
Sambaa: Mbangwe, Mbwewe, Mgolimazi, Monko-ya-nyika; Sukuma: Sungute;
Swahili: Mkungwina, Mtimaji; Tongwe: Kamoko; Zigua: Mgolimazi, Monko-
ya-nyika; Zinza: Mtandaruka.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen tree, 15–30 m, with dark hanging foliage, pyramid
shaped when young, later the crown is rounded and heavy, the trunk rather
smooth. BARK: Grey-red-brown, finely grooved, later rough, scaling to show
green underbark. LEAVES: Compound, stalks and shoots softly hairy, 4–5
pairs leaflets, thick and shiny, leaflets increasing in size up to the largest
central leaflet which may be up to 16 cm long, the midrib below continues
into an unusual hairy tip. Leaves dry green to pale brown, 11–18 pairs
veins below are close together. FLOWERS: Inconspicuous, fragrant clusters,
cream-green, 5 thick petals around a hairy centre of stamens. FRUIT: Round,
red-brown hairy capsules to 3 cm across dry and split into 3–4 parts. A clear
neck to 1 cm long (unlike T. dregeana) connects the capsule to the fruit stalk.
Up to 6 shiny black seeds hang out of the open capsules, each one almost cov-
ered by a soft orange-red aril.
ECOLOGY: Found in coastal forest, drier types of riverine forests and woodland,
more rarely in rocky outcrops or in wooded grassland, 0–1,300 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in all parts of Tanzania, including on Zanzibar Island. Also
in Uganda, Kenya; widespread in Africa from Senegal to the Red Sea, through
Central Africa to South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal), and also in the Arabian pe-
ninsular.
USES:
Food:
Seeds are squeezed in water and the resulting tasty fatty suspension is used
for cooking.
Medicinal:
– The oil extracted from the seed kernel is used to treat rheumatism, leprosy
and fractures.
– An infusion of the leaves and bark is used to treat dysentery, fever, lumbago
and bruises.
– A decoction of the roots is used to treat intestinal worms, rheumatism, colds,
persistent infertility and to induce labour in pregnant women.
– An infusion from the bark is used as an emetic and for treating pneumonia.

662
 THE SPECIES

Trichilia emetica (contd) Meliaceae

Commercial: Seeds are sold commercially (Tukuyu, Mbeya).

Other: Has pink-brown to brown-grey wood which is straight grained and
easy to plane making it popular for furniture, household utensils, water
pots, beehives and canoes. The tree provides good shade and is suitable as
an avenue tree. Oil extracted from the seed kernel is used commercially for
making soap, candles and cosmetics.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from April to July and November to December.
STORAGE: Dried seeds can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but also retained or planted on farms.
STATUS: Locally common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: A suitable and important tree for agroforestry.

Open fruit
capsule

Seeds with aril

663
 THE SPECIES

Trichodesma zeylanicum Boraginaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Sesemlanda; Chagga: Iwasha; English: Ceylon borage;
Gogo: Ilimi-lya-ng’ombe; Gorowa: Thaki; Rangi: Inyankumbi; Sambaa:
Sesemlanda; Swahili: Msasa mlanda; Tongwe: Mambamlele.
DESCRIPTION: An annual or perennial herb, shrubby, to 1.5 m high from a taproot,
stems woody at the base and densely rough hairy, irritating to handle.
LEAVES: Small upper leaves alternate, oblong, stalkless 2–12 cm, rounded
at the base, very rough hairy above, more soft paler hairs below. Lower leaves
to 16 cm x 5 cm across, on a stalk to 1 cm, all coarsely hairy. FLOWERS: Small
and drooping from many flowered heads, the slender flower stalks reddish,
hairy, about 3.5 cm, each flower tubular, 5 mm, with 5 lobes, pale to deep
blue, twisted at the tip, the centre white-pink-purple, darker spots at the
base; 5 long stamens, hairy at the base, reach out of the flower, the 5
pointed hairy sepals are about 1 cm and enlarge to 2 cm in fruit. FRUIT: 4
shiny grey-brown nutlets, 4 mm, one side round, 3 sides flat.
ECOLOGY: Found in disturbed dry bushland, grasslands, cultivated areas or as a
pioneer on disturbed ground both in well-drained and marshy or black-cotton
soil; up to 1,700 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In all parts of Tanzania, including Zanzibar and Pemba Islands;
Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia, Central and Southern Africa, also on Mada-
gascar and east to India, the Philippines and Australia.
USES:
Food:
Young leaves and shoots are chopped and cooked with other vegetables such
as amaranth or peas, and coconut milk or groundnut paste added. The veg-
etable is then served with a staple.
Medicinal:
– Roots are chewed or pounded and soaked in cold water. The infusion is used
as a remedy for tuberculosis, stomach-ache, poisoning and snakebite.
– Green leaves and roots are chewed and used as a poultice for fresh wounds,
boils and snakebite.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Stems are used as fire sticks and the flowers are a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Young leaves are collected in the early rainy season (December–Janu-
ary).
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Only collected from the wild, but it can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Locally very common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: One of the troublesome weeds in farms.

664
 THE SPECIES

Trichodesma zeylanicum Boraginaceae

5 enlarged sepals
around fruit

Flowering and fruiting stem 4 shiny grey nutlets

665
 THE SPECIES

Trilepisium madagascariense Moraceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Chagga: Mrua; English: Bastard fig, False fig; Hehe: Mfilafila;
Luguru: Mzugo; Rufiji: Msisingololo; Sambaa: Mzughu.
DESCRIPTION: An evergreen tree, usually 20–30 m high, diameter usually 50–100
cm, with straight clean bole to a small rounded crown with drooping branches.
BARK: Grey and smooth, when cut, white latex drips out; outer part of the
cut bark pink-red. The latex soon becomes violet and the whole area turns
brown. LEAVES: Simple, alternate, tough and leathery, dark shiny green above,
to 12 cm, on a stalk about 1 cm. The edge is rolled under and the looping
veins join up below the edge. The narrow tip is drawn out about 1 cm.
FLOWERS: Both male and female flowers develop inside the bell-shaped re-
ceptacle, about 1.5 cm long. Receptacle has a wide opening and stamens like
a cream-mauve brush hang out, about 1 cm across. The female parts are
hidden inside. FRUIT: When ripe, the fleshy oval receptacle (false fig), about
2 cm long, turns purple-black, contains a single seed in a hard nut.
ECOLOGY: Rainforest and other wetter evergreen forests, riverine and forest on
land with a high water-table, up to 1,800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania except central and western parts; found,
for example. in Morogoro, Tanga, Arusha and Pwani Regions and on Zanzibar
Island. Also in Uganda, Kenya; from Guinea to southern Ethiopia and south to
Angola and South Africa.
USES:
Food:
Fruits are edible. Ripe fruits are fleshy and eaten raw as a snack. They are
sweet and much eaten by children.
Medicinal: Roots are pounded, soaked in cold water and the infusion mixed
with porridge made out of finger millet flour. The porridge is drunk as a
remedy for impotence (Bondei, Sambaa).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for building poles, tool handles, spoons, bedsteads,
bows, gunstocks and carvings. The tree provides good shade. Latex from the
bark is used as lime for trapping birds.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from October–December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Fruits are collected only from the wild as the tree is not cultivated.
Propagation can be done using fresh seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

666
 THE SPECIES

Trilepisium madagascariense Moraceae

Stamens protrude from

flower receptacle

Mature fruit

Young fruit

667
 THE SPECIES

Triumfetta cordifolia var. tomentosa Tiliaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bondei: Fyofyokoe, Msosokolwe, Sosokolwe; Hehe: Lihana; Rangi:
Murenda; Sambaa: Fyofyokoe, Kidwanga, Msosokolwe, Sosokolwe; Swahili:
Mchochokoe; Zigua: Msosokolwe.
DESCRIPTION: A hairy perennial erect shrub up to 2.5 m, sparsely branched
stout stems thick at the base, red-brown, younger stems rough or with softly
brown-white hairs, mostly star shaped. LEAVES: Elongate to rounded, 6–
13 cm, the tip 3-lobed, base slightly heart shaped, on a stalk 4–6 cm, edge
doubly toothed, the upper surface dark green with tiny scattered star hairs,
quite rough while the lower surface is distinctly grey-brown-white, softly
hairy and some longer simple hairs, a pair of hairy triangular stipules at first.
The central lobe is long pointed to 4.5 cm, laterals smaller. FLOWERS: Or-
ange-yellow in a terminal head with 5–10 branches, each to 30 cm, bear-
ing numerous flowers at the nodes, 5 narrow sepals to 9 mm are spine tipped,
the outer surface brown-grey, densely hairy, 5 petals only 5–7 mm, the edges
with dense woolly hairs, 10–12 stamens in the centre with brown anthers.
FRUIT: A rounded bristly capsule about 1 cm diameter (a few white hairs),
the many bristles 3–4 mm long, tightly hooked at the tip, the green young
capsule becomes red then brown and shiny.
ECOLOGY: A plant of edges and clearings in wet forest, riverine forest or in marshy
areas, mostly at higher altitudes in the most western areas of East Africa, 900–
2,600 m. A colonizer at roadsides.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania, e.g. in Kagera, Mbeya, Mwanza, Iringa,
Tanga, Rukwa, Arusha and Kigoma Regions; Uganda, Kenya, from West Af-
rica through to Central Africa and south to Zimbabwe.
USES:
Food:
Tender leaves are chopped and cooked alone or mixed with other vegetables
such as peas or beans. Coconut milk or pounded groundnuts are added and
then they are served with ugali, rice, potatoes or bananas.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used as a broom and is a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Only collected from the wild but can easily be propagated from seed.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: Regarded as a bad weed.

668
 THE SPECIES

Triumfetta cordifolia var. tomentosa Tiliaceae

Fruit capsules covered

with hooked bristles

One hooked bristle

enlarged

669
 THE SPECIES

Tylosema fassoglense Caesalpiniaceae

(Bauhinia fassoglensis)
Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : English: Fish-poison bean, Sprawling bauhinia; Luguru:
Mbalawala; Maasai: Esinkarua.
DESCRIPTION: A trailing or climbing herb or shrub to 6 m, sometimes woody be-
low, spreading out from a large underground tuber as long as 3 m, irregu-
larly cylindrical. Young parts covered with soft rust-red hairs, later grey.
The hairy tendrils fork and curl enabling the plant to scramble over other
vegetation. LEAVES: Distinctive heart shaped, bilobed, about 5–20 cm wide,
the notch shallow, never deeper than one-third of the length, stalk 2–20 cm,
rusty hairs below, especially on the nerves. FLOWERS: Attractive pale yel-
low–pink, butterfly shaped, 2–5.5 cm across, in hairy rust-red calyx cups,
spaced along a main stalk about 12 cm, 4 large petals, rounded, crinkled, to
4 cm long, one very small petal with a spur, only 2 of the 10 stamens
fertile, with red filaments and dark anthers. FRUIT: Pods broad and flat, dark
brown, leathery, 7–12 cm long, containing several oval flat seeds, dark brown–
black.
ECOLOGY: Grasslands, wooded grasslands, woodlands and forest edges in medium-
altitude areas, up to 1,500 m; rainfall 1,000–1,600 mm. Tolerates a wide range
of soil types but thrives well in red or yellow sandy clay loams.
DISTRIBUTION: Eastern and central tropical Africa from the Sudan south to South
Africa. In Tanzania it is found in all parts except in Arusha and Kilimanjaro
Regions.
USES:
Food:
– The seeds are collected and placed in hot ashes for 3–4 minutes to bake and
then eaten as a snack (Luguru, Hehe). They taste like beans.
– Seeds are boiled or roasted in a pan, a little salt added and then they are
eaten (Luguru, Vidunda).
Medicinal: A root decoction is used as a remedy for stomach-ache and diar-
rhoea (Luguru).
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The plant is used for fodder, as a source of bee forage and for ornamen-
tal purposes.
SEASON: Collected at the end of the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple. It can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

670
 THE SPECIES

Tylosema fassoglense (contd) Caesalpiniaceae

REMARKS: Pods are eaten raw when young, but cooked when older (Zimbabwe).
The large tuber is crushed and pounded to make a fine meal used to make
porridge (Zimbabwe). The plant has been cultivated in the Sudan for fish poi-
son (rotenone) and for an insecticide obtained from the leaves.

Flower head

Tendrils

Pods

Seeds within
pod section

671
 THE SPECIES

Typhonodorum lindleyanum Araceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Giant aroid; Swahili: Mgombakofi, Mtongonya.
DESCRIPTION: A giant perennial herb with erect banana-like false stems to 4
m tall, 30 cm thick at the base, rather fleshy, with irritant sap, arising from an
underground rhizome, the true stem. LEAVES: Leaf stalk and sheath to 3 m,
the base white-pink, striped and spotted purple-black, the blade to 140 cm
long, 85 cm, wide shaped like an arrow head. FLOWERS: Typical of the
family, arise on a columnar spadix to 55 cm long, yellow-white, the ovary
red-yellow, surrounded by a white leaf-like enclosing spathe to 80 cm
which bends over in fruit. FRUIT: Large, oval, containing round berries,
about 4 cm across, yellow when ripe, 1–2 flattened brown seeds inside.
ECOLOGY: Usually in pure stands in fresh water swamps near the sea.
DISTRIBUTION: Found only in Zanzibar and Pemba Islands; Madagascar, Comoro
and Mascarene Islands.
USES:
Food:
The thick rootstock is dug up from the ground, peeled and cut into small
slices. The slices are boiled and washed several times in order to remove
some of the toxic matter, then coconut milk added and eaten. Alternatively,
the slices are soaked in water for two days and dried in the sun. The dried
slices are pounded into flour which is cooked into ugali.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The leaves are used for thatching and mulching. The plant is used for
ornamental purposes.
SEASON: Rootstocks are dug up during the rainy season.
STORAGE: Dried slices and the flour can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: Only collected from the wild, but can be propagated by seed and
suckers.
STATUS: Occasional, but in pure stands within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Used only as a famine food and often causes itching in the throat.

672
 THE SPECIES

Typhonodorum lindleyanum Araceae

Spadix tip

Leaf-like spathe

Base of spadix
with “flowers”

Leaf

Plant habit

Fruit showing berries

673
 THE SPECIES

Uapaca kirkiana Euphorbiaceae

Indigenous [Plates 5 and 6]
LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Mguhu; Bende: Mkusu; English: Wild loquat; Ha: Mgusu,
Umugusu; Hehe: Mguhu, Mkusu; Matengo: Hekela, Msuku; Ndendeule:
Mahuko; Ngoni: Masuku, Msuku; Nyakyusa: Mkuhu; Nyamwezi: Mkusu;
Nyasa: Masuku; Swahili: Mkusu; Tongwe: Ikusu; Zigua: Mhungu.
DESCRIPTION: A much-branched semi-deciduous tree up to 9 m with a rounded
crown. BARK: Dark grey or grey-brown with vertical fissures. LEAVES:
Simple, alternate or in whorls, confined to ends of branchlets. Shiny dark green,
thick and coarse, usually about 17 cm long, orange-yellow, woolly hairs
below and on veins, tip notched. FLOWERS: Male and female flowers pro-
duced on different trees. All flowers are greenish yellow, inconspicuous, grow-
ing from old wood. FRUIT: Rounded, rusty green berry, to 3 cm diameter, turn-
ing rusty yellow when ripe, sweet pulpy flesh surrounds 3–4 seeds.
ECOLOGY: A tree which may occur in extensive pure stands in deciduous wood-
lands, upland wooded grasslands and along streams, often on stony soils or
rocky slopes, 700–2,000 m. Regarded as an indicator of poor agricultural soils.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania; found, for example, in Mwanza, Iringa,
Kigoma, Rukwa, Songea and Mbeya Regions. Also in parts of Central Africa
and south to South Africa.
USES:
Food:
– The pulp of ripe fruits is fleshy, sweet and eaten raw. It is delicious and
much eaten by all age and gender groups. The pulp can also be used to
make jam.
– Ripe fruits are fermented and made into a local brew or wine.
– A pleasant juice is prepared by squeezing the fruits in water.
Medicinal: Roots are boiled and the decoction is used as a remedy for indiges-
tion and intestinal problems.
Commercial: Much marketed in areas where it occurs and is a source of many
people’s income (Iringa, Mbeya, Songea).
Other: The wood is used for firewood, spoons, bedsteads, stools and beehives.
The tree provides good shade.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from October to January.
STORAGE: The jam can be stored.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but also protected by some farmers
and may be propagated by fresh seed.
STATUS: Locally very common.
REMARKS: A very important indigenous fruit tree in Tanzania. In South Africa
Masuku wine is made from this species.

674
 THE SPECIES

Uapaca kirkiana Euphorbiaceae

Flowers

Fruit

Rough, reticulated bark

675
 THE SPECIES

Uapaca nitida Euphorbiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Ha: Mhandehande, Umuhandehande; Matengo: Mhuku, Mtakalu;
Mwera: Mngeshelo; Ngindo: Mahekela, Muhekela; Nyakyusa: Mnyamsimbi,
Nsangisa; Swahili: Mtalala; Tongwe: Lulobe; Zaramo: Mtalala mwekundu;
Zigua: Mhugu; Zinza: Mhendambogo.
DESCRIPTION: A small- to medium-sized evergreen tree reaching 12 m with a light
rounded crown. BARK: Dark grey-black, rough, deep fissures and scaling ir-
regularly. LEAVES: Alternate, thin and leathery, shiny green above, no
hairs either side, with conspicuous veining, the tip rounded, the base nar-
rowed to a slender yellow-green stalk to 5 cm long, long oval, 5–16 cm,
edge wavy. FLOWERS: Male and female flowers on different trees. Flowers
cream-yellow, inconspicuous, axillary. FRUIT: Green-yellow, ripening orange-
brown in 6 months, round-oval, up to 2 cm long, 3-celled, on a short stem.
The yellow flesh around the seeds is edible and tasty (but not as good as U.
kirkiana).
ECOLOGY: A typical tree of the miombo woodlands of Tanzania, which are domi-
nated by Brachystegia and the associated wooded grasslands, 300–1,600 m.
DISTRIBUTION: A tree found in most parts of Tanzania excluding the north-eastern
areas; found, for example, in Mwanza, Songea, Rukwa, Lindi and Pwani Re-
gions. Also in parts of Central Africa and south to Mozambique, Malawi, Zam-
bia, Zimbabwe and Angola.
USES:
Food:
– The pulp of ripe fruits is fleshy and sweet and is eaten raw as a snack.
– A refreshing juice is made by squeezing fruits in water.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for firewood, charcoal, bedsteads and spoons. The tree
is used for shade.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from November to December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Fruits are collected from the wild as the tree is not cultivated, but it
can be propagated using fresh seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

676
 THE SPECIES

Uapaca nitida Euphorbiaceae

Fruiting stalk

Flowers

Shiny green fruit

677
 THE SPECIES

Uapaca paludosa (U. guineensis) Euphorbiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Swahili: Mchenza mwitu.
DESCRIPTION: A much-branched evergreen tree to 18 m, supported on very promi-
nent stilt roots which leave the bole up to 3–4 m above the ground; a dense
rounded crown of large leaves. BARK: Light brown–red-brown, scaly but gen-
erally smooth, vertical lines of lenticel dots, fissured with age. LEAVES:
Bunched at the ends of branchlets, thin and stiff, about 25 x 5 cm, with
10–20 main lateral veins on each side, clear below, tip rounded, narrowed to a
stalk about 5 cm. FLOWERS: Male flower heads towards ends of branchlets,
numerous yellow-green flowers surrounded by golden-yellow bracts,
stalks about 1 cm, bracts 1 cm. Female flowers similar but with a single
flower instead of the rounded head. FRUIT: Yellow, ovoid–round, about 2
cm diameter, 2–4 smooth green seeds inside.
ECOLOGY: Dominant in swamp forests, lakeside forests, fringing forest and as an
under-storey tree in lowland rainforest, 600–1,400 m.
DISTRIBUTION: From West Africa through Uganda into north-eastern Tanzania. It
occurs in forests around Lake Victoria and on islands in the Lake. It has also
been recorded at Turiani Falls in the Nguru Mountains (Morogoro District), at
Manyangu Forest and in Mwanihana Forest Reserve (Iringa District).
USES:
Food:
– The fruits are collected from the tree when ripe. The pulp is eaten fresh and
the seeds discarded. The fruit tastes avocado-like and is eaten as a snack
frequently and in moderate amounts.
– The ripe fruit can be squeezed into juice and drunk before or after being
cooled.
Other: The wood is used as timber for general purposes and for firewood, char-
coal, boxes, crates and for making domestic utensils such as spoons and cups.
The tree is used for shade.
SEASON: Fruits are collected throughout the year with a peak in November–De-
cember.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple. Can be propagated using fresh seed.
STATUS: Common and very easily accessible within its area of distribution.

678
 THE SPECIES

Uapaca paludosa (U. guineensis) Euphorbiaceae

Male flower

Female flower
Stigma

Fruit and section Stilt roots

679
 THE SPECIES

Uapaca sansibarica Euphorbiaceae

(U. macrocephala)
Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Ha: Umutobho; Matengo: Mtatanku; Nyakyusa: Kakuchu,
Nsangisa; Nyiha: Mkusu-mpareni; Swahili: Mchenza mwitu, Mouma, Mtalala,
Mtoto; Tongwe: Kakusufinya; Zaramo: Mtalala; Zinza: Mugusugusu.
DESCRIPTION: A small semi-deciduous tree to 14 m, often less, the crown heavy, flat
to rounded. BARK: Grey-black, smooth, then cracked into small square or
oblong scales, stout branchlets black. LEAVES: Alternate and simple, leath-
ery, usually shiny dark green in terminal tufts, about 12 cm but up to
45 cm x 25 cm, wider at the tip, which is rounded, base narrowed to a stalk
1–2 cm, lower surface dull with yellow veins, not more than 20 pairs of side
veins (more in U. kirkiana). FLOWERS: Male and female separate on different
trees, male flowers yellow-green surrounded by yellow leafy bracts, in
stalked clusters, female flowers solitary and stalked, styles fan shaped
and recurved. FRUIT: Rounded yellow-orange-brown and fleshy when
ripe, up to 2 cm diameter, containing 2–4 seeds, the edible flesh yellow, jelly-
like and sweet.
ECOLOGY: Common and locally co-dominant in deciduous and coastal woodland
and associated wooded grassland, also in evergreen woodland and riverine for-
est, 0–1,900 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in most parts of Tanzania except the central and north-east-
ern areas; e.g. in Morogoro, Pwani, Kigoma, Kagera, Mwanza, Mbeya. Also in
Uganda, from Sudan south to Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and
Angola.
USES:
Food:
– Fruits are edible. Ripe fruits are sweet and eaten raw as a snack, especially
by children.
– A pleasant juice can also be made from the fruits.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for timber, tool handles, bedsteads, grain mortars and
beehives.
SEASON: Fruits are available from June to August.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Fruits are collected from the wild as the tree is not cultivated, but it
can be propagated using fresh seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

680
 THE SPECIES

Uapaca sansibarica (contd) Euphorbiaceae

Leaf tip, below

Female flower

Male flowers
Enlarged male
Fruit flower

Fruiting branchlet

681
 THE SPECIES

Urtica massaica Urticaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Maasai stinging nettle; Maasai: Endamejoi, Entameijoi,
Intameijo (plural), Olmbasa, Olnyal; Pare: Ivasha, Ivava; Sambaa: Tufia;
Swahili: Mpupu.
DESCRIPTION: An erect perennial herb to 2 m with few branches, forming loose
clumps from a creeping rhizome, the stems 4-sided and all parts with fiercely
stinging hairs, 1–2 mm long. LEAVES: Opposite, simple, oval, tip pointed, to
13 cm long, base cordate to a stalk to 4 cm, margin wavy, usually dou-
ble-toothed, upper leaf surface with stinging hairs as well as fine hairs, lower
surface with stinging hairs along nerves, brown membranous stipules, 1–2 cm
long, joined together, grow between leaf pairs. FLOWERS: Small, 1 mm, green-
ish, on pairs of spike-like stalks, 3–4 cm long, in the axils of upper leaves,
no petals; male flowers stalked, 4 sepals; female flower without stalks and 4
unequal sepals, the 2 larger ones enclose the ovary. FRUIT: A 1-cm white
achene, flat and oval, enclosed by sepals but dispersed separately.
ECOLOGY: A plant which does well in gaps, on disturbed ground in montane for-
ests, near human habitation, around cattle enclosures, in abandoned fields and
in secondary bushland after clearing of forests in high-altitude areas, 1,500–
3,200.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in the north and east of Tanzania. Also in Uganda, Kenya
and parts of Central Africa.
USES:
Food:
Tender leaves are collected, chopped, soaked in warm water and washed.
They are then cooked alone or mixed with other vegetables, then coconut
milk or pounded groundnuts may be added and the dish eaten along with
ugali. The vegetable is only used as a famine food and is handled with care
because of its stinging hairs (Pare, Sambaa).
Medicinal: A decoction of roots is used as a remedy for stomach-ache (Maasai).
Commercial: Not marketed.
SEASON: Leaves are collected in the rainy season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Leaves are only collected from the wild, but it can easily be propa-
gated using seed and rhizomes.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: U. massaica is regarded by the Maasai as a bad weed of their pasture
land and difficult to control. Many other Urtica species are used as vegetables
in other parts of the world.

682
 THE SPECIES

Urtica massaica Urticaceae

Pairs of flower spikes

Double toothed
leaf margin

683
 THE SPECIES

Uvaria acuminata Annonaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Digo: Mudzala, Mumbweni; Luguru: Msofu; Ngindo: Muhou;
Ngoni: Mhuani; Sambaa: Mleko, Mshofu, Msofu; Sukuma: Ihulungula;
Swahili: Mganda simba, Mgweni, Mwacha; Zaramo: Msofu; Zigua: Mshofu,
Msofu.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or liane creeper to 5 m, leaves and branches with few or
many hairs. LEAVES: Long oval, alternate, 3–8 cm, usually wider at the well-
pointed tip, smooth above but few or many rough star-shaped hairs be-
low, base rounded to a short stalk. FLOWERS: 3 distinct sepals cover the
petals in bud, coarse star hairs rusty in colour, one or two flowers hang down
on flower stalks about 1 cm long, the 6 petals thin or fleshy, almost equal,
6–13 mm, white–pale yellow. FRUIT: Yellow or orange carpels in a bunch
on a stalk to 2 cm, green-brown at first, 5–15, round to ovoid, each 8–16 mm,
covered with rusty hairs and usually containing 1–2 shiny brown seeds.
ECOLOGY: Found in thicket, bushland and dry scrubby forest, also in wetter ever-
green forest or woodland, predominantly coastal, 0–800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Growing in the eastern and southern areas of Tanzania, including
Zanzibar and Pemba Islands; found, for example, in Morogoro, Pwani, Tanga
and Lindi Regions. Also the Kenya coast, Mozambique and Madagascar.
USES:
Food:
– The pulp of ripe fruits is sweet and is eaten raw by sucking it out and dis-
carding the seeds.
– A refreshing juice is prepared by squeezing ripe fruits in water and adding
some sugar, then it is filtered and drunk before or after being cooled.
Medicinal: Roots are boiled and the decoction is used for the treatment of dys-
entery, snakebite, painful menstruation, stomach-ache and breast disorders.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for firewood, withies, bows, tool handles and walking
sticks. The tree is good for ornamental purposes and is a source of bee for-
age.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from July to September.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Fruits are only collected from the wild, but the species can be propa-
gated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

684
 THE SPECIES

Uvaria acuminata Annonaceae

Flowers hang down

Ripe hairy fruit

cluster (monocarps)

685
 THE SPECIES

Uvaria kirkii Annonaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Luguru: Msofu; Ngindo: Mkonjiganga; Sambaa: Msofu; Swahili:
Mcho, Mchofu, Msofu; Zigua: Msofu-simba.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub 1–2 m, or scrambler to 7.5 m. LEAVES: Broadly oval, the tip
flat or notched, 3–12 cm long, no hairs or a few star hairs below. FLOWERS:
Cream-yellow, solitary, terminal or leaf opposed, the 6 petals 30–45 mm long,
on stalks to 3 mm or stalkless. FRUIT: Oblong carpels 17–25 mm, the sur-
face densely hairy and with small warty bumps, each on stalks to 8 mm
and containing 5–8 edible seeds in pulp (not narrowed between seeds).
ECOLOGY: Coastal bushland, scrub thicket or grassland, Brachystegia woodland,
Hyphaene palm savanna, 0–400 m, sometimes riverine.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in coastal areas of Tanzania, including Zanzibar and Pemba
Islands; coastal Kenya, Mozambique.
USES:
Food:
The pulp of ripe fruits is sweet and eaten fresh as a snack. The seeds are
discarded.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for firewood, withies and tool handles. Roots produce
a black dye. The plant is good for ornamental purposes and as a source of
bee forage
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from April to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

686
 THE SPECIES

Uvaria kirkii Annonaceae

Clusters of oblong
fruit (monocarps)

Large flower petals

687
 THE SPECIES

Uvaria lucida subsp. lucida Annonaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Digo: Mudzala; English: Large cluster pear; Sambaa: Mshofu;
Swahili: Mganda simba; Zaramo: Mchofu, Msofu; Zigua: Mshofu.
DESCRIPTION: A climbing shrub or liane 1–7 m. LEAVES: Long oval, usually wider
at the tip, 1–10 cm long, star-shaped hairs and scales on the lower surface.
FLOWERS: Yellow-green, 1–3 together, terminal, opposite leaves or above
leaf axils, petals only 7–20 mm, the cup-like calyx splitting into 3 as the
flower opens. FRUIT: Rusty hairy carpels, slightly bumpy, 9–30 mm
long, narrowed between the 3–12 seeds, on stalks 7–12 mm. A sweet ed-
ible flesh surrounds the seeds.
ECOLOGY: Lowland dry evergreen forest, wooded grassland and coastal bushland,
often on rocky outcrops. Also in riverine forest and Brachystegia woodland, 0–
1,500 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in eastern parts of Tanzania and in Zanzibar. Also coastal
Kenya. This subspecies is not known elsewhere. Subsp. virens is, however, found
in the Uluguru Mountains and generally in southern Africa south of the Zam-
bezi River.
USES:
Food:
– Ripe fruits are fleshy, sweet and eaten raw.
– Ripe fruits may also be used for making juice.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: Wood is used for firewood and withies.
SEASON: Fruits are available from April to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Fruits are collected from the wild as the plant is not cultivated, but it
can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: Roots of U. lucida are said to be poisonous.

688
 THE SPECIES

Uvaria lucida subsp. lucida Annonaceae

Cup-like calyx

Flower

Fruit clusters (monocarps)

689
 THE SPECIES

Vangueria apiculata Rubiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Chagga: Kaworo, Kiviroe, Mdowo, Mkondikondo, Ndawiro; Digo:
Muvuma; English: Tangle-flowered wild medlar; Ha: Mgugunwa,
Umugugunwa; Hehe: Msambalawe; Maasai: Engumieker, Engumi, Ilgum
(plural), Olgumi; Pare: Mdaria; Swahili: Mviru; Zigua: Mviru-mbago.
DESCRIPTION: A deciduous shrub or small tree 1.5–10 m. BARK: Smooth grey-brown.
LEAVES: Thin and papery (no hairs), more or less oval, the tip pointed,
about 13 cm long x 6 cm wide, 7–11 main veins each side of the midrib,
vein network clear below, stalk only 7 mm, stipules at the nodes quite thin, 8
mm long. FLOWERS: Beside leaves, green-white-yellow, in much-
branched bunches, tiny flowers tubular, calyx tubular, the 5 lobes more than
3 mm long. FRUIT: Green, becoming yellow-brown, rounded, 17–22 mm long,
edible.
ECOLOGY: Found in evergreen forest (Juniperus, Podocarpus), riverine, lakeside
forest, bushland thicket, grassland with scattered trees, often on termite mounds
or rocky outcrops, 900–2,200 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in Tanzania from Kilimanjaro to Kagera and south to Rukwa
Region. Also in Uganda and Kenya, from Ethiopia south to Malawi and Zimba-
bwe.
USES:
Food:
Ripe brown fruits are collected from the tree and eaten fresh and the seeds
rejected. They taste sweet and are eaten as a snack. A favourite fruit in the
areas where it occurs.
Medicinal: Leaves are used to treat stomach-ache. Roots are boiled and the
decoction used three times a day to treat intestinal worms.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The stems are used for building poles. The wood is used for firewood,
poles, pegs, tool handles, stirring sticks and charcoal. The tree is suitable for
agroforestry.
SEASON: Fruits are collected in the dry season.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: It is collected from the wild, but is also planted or protected by local
people in their fields and homegardens. Can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

690
 THE SPECIES

Vangueria apiculata Rubiaceae

Fruit

Flower clusters at nodes

691
 THE SPECIES

Vangueria infausta subsp. rotundata Rubiaceae

Indigenous [Plate 6]
LOCAL NAMES: Arusha: Engumi, Loshoro, Olmadanyi; Barabaig: Babaxchet,
Barangu, Malharimog, Malharimo; Bondei: Mvilu, Mviu; Chagga: Kaworo,
Mbowe, Ndawiro, Ndowo; Digo: Mviru; English: False medlar, Wild medlar;
Fipa: Msanda; Gogo: Msada; Hehe: Msada, Msambalawe; Isanzu:
Mukungulusuli; Kerewe: Mufitanda; Luguru: Msada; Maasai: Engumi,
Engumi-etari Olgumi, Olmadanyi; Matengo: Lindikiti, Mapendo, Masada;
Meru: Imumua; Ndendeule: Mavilo makubwa; Ngoni: Mavilo makubwa;
Nyamwezi: Msada; Nyaturu: Mulade-mujenghuma; Nyiramba: Mkungu-
lusuli; Pare: Mdaria; Rangi: Muriru, Musada, Muviru; Rufiji: Msada;
Sambaa: Mvilu, Mviu; Sandawi: N/.uúk; Swahili: Mviru; Vidunda: Msada;
Zaramo: Msada; Zigua: Mvilu, Mviru, Mviu; Zinza: Mnyabwita.
DESCRIPTION: A deciduous, usually multi-stemmed bushy shrub or small tree, usu-
ally 1.5–5 m tall. BARK: Smooth and grey at first becoming rough and ridged
with age, young parts densely brown hairy. LEAVES: Opposite, large
oval, 4–30 cm long, on short stalks, leathery pale green with conspicuous net
veins, lighter below, soft dense hairs can be felt both sides, a pair of hairy,
triangular pointed stipules to 1 cm at the nodes. FLOWERS: White-yel-
low-green, densely clustered on hairy branched heads, the stalks about
3 cm, each flower to 5 mm, corolla with spreading hairs outside, soon fall-
ing. FRUIT: A round berry, the tough skin pale brown and smooth when
ripe, 2–4 cm across, containing about 5 seeds in a soft, brown pulp. Young
fruit shiny, dark green with a circular mark (flower remains) at the tip.
ECOLOGY: Dry evergreen forests, fringing forest, woodland, Acacia bushland, grass-
land with scattered trees, rocky thickets, 0–2,100 m. (Subspecies differ in leaf
size, hairiness, altitude and distribution.)
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania; Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, Malawi.
Very similar subspecies grow from Central Africa to South Africa.
USES:
Food:
– Fruits are edible. Ripe fruits are collected from the tree and eaten raw. They
are sweet and liked and eaten by many people in areas where they occur.
– Ripe fruits are fermented and made into a local brew (Hehe).
Medicinal:
– Roots are boiled and the liquid is used as treatment for STDs.
– A decoction of roots is used as a remedy for stomach-ache, infertility and
intestinal worms.
– Roots are chewed and applied on the site of a snake bite.
Commercial: Sold in local markets (Chagga, Hehe, Sambaa, Rangi).
Other: The wood is used for firewood, building poles, tool handles, pegs and

692
 THE SPECIES

Vangueria infausta subsp. rotundata (contd)

spoons. Small branches are used for stirring milk and cooking vegetables.
The tree is good for shade and as an ornamental.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from November to July.
STORAGE: Dried fruits can be stored for about a year and then soaked in warm
water for about 12 hours when required for eating.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but the species is now being retained
and protected in cultivation. Propagation can be done using scarified seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: This species is one of the most popular wild fruit trees in Tanzania that
requires and deserves immediate cultivation and breeding.

Enlarged flower

Variable leaf
shapes

Fruit

Calyx scar

693
 THE SPECIES

Vangueria madagascariensis Rubiaceae

(V. acutiloba)
Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES : Arusha: Engumi, Loshoro, Olmadanyi; Barabaig: Babaxchet,
Barangu, Malharimog; Chagga: Kaworo, Ndawiro, Ndowo; English: Com-
mon wild medlar, Wild medlar; Fipa: Msada; Gogo: Msada; Hehe:
Msambalawe; Iraqw: Erakwtu, Irakwtu; Kerewe: Mfitanda; Maasai: Engumi,
Olgumi, Olmadanyi; Matengo: Lindikiti; Meru: Imumua; Nyamwezi: Msada;
Nyaturu: Mulade, Mulade-mujenghuma; Nyiramba: Mkungu-lusili, Mkungu-
lusuli, Mubilu; Pare: Mbiro, Mdaria; Rangi: Musada, Muviru; Sandawi: N/
.unk’máxáe; Swahili: Mviru.
DESCRIPTION: Usually multi-stemmed and deciduous, the tree may reach 15 m.
BARK: Pale to dark grey, fairly smooth, becoming scaly. LEAVES: Clustered at
the ends of branches, large, limp, glossy green, broadly oval to 20 cm,
usually smaller, opposite, the tip pointed, the margin wavy, veins clear below;
leaves almost hairless. Leafy stipules on the young shoots. FLOWERS:
Small, few, in hairy stalked heads, petals green-yellow, lobes of tubular
corolla about 4 mm, 5 lobes of the tubular calyx less than 2 mm long. FRUIT:
Rounded, green, 2.5–5 cm across, often in bunches of 5–6, yellow-brown
and edible when ripe, containing 4–5 hard seeds. Each seed 1.5-cm long.
ECOLOGY: Evergreen forest, riverine forest and woodland, bushland, grassland and
scattered trees, sometimes on rocky outcrops or termite mounds, 0–2,100 m.
DISTRIBUTION: It grows throughout Tanzania, including Zanzibar and Pemba. Also
from West Africa to Sudan, Ethiopia and south into South Africa. It is culti-
vated in Madagascar, the Congo basin, India and the West Indies.
USES:
Food:
Ripe juicy fruits are collected from the tree, peeled and the pulp eaten fresh.
It has a mealy taste, like Irish potatoes, and is eaten as a snack.
Medicinal:
– A decoction of roots is used as a remedy for various intestinal worms.
– An infusion of the bark is used for treating malaria.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The wood is used for firewood, poles, charcoal, tool handles, pegs and
stirring sticks.
SEASON: It is collected during dry spells, mostly in June–July.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and usually not cultivated by local people,
but often retained in farms during clearing. Can be propagated by seed. The
tree is occasionally planted.

694
 THE SPECIES

Vangueria madagascariensis (contd)

STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.

Enlarged flower

Flowers and young fruit

Mature fruit

695
 THE SPECIES

Vangueria volkensii Rubiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Arusha: Engumi, Olmadanyi; Chagga: Kaworo, Ndawiro, Ndowo;
English: Wild medlar; Haya: Mgugunwa; Hehe: Msambalawe; Maasai:
Engumi, Olmadanyi, Olgumi; Pare: Mdaria; Sambaa: Mvilu, Mviu; Swahili:
Mviru; Vidunda: Msada.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or small tree 4–9 m, young stems with short soft hairs,
branches often arching when mature. LEAVES: Long oval and long pointed,
3–17 cm, the base narrowed or nearly heart shaped, both leaf surfaces with
short dense hairs. FLOWERS: A branched flower head from the leaf axil,
over 2 cm, green-cream-yellow, fairly dense, the corolla tube to 5 mm and
hairy within, with 5 short lobes, buds over 5 mm long and the calyx lobes
strap shaped, 3–8 mm. FRUIT: A rounded berry, green, turning brown,
to 3 cm diameter, with soft acid-sweet pulp around the seeds.
ECOLOGY: Found at evergreen forest margins, often associated with Juniperus and
Podocarpus, in riverine forests, wet valleys, bushland, rocky places in wooded
grassland and on termite mounds, 900–2,500 m.
DISTRIBUTION: In most parts of Tanzania, e.g. in Kagera, Arusha, Tanga, Iringa,
Songea and Mbeya Regions. Also Kenya and Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, Rwanda
and the Congo basin.
USES:
Food:
Fruits are edible. Ripe fruits are collected from the tree and eaten fresh.
They are sweet and much liked by people of all ages.
Commercial: Fruits are sold in local markets (Iringa).
Other: The tree is used for firewood, poles, handles and stirring sticks.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from April–August.
STORAGE: Dried fruits can be stored for about 12 months and then soaked in water
for 6–12 hours before being required for eating.
MANAGEMENT: Fruits are usually collected from the wild, but sometimes retained
and protected by the local people in their farms; can be propagated using scari-
fied seed.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: A popular wild fruit tree which merits domestication and improvement.

696
 THE SPECIES

Vangueria volkensii Rubiaceae

Buds

Fruiting branch

Flowers and young fruit

Typical oblong calyx lobes

697
 THE SPECIES

Vangueriopsis lanciflora Rubiaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : English: Crooked false medlar; Hehe: Msambalawe lulenga;
Nyamwezi: Mgelelya, Mungelelya.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or small tree, 7 m or more, with spreading more-or-less hori-
zontal branches. BARK: Smooth, grey on trunk and older branches; powdery
red-brown on young branches, flaking to show brown-pink underbark.
LEAVES: Variable, 3–13 cm long, oval and opposite, blue-green, roughly hairy
above or smooth, but grey-white hairs below, tip rounded or not, edge wavy,
on a stalk about 1 cm. FLOWERS: Appear before the leaves, tubular green-
yellow buds, hairy, about 2 cm long, open to reveal white petals which curl
back, sweet scented and showy. Flowers borne in leaf axils. FRUIT: Rounded
when it has 2 seeds but one-sided when only 1 seed develops, up to 3 cm
long, green and hairy, becoming yellow-brown; fleshy slightly acid pulp
around seeds.
ECOLOGY: Found in Brachystegia–Julbernardia woodland and wooded grassland,
often associated with rocky outcrops, 1,100–1,400 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Occurs in western and southern Tanzania. Also in parts of Central
Africa and south to South Africa.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruits are collected from the tree or picked up from the ground and
eaten raw. They are fleshy, juicy and sweet and are much sought after by
people, birds and monkeys. Mature fruits can be collected and kept covered
in the shade for several days to ripen. They are peeled, the flesh sucked out
and swallowed together with the seeds.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for firewood and spoons. The tree provides shade and
is a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from October to December.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Usually collected from the wild, but sometimes retained in farms by
local people. The tree can be propagated by fresh seed.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: A very important fruit tree which merits being given high priority for
domestication and breeding.

698
 THE SPECIES

Vangueriopsis lanciflora Rubiaceae

Flower head

One enlarged flower

Buds

Dry fruit

Young fruit

699
 THE SPECIES

Vigna pubescens Papilionaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Chagga: Ngolowo; Hehe: Nyanandala; Ngindo: Kikochongo;
Nyamwezi: Nsili zya mwipolu; Swahili: Kunde mwitu; Zaramo: Kunde-mbala;
Zigua: Nkunde.
DESCRIPTION: A hairy perennial climbing herb, 1–2 m, stems covered with short
white hairs. LEAVES: Compound, with 3 leaflets, hairy both sides, the
largest central leaflet 5–10 cm, may be deeply 3-lobed with extra lobes at the
base, laterals one-sided and variously lobed, the main stalk 2–7 cm, a pair of
thin long-pointed stipules at the base with a characteristic spur, 4–9, mm
projecting outwards. FLOWERS: Pea shaped, purple, the standard 1–2
cm long and wide, tip notched, 2 paler lateral lobes, the keel paler with a
short beak (no keel pocket), the tubular calyx usually hairy, the 5 lobes longer
than the tube, the flower stalk with a few stiff hook-like hairs below the flower.
FRUIT: Pods held erect, cylindrical 5–8 cm, covered with short, dense
hairs, often reddish, containing 15–18 seeds, dark red, speckled black.
ECOLOGY: Bushland, grassland, grassland with scattered trees, 0–1,000 m. Very
similar to V. unguiculata apart from the white hairs.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania. Also in Kenya and Uganda; parts of Cen-
tral Africa and south to Mozambique.
USES:
Food:
Green leaves are collected, chopped and cooked alone or mixed with other
vegetables or meat. Coconut milk or pounded groundnuts can be added to
make the dish more tasty, then it is eaten with ugali or rice.
Commercial: Leaves are sometimes sold in local markets (Korogwe, Muheza).
Other: The plant is used for fodder.
SEASON: Leaves are collected during the rainy season and seeds are collected dur-
ing the early dry season.
STORAGE: Dried leaves and seeds can be stored for several months.
MANAGEMENT: Only collected from the wild, but it can easily be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

700
 THE SPECIES

Vigna pubescens Papilionaceae

Fruit pods

Stipule

Seeds

701
 THE SPECIES

Vitex doniana Verbenaceae

Indigenous [Plate 6]
LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Mfudu; Bondei: Mgobe; English: Black plum; Fipa: Kiputu,
Mchinka, Mfuru, Mufita; Gogo: Mfulu; Gorowa: Orrolmo; Isanzu: Mfulu;
Kerewe: Mukoronto; Luguru: Mfuru, Mkoga; Matengo: Fudwe, Mfudu,
Mpitimbi, Mptimbwi; Mwera: Mpindimbi; Ndendeule: Fudwe, Mfudu,
Mpitimbi; Ngindo: Mfulu bonde; Ngoni: Fudwe, Mfudu, Mpitimbi; Nguu:
Mgobwe; Nyamwezi: Mfulu, Mfululegea, Mfuzu, Mpulu, Mpuru; Nyiha:
Mkunungu; Rangi: Mpuru; Sambaa: Mgobe; Swahili: Mfudu, Mfuru, Mfuu;
Tongwe: Lufulu; Vidunda: Mkoga; Zaramo: Mfuru; Zigua: Mgobe; Zinza:
Muvuru.
DESCRIPTION: A small or large tree, 8–14 m, with a heavy rounded crown and a
clear bole. BARK: Pale brown or grey-white, with long fissures and scales.
LEAVES: Opposite and compound, the five leaflets digitate (like fin-
gers), leathery and shiny, each leaflet stalked to 22 cm long, tip rounded or
notched, lower leaflets smaller. FLOWERS: Fragrant, in dense bunches on a
long stalk, to 12 cm across, each flower cream with one hairy violet lobe;
the calyx enlarging to a hairy cup around the fruit. FRUIT: Oblong, to 3 cm,
green, marked with white dots, black when ripe, edible starchy pulp around
the hard inner stone containing 1–4 seeds, dispersed by monkeys.
ECOLOGY: A savanna species in wooded grassland; also at forest edges, 0–2,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread throughout Tanzania, including Zanzibar and Pemba;
throughout tropical Africa from Senegal to Cameroon, Mozambique, Malawi,
Zambia, Zimbabwe to Angola, Comoro Islands. Has been cultivated in some
places.
USES:
Food:
– The ripe fruit are black, edible, sweet and mealy. May be collected from the
ground when ripe (black) and the soft fleshy part eaten, while the inner
stone is rejected. It is frequently eaten as a snack. A well-known fruit eaten
in many of the areas of Tanzania where it occurs.
– If the hard shell of the inner stone is cracked open the seeds inside are edible
and eaten mostly by children.
Medicinal:
– A decoction of the roots is used as a remedy for backache in women.
– Juice from pounded leaves is squeezed into the eyes to treat eye disease.
– An infusion of the leaves is added to alcoholic brews to make them stronger.
Commercial: Fruits are sold in local markets (Songea, Iringa, Tabora, Kigoma).
Other: The tree provides good timber for furniture. The wood is also used for
firewood, charcoal, carvings, gunstocks, spoons, tool handles and beehives.
The tree is also used for shade.

702
 THE SPECIES

Vitex doniana (contd) Verbenaceae

SEASON: Fruits are collected from April to July.

STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple. The species is easily propagated from seed and root suckers.
STATUS: Common, and a single tree can yield much fruit.
REMARKS: A favourite tree for hanging beehives in Zambia. One of the most wide-
spread and useful Vitex of East Africa.

Flower head

Calyx cup

Ripe fruit

703
 THE SPECIES

Vitex ferruginea Verbenaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES : Bondei: Mgobe, Mugobe; Fipa: Kiputu; Gogo: Mfulu; Haya:
Omufuru, Omukanse; Hehe: Mfudu; Luguru: Mfulu, Mfuru; Mwera: Mfuru;
Nyamwezi: Mfulu, Mfulugenge; Nyaturu: Mufuu; Nyiramba: Mupulu;
Sambaa: Mfulu, Mfuru, Mgobe; Swahili: Mfudu, Mfulu, Mfuu, Mgege, Mtalali;
Tongwe: Kabulampako; Zaramo: Mfuru; Zigua: Mfuru, Mgobe, Mugobe.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub to 4 m, or a tree to 13 m, trunk slightly fluted, often decidu-
ous and flowering with young leaf growth; branchlets with yellow-rusty brown
hairs which are found on many other parts of the plant. BARK: Smooth, light
grey with shallow grooves and small pieces flaking off with age. LEAVES: Com-
pound and opposite with 3–7 digitate leaflets (like fingers), unequal size,
the largest 5–14 cm, with a long pointed tip, the upper surface dull with few
hairs, lower surface with rusty hairs and clear veins, leaflets stalked to 1
cm long but a long hairy leaf stalk up to 12 cm. FLOWERS: In dense heads
beside leaves, on stalks to 5 cm, with narrow leafy bracts; calyx and outside
petals all hairy. Small tubular flowers about 1 cm long have 1 blue-
violet lobe and 4 white lobes, the throat hairy and sometimes yellow. FRUIT:
Rounded and fleshy, green with white spots, turning shiny black when ripe,
to 4 cm long, edible. The calyx enlarges in the fruit.
ECOLOGY: It is found in coastal bushland and at edges of cultivation, dry lowland
forest and Brachystegia woodland, 0–1,400 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania; occurs, for example, in Kagera, Pwani,
Tanga, Morogoro and Songea Regions. Also occurs in coastal Kenya, Uganda,
Somalia, south to Mozambique and South Africa.
USES:
Food:
Fruits are edible. Ripe fruits are black, fleshy, sweet and eaten raw. The
pulp is eaten and the hard stone discarded.
Medicinal: Leaves are chewed to treat sore and swollen throat.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The wood is used for firewood, charcoal and spoons.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from April to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Ripe fruits are collected from the wild. The tree can be propagated
by seed.
STATUS: Occasional within its area of distribution.

704
 THE SPECIES

Vitex ferruginea Verbenaceae

Flowers

Fruit showing
enlarged calyx

Fruiting branch

705
 THE SPECIES

Vitex fischeri Verbenaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Fipa: Kiputu; Nyamwezi: Mfuzu, Mpulu; Sukuma: Mfulu, Mpulu;
Swahili: Mfudu, Mfuu; Zinza: Mhunda.
DESCRIPTION: A savanna shrub or deciduous tree, 3–15 m, the spreading crown
rounded, outer branches often hanging down nearly to the ground. Young
branches, shoots, leaf stalks and undersides of leaves with dense orange-yel-
low hairs. BARK: Grey to dark brown, with long shallow fissures. LEAVES:
Compound palmate, strongly scented, young leaves dark purple-green,
becoming paler with age, the 5 leaflets wide oval, tips pointed, the longest
leaflet 5–19 cm x 3–10 cm across, slightly sandpapery above, densely
hairy below, on long stalks. FLOWERS: Flower head conspicuous on a long
axillary stalk 5–24 cm, each flower 6–8 mm, the tubular corolla usually
cream-white, yellow inside, the lower lobe mauve–bright blue (or both pur-
ple-blue). FRUIT: Green, with pale spots, later purple-black, drupes about
1 cm long, held in the enlarged calyx cups.
ECOLOGY: A tree of forest edges, young closed forest and gaps, also savanna wood-
land and thicket, often on rocky sites, termite mounds, preferring sandy loam
soils. Also occurring on some islands in Lake Victoria, up to 1,500 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found only around Lake Victoria and in parts of western Tanzania.
Also in Uganda and Kenya, from Sudan south to Zambia and Angola.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruits are fleshy and eaten raw. The black pulp is eaten and the hard
stone rejected.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The wood is used for firewood and charcoal. The tree provides shade
and is a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from April to June.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not cultivated or protected by local peo-
ple, but can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

706
 THE SPECIES

Vitex fischeri Verbenaceae

Flower heads

Young fruit within

enlarged calyx cup

707
 THE SPECIES

Vitex madiensis subsp. milanjiensis Verbenaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES : Bende: Mfulu-legea; Fipa: Kiputu; Ha: Umupapa, Umuvyiru,
Uvyiru; Nyamwezi: Mfulu-legea; Sukuma: Mpulu; Swahili: Mfudu, Mfuu;
Tongwe: Kafulujegeya.
DESCRIPTION: A woody herb or shrub to 1.5, m forming patches about 1 m wide
from a large underground rootstock, or a tree 4–7 m. The stems may be dark
red–purple with dense red-brown hairs, even woolly when young, but finally
they are quite smooth. LEAVES: Normally 3 leaflets, or a single one (not
usually with 5 leaflets), characteristically fragrant when crushed, arising 3
together, fairly stiff, drying yellow-green, variable in shape, to 25 cm long x 1
cm wide, usually less, tip sharply pointed and edge with shallow but large
rounded teeth, a clear vein network below, which is usually densely hairy,
longest leaf stalk about 3 cm and main leaf stalk 5–15 cm. FLOWERS: Scented,
in loose heads beside leaves, on a stalk 4–12 cm, each tiny flower velvety, out-
side pink-white with the lower larger lobe violet-blue. Hairs on the
back of the petals and on the calyx and flower stalks. FRUIT: Oblong-
rounded, about 2.5 cm long, 1–2 cm across, shiny green with white spots, rip-
ening black, containing 3 seeds, calyx cup enlarged and toothed, about
1 cm across.
ECOLOGY: Found in Combretum, Terminalia and Brachystegia woodland and flood
pans with Brachystegia, 1,000–1,300 m. Another variety, var. epidictyodes,
grows in grassland, wooded grassland or dense woodlands, 1,060–1,800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Subsp. milanjiensis is found around Lake Victoria and Lake Tan-
ganyika, e.g. in Mwanza, Kagera, Kigoma and Rukwa Regions. Also occurs in
parts of Central Africa, south to Zimbabwe and Angola.
USES:
Food:
The ripe fruits are collected from the ground and the pulp eaten, but the
seeds rejected. They taste sweet and mealy.
Commercial: Sold in local markets.
Other: The wood is used for firewood and charcoal. The tree is used for shade
and is a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from March to July.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, but also protected on farmland by local peo-
ple. It can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: It is a rich source of vitamin C. Var. epidictyodes is a small somewhat
succulent shrub to 2 m, growing from a massive underground woody rootstock,

708
 THE SPECIES

Vitex madiensis subsp. milanjiensis (contd)

found in western Tanzania and the Southern Highlands; also the Congo basin,
Burundi, Malawi, Angola.

Loose flower heads

Trifoliate leaves

Fruit in toothed
calyx cup

709
 THE SPECIES

Vitex mombassae Verbenaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Bena: Msasati; Bondei: Mgobe; Digo: Fudumadzi, Mfudukoma;
English: Smelly-berry vitex; Fipa: Kiputu, Mchinka, Mfulu, Mkinka, Mkiinka;
Gorowa: Tlambau; Hehe: Mfudululenga, Msasati; Iraqw: Tlambau; Isanzu:
Msalati; Kerewe: Msungwa; Kimbu: Msuungwi; Maasai: Olpuri; Matengo:
Msada, Nsoku; Nyamwezi: Mgukubi, Msungwe, Msungwi, Mtalali; Nyaturu:
Irwana, Msasati, Mtaai, Musasarti; Nyiramba: Msasati, Msasi; Rangi:
Mchumbau, Muchumbau, Mjumbau; Sukuma: Mgukubi, Msungwi; Swahili:
Mbwanga, Mfudu, Mfudu maji, Mgege, Mtalali, Mvumba; Zigua: Mgobe;
Zinza: Mkakata, Msungwa.
DESCRIPTION: A stiffly branched deciduous shrub or small tree to 8 m. BARK: Rough
grey to brown with deep longitudinal fissures. Branchlets densely covered
with brown-red hairs. LEAVES: Compound, opposite, with 5 leaflets, some-
times 3 leaflets (lower 2 leaflets deformed or absent), widest above the middle,
about 6 cm long, short soft hairs above but dense orange hairs below,
on hairy stalks to 9 cm. FLOWERS: Few flowers in a branched head on stalks
to 6 cm, each flower 5 mm, all violet-blue or all white with upper lip all blue;
petals twice as long as calyx lobes, ovary hairy. FRUIT: Rounded to ob-
long, 2–3 cm long, green at first, turning black when ripe, juicy. Calyx lobes
enlarge, cover the fruit but later open out or bend back.
ECOLOGY: Found in scrub and secondary thicket bushland, Brachystegia wood-
land, often on rocky granite hills, 0–1,600 m. Abundant in open areas where
natural vegetation has been partly cleared. It prefers sandy soils with high
groundwater.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania. Also in Kenya, parts of Central Africa and
south to South Africa.
USES:
Food:
– Fruits are edible. Ripe fruits are juicy and eaten raw. They have a sharp,
persistent taste and an unpleasant smell, but are much eaten, especially by
herdsmen and children.
– Wood ash is soaked in water and filtered. The resulting liquid is used to
tenderize vegetables during cooking.
– Cracking open the hard shell of the inner stone reveals edible seeds inside.
Medicinal: Root are boiled and the decoction used as a remedy for diabetes
and infertility and as an antiemetic.
Commercial: Sold in most local markets in Tanzania (Kigoma, Tabora, Singida,
Kondoa, Iringa, Mbeya).
Other: The wood is used for firewood, poles, troughs, grain mortars, pestles,
spoons and tool handles. The tree provides good shade and is a source of bee
forage.

710
 THE SPECIES

Vitex mombassae (contd) Verbenaceae

SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from April to June in Tabora, Songea and Kigoma,
and April–September in Iringa, Njombe and Mbeya.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Fruits are usually collected from the wild, but the species is also
protected on farms by the local people. It can be propagated using fresh seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: The fruits are rich in vitamin C.

Calyx cups

Fruit

711
 THE SPECIES

Vitex payos var. payos Verbenaceae

Indigenous [Plate 6]
LOCAL NAMES: English: Black plum, Chocolate berry; Fipa: Kiputu; Gogo: Mfulu;
Hehe: Mfulu, Mkoga; Luguru: Mfuru, Mpitimbi, Ngoni; Mwera: Mpitimbi;
Nyamwezi: Mfulu, Mfulu-genge; Nyaturu: Mufuu; Rangi: Mpuru; Sandawi:
Naaso; Swahili: Mfudu, Mfuu; Vidunda: Mkoga; Zigua: Mgobe; Zinza:
Mtombofa.
DESCRIPTION: A small- to medium-sized tree, 4–10 m with a rounded crown; rarely,
a shrub about 2 m. BARK: Grey-brown, very rough, with deep vertical grooves,
all young parts densely covered with grey-yellow to red-brown woolly
hairs, stems often square, covered with large leaf scars. LEAVES: Leaves
opposite, the 5 leaflets arranged like the fingers of a hand, the largest central
leaflet up to 20 cm long, leaflets without stalks, wider at the tip, which is
rounded, bright green with few hairs above, long red-brown hairs below, the
edges often thick and rolled under, the main, hairy, stalk to 12 cm. FLOW-
ERS: Pale mauve or blue, fragrant, an attractive tree in flower. Each flower
about 6 mm, 2–lipped, the lower lip white, the upper mauve, from few together
to dense heads on a slender common stalk, 6–13 cm, beside leaves. FRUIT:
In clusters, each one round–oval chocolate brown, to 2 cm long with a
tough skin and pointed tip, juicy edible pulp surrounds a single stone. The
persistent calyx makes a broad shallow cup 1–2 cm deep.
ECOLOGY: Wooded grassland, or Acacia woodland on termite mounds, rocky out-
crops, or more open grasslands at low to medium altitudes, 0–1,600 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania; also in Kenya, Mozambique, Malawi and
Zimbabwe.
USES:
Food:
Fruits are edible. Ripe fruits are fleshy and eaten raw and the hard stones
discarded. The fruits have a rather unpleasant smell, and leave a temporary
black stain on the teeth, but they are much eaten by children and herds-
men.
Medicinal:
– A decoction of the root is used as a remedy for stomach problems.
– The pounded bark is administered to treat threadworm and skin problems.
– The leaves are boiled and the liquid drunk by patients who have lost their
appetite.
Commercial: The edible fruit are sold in local markets (Dodoma, Kondoa,
Singida).
Other: The wood is used for firewood, poles and spoons. The tree is used for
fodder, shade and is a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from April to July.

712
 THE SPECIES

Vitex payos var. payos (contd) Verbenaceae

STORAGE: Not stored.

MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild only. The species can be propagated by seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.

Long hairs
below leaf Variable leaf shape

Flower heads

Young fruit
Ripe fruit

713
 THE SPECIES

Ximenia americana Olacaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Bena: Mpingipingi; Bende: Msantu; Chagga: Lama; Digo:
Mtundakula; English: False sandalwood, Small sourplum; Tallow nut, Wild
plum; Gogo: Mtundwe; Gorowa: Tarantu; Hehe: Mingi, Mtundwahavi;
Iraqw: Mutuhu, Tahhamanto, Tarantu; Nyamwezi: Mnembwa mudo,
Mnembwa, Mtundwa; Maasai: Engamai (plural), Ilama (plural), Lama, Olama,
Olamai; Mbugwe: Olamai, Tarantu; Rangi: Mjingu; Sambaa: Mtundui;
Sandawi: //’aáya; Sangu: Mingi, Mtundwahai; Sukuma: Mpingi, Mtundwa;
Swahili: Mpingi, Mtundakula; Tongwe: Lusantu; Zaramo: Membwa, Mhingi,
Mpingi, Muhingi; Zigua: Mtundwi.
DESCRIPTION: Usually a spiny shrub or small tree to 4 m, spines to 1 cm, thin and
straight; leaves and branches without hairs (young stems never very hairy).
BARK: Brown-black, small scales. LEAVES: Alternate, simple or in tufts,
oblong, 2–4 cm long, blue-grey-green, folding upwards along midrib, tip
round or notched. FLOWERS: Very fragrant, small, green-white, in small
branched clusters with a common stalk. FRUIT: Oval, to 2.5 cm, thin skin,
usually yellow, occasionally pink-red, pulp sour but refreshing. One large
seed, containing oil.
Ecology: Found in wooded grassland, deciduous and coastal bushland, dry and
moist woodlands, 900–2,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania; also found throughout tropical Africa, Asia
and America.
USES:
Food:
– The sweet but slightly acidic fruit pulp is edible. Ripe orange-to-red fruits
are collected in handfuls and eaten fresh. They are very tasty when fully
ripe. It is eaten as a snack.
– Ripe fruits are peeled and squeezed in warm water, sugar is added and the
juice is ready for drinking. It may also be fermented into a local brew.
Medicinal:
– Roots are boiled and the decoction used as medicine for anaemia, hernia,
mental disorders, gastric disorders, retained placenta, intestinal worms and
STDs.
– Fruits when eaten in large quantities act as a vermifuge.
– An infusion of leaves is used to treat stomach-ache.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and used for firewood and tool handles. The plant is
suitable for hedges and is a source of bee forage. Oil from the seeds is used for
softening leather and as a skin cream.
SEASON: Fruits are collected in the dry season.

714
 THE SPECIES

Ximenia americana (contd)

STORAGE: Not stored.

MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple. It can be propagated using fresh seed.
STATUS: Uncommon and difficult to access in cultivated areas, but common and
easily accessible where woodlands still exist.

One flower enlarged

Spines

Mature fruit and section

715
 THE SPECIES

Ximenia caffra Olacaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Barabaig: Maanyangu; Bena: Mpingipingi; Bende: Msantu; Eng-
lish: Large sourplum; Gogo: Mjingu, Mtundwe; Gorowa: Maanyangu,
Maayangumo; Hehe: Mtundwa; Iraqw: Maanyangu; Isanzu: Mtundwi;
Kerewe: Mseaka; Maasai: Lama; Matengo: Mpingipingi; Ndendeule:
Mbingembinge, Mpingipingi; Ngindo: Mpingi; Ngoni: Mbingimbingi,
Mpingipingi; Nyamwezi: Mnembwa, Mtundwa; Nyaturu: Mutundwe;
Nyiramba: Mtundwi; Rangi: Mjengu, Mjingu; Sambaa: Mtundui; Sandawi:
/.Wandánda, Xaya; Swahili: Mpingi; Zaramo: Muhingi; Zigua: Mhingi,
Mtundwi; Zinza: Mseka.
DESCRIPTION: A shrub or, more commonly, a tree up to 8 m, armed with small spines.
Young stems can be very hairy. BARK: Grey, grey-brown or black, smooth
at first, then rough and fissured when old. LEAVES: Simple, alternate, 2.5–6.0
cm long, densely hairy at first and becoming shiny dark green, smooth
when mature, on a short stalk. FLOWERS: Solitary or in bunches from the
same point, small, white-green, sometimes pink to red around the hairy throat.
FRUIT: Oval, about 2.5 cm long, greenish when young, then bright red when
ripe, soft, edible, containing one woody seed. The flavour is best when over-
ripe.
ECOLOGY: Found in dry woodland and wooded grassland, often on rocky hillsides
and termite mounds, 0–2,000 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania. Found, for example, in Kagera, Mwanza,
Pwani, Dodoma, Morogoro and Tabora Regions. Also Kenya and Uganda, west-
wards to the Congo basin and into Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa.
USES:
Food:
Ripe fruits are picked from the tree and eaten raw. They are sweet and are
much eaten by children and herdsmen. A refreshing drink can be prepared
by squeezing fruits in water and adding sugar.
Medicinal:
– A decoction of leaves is used as a remedy for malaria, coughs, toothache,
stomach-ache, ulcers and hookworm. Pounded leaves are used as poultices
for wounds and boils.
– Roots are boiled and the decoction is used as a remedy for chest pains, STDs,
infertility, mental illness, bilharzia, scorpion bites, menstrual problems and
generalized body pains. Roots are also used to treat anaemia, hernia, and
against intestinal worms.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for firewood, tool handles, spoons, walking sticks,
bows and storage containers. The tree is used for shade, hedges and as an

716
 THE SPECIES

Ximenia caffra (contd)

ornamental. Oil extracted from the seed is used for cosmetics and for soften-
ing of hides.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from November to January.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Fruits are collected from the wild. This species can be propagated
using fresh seed.
STATUS: Sometimes common within its area of distribution.

Flowers

Leafy shoot

Fruit

Spines

717
 THE SPECIES

Xylotheca tettensis var. kirkii Flacourtiaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Northern African dog-rose; Luguru: Msekaseka; Mwera:
Mchemka, Njaunabonde; Ngindo: Mlimia mbopo; Swahili: Mchekaucha,
Mchekwa, Mkwema, Mripuripu, Msekwasekwa; Zaramo: Mkekwa,
Mnywanywa, Mseka, Msekaseka, Msekwasekwa.
DESCRIPTION: A deciduous shrub or small tree, 1–5 m. BARK: Grey, with long
grooves, young branches hairless (or long yellow hairs in some variants).
LEAVES: Alternate or clustered on side shoots, wide oval, 6–11 cm, wider at
the rounded tip, narrowed at the base to a 1.5-cm stalk, edges entire and
wavy, shiny above, paler below, 4–8 pairs of looping side veins and clear vein
network both sides. FLOWERS: Appear just after new leaves, usually solitary
or 2–3, in axils or terminal on branchlets, sweet scented, large, white and
showy, 5–10 cm across, many stamens making a conspicuous yellow
centre, 4 sepals, 7–12 free petals to 4.5 cm long. FRUIT: A black oval–
rounded capsule, 3–4 cm diameter, with a hard pointed tip, splitting by 8
into a star shape to set free yellow-brown seeds in a thin gold-scarlet edible
pulp (the fruit capsule may be smooth, or hairy, shallow or deeply grooved).
ECOLOGY: Found in lowland woodland, bushland, secondary bushland, 0–600 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Four varieties of this species all grow in Tanzania but the most wide-
spread, var. kirkii, grows in Tanga and eastern and southern parts of the coun-
try, as well as in Zanzibar; Mozambique, Kenya.
USES:
Food:
The pulp of ripe fruits is sweet and eaten raw. The sweet pulp is swallowed
and seed are discarded. Eaten as a snack.
Medicinal: Roots are chewed or boiled and the decoction is used as an aphrodi-
siac. When chewed, the juice is swallowed and the rest is discarded.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is used for firewood. The plant is used for ornamental pur-
poses and is a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from November to January.
STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Ripe fruits are usually collected from the wild, but the species can be
propagated by seed.
STATUS: Locally common.
REMARKS: Four varieties are recognized in Tanzania:
1. var. fissistyla: which is only found in Bagamoyo;
2. var. kirkii: found in Tanga, Pwani, Morogoro and Lindi Regions and on Zanzi-
bar;

718
 THE SPECIES

Xylotheca tettensis var. kirkii (contd)

3. var. macrophylla: found in Pwani and Lindi Regions;

4. var. tettensis: found in Arusha, Morogoro, Pwani and Lindi Regions.

Sepal

Petal

Fruit

Ovary and stigma

Fruit opening
Seed

719
 THE SPECIES

Zanha africana (Dialiopsis africana) Sapindaceae

Indigenous
L OCAL NAMES : Bondei: Mkwanga; English: Velvet-fruited zanha; Gorowa:
Mnughumo; Ha: Umukakili; Hehe: Kivangaduma, Muvanga duma, Mwanga
duma; Isanzu: Muyuyu; Luguru: Mdaula; Matengo: Chimanyi; Ngindo:
Mjuju; Nyamwezi: Mkalya; Nyaturu: Mujulu; Rangi: Mnjulu, Mnuhu;
Sambaa: Mkwanga; Sukuma: Mkalya, Ng’watya; Swahili: Mkalya,
Mkwanga; Zigua: Mkwanga.
DESCRIPTION: A small deciduous tree, 3.5–12 m, the bole often crooked, the grey
erect branches forming a light open crown. BARK: Pale red-brown at first, darker
grey-brown with age, cracking and flaking in patches to show an orange layer
below. LEAVES: Dark green, paler below with some rusty hairs, compound,
about 23 cm long with 3–8 pairs of long oval leaflets, 8–15 cm long, tip
blunt, base straight or rounded, edge round toothed, especially towards
the tip, often recognized by the fine clear vein network below between 14
pairs of looped lateral veins. FLOWERS: Cream yellow, male flowers and
greenish female flowers appear on separate trees, while the trees are still
bare; both are very small without petals, the female flowers sweet scented, the
male flowers in dense clusters on young twigs. FRUIT: Ovoid, covered
with soft hairs, bright orange when ripe, to 2.6 cm long, topped by the
style, on hairy stalks to 2 cm.
ECOLOGY: Deciduous woodland, miombo, often on rocky hills, 300–1,800 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in most parts of Tanzania. Rare in Kenya. Also in parts of
Central Africa and south to Angola, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
USES:
Food:
Fruits are edible. They are peeled and the sweet fleshy yellow pulp eaten
raw in small quantities. The seed is discarded. Fruits are mostly eaten by
children and herdsmen and are believed to cause severe diarrhoea if eaten
in large quantities (Hehe, Luguru, Nyamwezi).
Medicinal:
– The bark is dried, pounded and used as snuff to treat colds, fever, headache
and convulsions.
– A decoction of roots is used as a remedy for colds, convulsions, impotence,
intestinal worms, stomach-ache, constipation, hernia, mental illness, dysen-
tery, fungal infection and for facilitating childbirth.
Commercial: Not marketed.
Other: The wood is hard and used for firewood, building poles, pestles, grain
mortars, tool handles, bedsteads and spoons. The tree is used for shade and
is a source of bee forage. Stem and root bark contain saponin and are used
as a substitute for soap.

720
 THE SPECIES

Zanha africana (contd)

SEASON: Ripe fruits are collected from November to January.

STORAGE: Not stored.
MANAGEMENT: Fruits are collected only from the wild. The tree can be propagated
using fresh seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: Fruits contain about 10.5% saponin. A related species, Z. golungensis,
with the same vernacular names and similar uses, is a tree up to 24 m found in
Arusha, Kigoma and Tanga Regions. It also occurs in Kenya and Uganda,
from Senegal to Ethiopia, south to Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and
Zimbabwe. It differs from Z. africana in having hairless leaves and fruits.

Young fruit, enlarged

Mature fruit

Male flower enlarged

Male flowers

721
 THE SPECIES

Zanthoxylum chalybeum var. chalybeum Rutaceae

(Fagara chalybea)
Indigenous
L OCAL NAME : Arusha: Oluisuki; Barabaig: Wapkan; Bena: Lilungulungu;
Bondei: Mlungulungu; Digo: Mdungu, Mrungurungu, Mudhungu; English:
Knobwood; Fiome: Morungi; Fipa: Popwe; Gogo: Mkunungu, Mhunungu;
Mlungulungu; Gorowa: Morungi; Haya: Entare yeirungo; Hehe: Mkunungu;
Luguru: Mhunungu; Maasai: Oloisuki; Makonde: Navele; Mbugwe:
Molongo; Ngindo: Mlungu; Nyamwezi: Mlungulungu; Pare: Msele; Rangi:
Mkunungu, Mlungu, Mulungu: Sambaa: Hombo-muungu, Muungu-magoma;
Sandawi: Khotso; Sukuma: Nungu; Swahili: Mjafari, Mkunungu; Zaramo:
Mnungu; Zigua: Muungu-goma.
DESCRIPTION: A spiny deciduous shrub or tree, to 8 m, the crown rounded but open.
The bole has characteristic large, conical woody knobs with sharp prick-
les. BARK: Pale grey, smooth, dark scales and prickles protect buds.
LEAVES: Compound, a strong lemon smell if crushed, the leaf stalk with
hooked prickles below, 6–9 pairs of shiny leaflets. FLOWERS: Yellow-green,
in short sprays below leaves on new branchlets. FRUIT: Red-brown-purple,
like berries, open to release shiny black seeds.
ECOLOGY: Dry bushland and wooded grassland; often on termite mounds, 0–1,600
m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found in all parts of Tanzania; Uganda, Kenya, parts of Central
Africa, from Ethiopia and Somalia south to South Africa.
USES:
Food:
– Leaves are used as a vegetable. Green leaves are collected, dried, pounded
and sieved. The vegetable powder is soaked in hot water and stirred into a
thick vegetable paste, which may be mixed with groundnut paste and eaten
with ugali.
– The bark is collected, dried and used as a substitute for tea.
Medicinal:
– A decoction of bark and roots is used as a remedy for malaria, generalized
body pains, coughs, scorpion- and snakebite, oedema, anaemia, and body
swellings and as a gargle for toothache.
– Bark and root powder is mixed with oil and applied as liniment for pains and
sprains.
Other: The wood is used for firewood, building poles, bedsteads, spoons, mor-
tars, stools, drums, combs, carvings and beehives. The tree is used for shade
and is a source of bee forage.
SEASON: Bark is collected all year round. Leaves are collected during the rainy and
early dry season.

722
 THE SPECIES

Zanthoxylum chalybeum var. chalybeum (contd)

STORAGE: Dried leaves and bark can be stored for about 6 months. Leaves are
usually pounded and stored in powder form.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by the local
people. The species can be propagated using fresh seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessed.
REMARKS: One of the most important vegetable and medicinal plants of Tanzania.

Flowering stem

Thorn

Mature fruit Seed

release seeds
Young fruit

Conical knobs with

prickles on trunk

723
 THE SPECIES

Ziziphus abyssinica Rhamnaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: English: Catch thorn; Hehe: Mtanula; Maasai: Oloilalei; Matengo:
Mpiripiri, Ufuru; Ngindo: Mpengele; Nyamwezi: Kagowole, Mgugunu; Rangi:
Lukwaju; Sangu: Mtanula; Sukuma: Mgugunu; Tongwe: Kagobole.
DESCRIPTION: A thorny semi-evergreen shrub or small tree, usually 3–6 m, the
trunk usually straight and single, the branches drooping to form a rounded
crown. BARK: Grey-black, deeply grooved. Branches zigzag, hairy, with sin-
gle or paired dark brown thorns to 2 cm long; in a pair, one straight,
one curved back (“thumb pointer”). LEAVES: Markedly alternate along
the stems, oval, leathery, variable in length, 5–8 cm, the leaf base unequal,
shiny green above, hairy orange-yellow-grey below, 3–5 clear veins, edge
finely toothed, a short hairy stalk. FLOWERS: Green-yellow, in small star-
like heads, 1–2 cm, stalks 1 cm, beside leaves. They have an unpleasant sharp
smell. FRUIT: Rounded, 2–3 cm, smooth, ripening to shiny red-brown, 1–
2 seeds inside the inner stone surrounded by sweet edible flesh.
ECOLOGY: A small tree of scattered tree grassland, Combretum–Terminalia wood-
lands, Acacia woodlands and bushland, mainly at medium to low altitudes,
400–2,200 m.
DISTRIBUTION: Found throughout Tanzania except in the Tanga and coastal areas;
Kenya, Uganda, Senegal to Eritrea, Ethiopia, south to Angola, Zimbabwe and
Mozambique.
USES:
Food: Fruits are eaten and taste sweet–bitter. The seed are discarded. It is
eaten occasionally as a snack, especially by children and herdsmen. It is also
eaten during famine periods.
Medicinal:
– Roots are pounded and the powder is rubbed on the chest, after scarifica-
tion, to treat pneumonia.
– Roots are boiled and taken for after-birth pains, stomach-ache, snakebite
and to induce abortion.
– A decoction of roots, mixed with those of Rhynchosia resinosa, is drunk for
stomach-ache.
– Ash from burnt leaves is mixed with common salt and rubbed externally on
the throat to relieve tonsillitis.
– Leaves are boiled and used as a steam bath for pneumonia.
Other: The wood is hard and used for firewood, charcoal, building poles and
tool handles. The spiny branches make this plant useful as a protective live
fence. It is also used for shade and fodder.
SEASON: Fruits are collected at the end of the rainy season and in the dry season.

724
 THE SPECIES

Ziziphus abyssinica (contd) Rhamnaceae

STORAGE: Dried fruits can be stored for up to 6 months.

MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild and not protected or cultivated by local peo-
ple. Propagation can be done by using fresh seed.
STATUS: It is uncommon and thus difficult to access.
REMARKS: In some countries leaves and fruit are used as fodder. A cinnamon-col-
oured dye may be obtained from the plant.

Flowers

Enlarged flower

Thorns

Fruit

725
 THE SPECIES

Ziziphus mauritiana Rhamnaceae

Naturalized
LOCAL NAMES: English: Chinese date, Geb, Indian jujube, Indian plum, Jujube;
Hehe: Mtanula; Maasai: Oloilalei; Nyamwezi: Kagowole, Mgugunu; Sangu:
Mtanula; Sukuma: Mgugunu; Swahili: Mkunazi, Mkunazi pori.
DESCRIPTION: A much-branched spiny tree, small, but may reach 7 m, drooping
angular branches, crown rounded, often forming thickets. BARK: Grey
branches with curved thorns. LEAVES: Alternate, shiny above, hairy white
below, thin, three veins from the base, rather small but up to 8 cm, leaf base
rounded and equal sides. FLOWERS: Small yellow-green, in clusters beside
leaves, on hairy stalks. FRUIT: Rounded, 1–2 cm, shiny yellow then red-
brown, pulp edible; two seeds in a large stone.
ECOLOGY: A plant of cultivation, other disturbed areas near settlements and along
roadsides. It has a strongly developed root system and grows best in areas with
a high water-table, 0–1,400 m.
DISTRIBUTION: A common coastal tree in Tanzania, Zanzibar and Pemba. Probably
originating in the Middle East or South Asia, it has been universally cultivated
and escaped in most tropical countries. There are many cultivated varieties and
hybrids.
USES:
Food:
– Fruits are collected and eaten fresh as a snack. They taste sweet.
– The seeds are also sweet, and after cracking open the stone they are eaten
as a snack.
– Fruit may also be dried and stored. When needed, the dried fruit must be
boiled for about 2 hours to soft them and then they are served in a sauce
with beans, cowpeas, pigeon peas or beef, together with a staple. It is usually
eaten in famine periods.
– A strong locally made spirit is distilled from fermented fruits.
Medicinal:
– Roots are pounded and boiled. The decoction is drunk for indigestion.
Other: The wood is hard and used for timber, firewood, building poles and tool
handles. The tree is used for avenues, fences and fodder, is a source of bee
forage and provides good shade for both animals and humans. Roots are
pounded and added to drinking water for poultry suffering from diarrhoea.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from April to June.
STORAGE: Dried fruits can be stored up to 6 months.
MANAGEMENT: Collected from the wild, and also protected around homesteads and
trading centres for shade and food. It can be propagated by fresh seed.
STATUS: Common and easily accessible within its area of distribution.

726
 THE SPECIES

Ziziphus mauritiana (contd) Rhamnaceae

REMARKS: Z. mauritiana is very resistant to drought and suitable for agroforestry

in semi-arid areas.

Thorns

Fruit

Flowering branch

727
 THE SPECIES

Ziziphus mucronata subsp. mucronata Rhamnaceae

Indigenous
LOCAL NAMES: Arusha: Oloilali; Bende: Kagobole; Digo: Mgorodo, Mugugune;
English: Buffalo thorn; Gogo: Mnangwe, Mnyangwe, Mnyangwe-mwaha;
Gorowa: Ghal-landi; Hehe: Mtanula; Kuria: Msarakanga; Luguru:
Malagala-mkole, Mlagala; Maasai: Oleylalei, Oloilale, Oloilalei, Olperetini;
Ngindo: Mpengele-bonde; Nguu: Mgagawe, Muguguni; Nyamwezi:
Kagowole, Kalembo, Mgugunwa; Rangi: Lukwaju, Mgurufa, Mjijiva, Mngurufa,
Mwave; Sambaa: Mgagawe, Mguguni; Sandawi: Ts’imak’o; Sangu: Mtanula;
Sukuma: Mgugunu; Swahili: Mkunazi mwitu; Tongwe: Kagobole; Zaramo:
Mgegewa; Zigua: Mgagawe; Zinza: Mbamba mzumera, Mkwata mzumula,
Mukwatanzumula.
DESCRIPTION: A wickedly armed scrambler, shrub or small tree, to 7 m, with droop-
ing tangled branches and thorns. The strong, sharp thorns are in pairs, one
straight to 2 cm, the other smaller and recurved with the leaves arising be-
tween the two thorns (“thumb-pointer” thorns). BARK: Grey to dark grey, smooth
at first, becoming rough and fissured with age. LEAVES: Shiny and thin, the
same green both sides, 3–6 cm long, base rounded, often very unequal sided,
the edge with regular rounded teeth, a pointed tip, 3 main veins clear below.
FLOWERS: Very small, yellowish, in heads about 1.5 cm across. FRUIT: Rounded,
dark reddish-brown when ripe, the pulp very acid and scarcely edible, in
stalked bunches.
ECOLOGY: Widely distributed in drier parts of Africa in a variety of soils, 0–2,000
m, occasionally even higher, along rivers, dry river beds, in bushland, wood-
land or wooded grassland.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in Tanzania except in the south. Z. mucronata is found
in Kenya, Uganda, Senegal to the Arabian peninsular, south to South Africa,
Madagascar. Subsp. rhodesia occurs in various parts of southern Africa.
USES:
Food:
Fruits are edible. They are collected from the tree in handfuls and eaten raw
as a snack. The thin pulp is sweetish bitter and only eaten in emergency
(Hehe, Gogo, Maasai, Mbugwe).
Medicinal:
– Leaves and roots are used for treatment of snakebite, stomach-ache, chest
pains, asthma, glandular swellings, lumbago, leprosy, bilharzia, mental ill-
ness, intestinal worms, STDs and for preventing abortion.
– Pounded leaves and roots are used as a poultice for boils and skin diseases.
– A decoction from the bark is used to treat rheumatism and stomach-ache.
Commercial: Not marketed.

728
 THE SPECIES

Ziziphus mucronata subsp. mucronata (contd)

Other: An important species for building poles, fuel, firewood and charcoal.
Leaves and fruits are used as fodder for livestock. Fruits are pounded and
used as fish poison.
SEASON: Fruits are collected from May to August.
STORAGE: Dried fruits can be stored for up to 6 months.
MANAGEMENT: Fruits are only collected from the wild, as the species is not culti-
vated. However, propagation can be done using fresh seed.
STATUS: Common within its area of distribution.
REMARKS: A hardy, fast-growing and coppicing species suitable for agroforestry.

Flowering head

Fruit

Thorns

729
THE SPECIES

730
 APPENDICES

Appendices

731
 APPENDICES

Appendix I
Summary table of parts of the plant used for food
Species Leaves Underground Seeds Bark
Stems par ts Fruits Gum
Flowers Sap
Abutilon angulatum x
Abutilon longicuspe x
Abutilon mauritianum x
Acacia nilotica x
Acacia senegal x
Acalypha bipartita x
Acalypha fruticosa x
Acalypha ornata x
Acanthopale laxiflora x
Achyranthes aspera x
Acokanthera oppositifolia x
Acokanthera schimperi x
Adansonia digitata x x
Adenia gummifera x
Aerva lanata x
Aerva leucura x
Aframomum angustifolium x
Allanblackia stuhlmannii x
Allanblackia ulugurensis x
Aloe nutii x
Alsodeiopsis schumanii x
Alternanthera tenella var. bettzickiana x
Amaranthus spinosus x
Ampelocissus africana x
Ancylobotrys petersiana x
Anisophyllea boehmii x
Anisophyllea pomifera x
Annona senegalensis x
Annona stenophylla x
Antidesma venosum x
Asparagus africanus x x
Asparagus flagellaris x
Asystasia gangetica x
Asystasia mysorensis x
Azanza garckeana x
Balanites aegyptiaca x
Balanites rotundifolia x
Balanites wilsoniana x
Bauhinia kalantha x
Berchemia discolor x

732
 APPENDICES

Species Leaves Underground Seeds Bark

Stems par ts Fruits Gum
Flowers Sap
Bidens pilosa x
Bidens schimperi x
Bombax rhodognaphalon var. tomentosum x
Borassus aethiopum x x
Brexia madagascariensis x
Bridelia micrantha x
Bussea massaiensis x
Canarium schweinfurthii x
Canthium burttii x
Canthium lactescens x
Canthium oligocarpum subsp. oligocarpum x
Cardamine trichocarpa x x
Carissa edulis x
Carpodiptera africana x
Carpolobia goetzii x
Caylusea abyssinica x
Celosia trigyna x
Ceratotheca sesamoides x
Chenopodium opulifolium x
Chytranthus obliquinervis x
Cissus cornifolia x
Cleome hirta x
Cleome monophylla x
Coccinia grandis x
Coffea eugenioides x
Coffea mufindiensis x
Cola scheffleri x
Combretum padoides x
Commelina africana x
Commelina benghalensis x
Commiphora africana x
Commiphora mossambicensis x
Convolvulus farinosus x
Corchorus tridens x
Corchorus trilocularis x
Cordia monoica x
Cordia sinensis x
Cordyla africana x
Cordyla densiflora x
Crotalaria natalitia var. natalitia x
Cucumis dipsaceus x
Cucumis figarei x x
Cussonia spicata x
Cyathula orthacantha x

733
 APPENDICES

Species Leaves Underground Seeds Bark

Stems par ts Fruits Gum
Flowers Sap
Cyphostemma njegerre x
Dactyloctenium aegyptium x
Dactyloctenium giganteum x
Dalbergia nitidula x
Deinbollia borbonica x
Deinbollia kilimandscharica
var. kilimandscharica x
Delonix elata x x
Dialium holtzii x
Dialium orientale x
Dicliptera laxata x
Dictyophleba lucida x
Dioscorea dumetorum x
Dioscorea odoratissima x x
Dioscorea quartiniana var. quartiniana x
Diospyros kirkii x
Diospyros mespiliformis x
Dolichos trilobus x
Dovyalis abyssinica x
Dovyalis macrocalyx x
Dracaena mannii x
Drymaria cordata x
Duosperma crenatum x
Embelia schimperi x
Emilia coccinea x
Encephalartos hildebrandtii x
Englerophytum magalismontanum x
Englerophytum natalense x
Ensete ventricosum x
Eriosema burkei var. burkei x
Erythrococca kirkii x x
Eugenia capensis subsp. nyassensis x
Fadogia ancylantha x x
Fadogia cienkowskii var. cienkowskii x x
Fadogia elskensii var. elskensii x x
Fadogia homblei x x
Feretia apodanthera subsp. tanzaniensis x
Ficus stuhlmannii x
Ficus sur x
Ficus sycomorus x
Ficus vallis-choudae x
Flacourtia indica x
Flueggea virosa x
Friesodielsia obovata x

734
 APPENDICES

Species Leaves Underground Seeds Bark

Stems par ts Fruits Gum
Flowers Sap
Garcinia buchananii x
Garcinia livingstonei x
Grewia bicolor x
Grewia conocarpoides x
Grewia mollis x
Grewia platyclada x
Grewia similis x
Grewia trichocarpa x
Grewia villosa x
Guizotia scabra x
Habenaria epipactidea x
Habenaria walleri x
Harungana madagascariensis x
Heliotropium zeylanicum x
Hewittia sublobata x
Hexalobus monopetalus x
Hibiscus acetosella x
Hibiscus calyphyllus x
Hibiscus diversifolius x
Hibiscus surattensis x
Hirtella megacarpa x
Hoslundia opposita x
Hydnora abyssinica x x
Hygrophila auriculata x
Hyphaene compressa x x
Hyphaene coriacea x x
Hyphaene petersiana x x
Inhambanella henriquesii x
Ipomoea cairica var. cairica x
Ipomoea eriocarpa x
Ipomoea pres-caprae x
Isoglossa lactea x
Jacquemontia tamnifolia x
Justicia heterocarpa x
Kedrostis leloja x x
Kigelia africana x
Landolphia kilimanjarica x
Landolphia kirkii x
Landolphia parvifolia x
Lannea fulva x
Lannea humilis x
Lannea rivae x
Lannea schweinfurthii var. stuhlmannii x
Lantana camara x

735
 APPENDICES

Species Leaves Underground Seeds Bark

Stems par ts Fruits Gum
Flowers Sap
Lantana trifolia x x
Lantana ukambensis x
Laportea ovalifolia x
Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius subsp. vaughanii x
Leonotis nepetifolia x
Lepisanthes senegalensis x
Leptactina benguelensis x x
Lippia kituiensis x x
Lobelia fervens subsp. fervens x
Lycium europaeum x
Maerua decumbens x x
Malva parviflora x
Mammea usambarensis x
Manilkara dawei x
Manilkara discolor x
Manilkara mochisia x
Manilkara obovata x
Manilkara sansibarensis x
Manilkara sulcata x
Maranthes goetzeniana x
Mimusops kummel x
Mimusops obtusifolia x
Mollugo cerviana x
Momordica foetida x
Momordica rostrata x x
Monanthotaxis poggei x
Multidentia crassa x
Myrianthus arboreus x
Myrianthus holstii x
Myrsine africana x
Nicandra physaloides x
Nymphaea lotus x
Oldenlandia corymbosa var. corymbosa x
Oldfieldia dactylophylla x
Oncoba spinosa x
Opilia amentacea x x
Opuntia vulgaris x
Ormocarpum kirkii x
Osyris lanceolata x x
Oxygonum sinuatum x
Pappea capensis x x
Parinari curatellifolia subsp. curatellifolia x
Parinari excelsa x
Parkia filicoidea x

736
 APPENDICES

Species Leaves Underground Seeds Bark

Stems par ts Fruits Gum
Flowers Sap
Peponium vogelii x
Phoenix reclinata x
Phyllanthus engleri x
Piliostigma thonningii x
Piper guineense x x
Pistacia aethiopica x
Pistia stratiotes x
Platostoma africanum x
Polyceratocarpus scheffleri x
Polygonum salicifolium x
Polysphaeria parvifolia x
Portulaca oleracea x
Pouteria adolfi-friedericii subsp. australis x
Pouzolzia mixta x
Pseudeminia comosa x
Pseudospondias microcarpa x
Psorospermum febrifugum x
Psydrax parviflora subsp. rubrocostata x
Pupalia lappacea var. velutina x
Pygmaeothamnus zeyheri x
Pyrostria bibracteata x
Raphia farinifera x
Rhus natalensis x
Rhus vulgaris x
Ricinodendron heudelotii subsp. africanum x
Ritchiea albersii x
Rothmannia engleriana x
Rourea orientalis x
Rubia cordifolia x
Rubus apetalus x
Rumex abyssinicus x
Rumex usambarensis x
Saba comorensis x
Salacia leptoclada x
Salvadora persica x x
Satyrium macrophyllum x
Satyrium neglectum var. neglectum x
Sclerocarya birrea subsp. caffra x
Scolopia rhamniphylla x
Scolopia zeyheri x
Senna bicapsularis x x
Senna singueana x x
Sesamothamnus busseanus x
Sesamum angolense x

737
 APPENDICES

Species Leaves Underground Seeds Bark

Stems par ts Fruits Gum
Flowers Sap
Sesamum calycinum var. angustifolium x
Sesuvium portulacastrum x
Solanum anguivii x
Solanum schumannianum x
Sonchus luxurians x
Sorghum purpureo-sericeum x
Sorindeia madagascariensis x
Stachytarpheta jamaicensis x
Sterculia africana x
Sterculia appendiculata x
Sterculia tragacantha x
Strychnos cocculoides x
Strychnos innocua x
Strychnos madagascariensis x
Strychnos spinosa subsp. lokua x
Synaptolepis alternifolia x
Synaptolepis kirkii x
Synsepalum brevipes x
Synsepalum msolo x
Syzygium cordatum x
Syzygium guineense x
Syzygium owariense x
Tacca leontopetaloides x
Talinum portulacifolium x
Tamarindus indica x
Tapiphyllum burnettii x
Tapiphyllum cinerascens var. cinerascens x
Thylachium africanum x x
Tragia insuarvis x
Treculia africana x
Tribulus terrestris x
Trichilia dregeana x
Trichilia emetica x
Trichodesma zeylanicum x
Trilepisium madagascariense x
Triumfetta cordifolia var. tomentosa x
Tylosema fassoglense x
Typhonodorum lindleyanum x
Uapaca kirkiana x
Uapaca nitida x
Uapaca paludosa x
Uapaca sansibarica x
Urtica massaica x
Uvaria acuminata x

738
 APPENDICES

Species Leaves Underground Seeds Bark

Stems par ts Fruits Gum
Flowers Sap
Uvaria kirkii x
Uvaria lucida subsp. lucida x
Vangueria apiculata x
Vangueria infausta subsp. rotundata x
Vangueria madagascariensis x
Vangueria volkensii x
Vangueriopsis lanciflora x
Vigna pubescens x
Vitex doniana x
Vitex ferruginea x
Vitex fischeri x
Vitex madiensis subsp. milanjiensis x
Vitex mombassae x x
Vitex payos var. payos x
Ximenia americana x
Ximenia caffra x
Xylotheca tettensis var. kirkii x
Zanha africana x
Zanthoxylum chalybeum var. chalybeum x
Ziziphus abyssinica x
Ziziphus mauritiana x
Ziziphus mucronata subsp. mucronata x

739
 APPENDICES

Appendix II
Workshop participants
Chamgulu, Henry A. Moshi, Mary A.
Farmer Nutritionist
P.O. Box 1880 P.O. Box 290
Morogoro Iringa
Felix, Ester Mtengela, Medson
Forest Assistant Farmer
P.O. Box 148 P.O. Box 260 Kisinga
Iringa Iringa
Fivawo, Bonus Mtisi, Argentina C.
Farmer Agricultural. Extension Officer
P.O. Box 170 Idodi
Iringa P.O. Box 290
Iringa
Kimaru, Gathiru
Soil Conservatiom Advisor Mvile, Wilibathi V.
RELMA Farmer
P.O. Box 63403 P.O. Box 129
Nairobi, Kenya Itulike
Njombe
Lupala, Emanuel
Assistant Forest Officer Nyambo, Agnes T.
P.O. Box 148 Horticulturist
Iringa District Agricultural Office
Kinondoni
Lyimo, Monica
P.O. Box 90532
Lecturer
Dar es Salaam
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Tel: 023-2666853
P.O. Box 3006
Morogoro Nyomora, Dr Agnes M.S.
Lecturer/Researcher
Mabula, Charles K.
Botany Department
Botanist
University of Dar es Salaam
TAFORI
P.O. Box 35060
P.O. Box 95
Dar es Salaam
Lushoto
Nyoni, Anna
Makambe, Melienziana
Farmer
Farmer
P.O. Box 583
Usolanga
Iringa
Ismani
Iringa Osman, Yusuf
Farmer
Mnuka, Florent
P.O. Box 1226
Farmer
Kalenga
P.O. Box 99
Iringa
Moshi
Tel: 51996

740
 WORKSHOP PA
ARTICIPANTS
PPENDICES

Ruffo, Christopher K.
Botanist
National Tree Seed Project (NTSP)
P.O. Box 373
Morogoro
Tel: 023-23192/23903
E-mail: ntsp@twiga.com
Samsoni, Clement
Assistant Forest Officer
P.O. Box 1576
Dodoma
Shellimoh, Muniry
Assistant Forest Officer
National Tree Seed Project (NTSP)
P.O. Box 1121
Iringa
Tangwa, Jonathan
Forest Officer
Forest Division Headquarters
Idara ya Misitu na Nyuki
P.O. Box 426
Dar es Salaam
Tengnäs, Bo
RELMA Agroforestry Consultant
Torsaberga S-31038
Simlångsdalen
Sweden
Temu, R.P.C.
Senior Lecturer
Sokoine University of Agriculture
P.O. Box 3184
Morogoro

741
APPENDICES

742
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

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748
 LIST OF FAMILIES AND SPECIES

List of families and species

Acanthaceae
Acanthopale laxiflora
Asystasia gangetica
Asystasia mysorensis (A. schimperi)
Dicliptera laxata
Duosperma crenatum
Hygrophila auriculata (Asteracantha longifolia)
Isoglossa lactea
Justicia heterocarpa
Aizoaceae
Mollugo cerviana
Sesuvium portulacastrum
Aloaceae
Aloe nutii
Amaranthaceae
Achyranthes aspera
Aerva lanata
Aerva leucura
Alternanthera tenella var. bettzickiana
Amaranthus spinosus
Celosia trigyna
Cyathula orthacantha
Pupalia lappacea var. velutina
Anacardiaceae
Lannea fulva
Lannea humilis
Lannea rivae (L. floccosa)
Lannea schweinfurthii var. stuhlmannii (L. stuhlmannii)
Pistacia aethiopica
Pseudospondias microcarpa
Rhus natalensis
Rhus vulgaris
Sclerocarya birrea subsp. caffra
Sorindeia madagascariensis

749
 LIST OF FAMILIES AND SPECIES

Annonaceae
Annona senegalensis (A. chrysophylla)
Annona stenophylla
Friesodielsia obovata (Popowia obovata)
Hexalobus monopetalus
Monanthotaxis poggei
Polyceratocarpus scheffleri
Uvaria acuminata
Uvaria kirkii
Uvaria lucida subsp. lucida
Apocynaceae
Acokanthera oppositifolia
Acokanthera schimperi
Ancylobotrys petersiana (Landolphia petersiana)
Carissa edulis
Dictyophleba lucida (Landolphia lucida)
Landolphia kilimanjarica (L. buchananii)
Landolphia kirkii
Landolphia parvifolia
Saba comorensis (S. florida)
Araceae
Pistia stratiotes
Typhonodorum lindleyanum
Araliaceae
Cussonia spicata
Arecaceae (Palmae)
Borassus aethiopum
Hyphaene compressa
Hyphaene coriacea (H. pileata)
Hyphaene petersiana (H. ventricosa)
Phoenix reclinata
Raphia farinifera
Asparagaceae
Asparagus africanus (A. abyssinicus)
Asparagus flagellaris (A. nudicaulis)
Asteraceae (Compositae)
Bidens pilosa
Bidens schimperi
Emilia coccinea
Guizotia scabra
Sonchus luxurians
Balanitaceae
Balanites aegyptiaca

750
 LIST OF FAMILIES AND SPECIES

Balanites rotundifolia (B. orbicularis)

Balanites wilsoniana
Bignoniaceae
Kigelia africana (K. pinnata, K. aethiopum)
Bombacaceae
Adansonia digitata
Bombax rhodognaphalon var. tomentosum
Boraginaceae
Cordia monoica
Cordia sinensis (C. gharaf)
Heliotropium zeylanicum (H. subulatum)
Trichodesma zeylanicum
Brassicaceae (Cruciferae)
Cardamine trichocarpa
Brexiaceae
Brexia madagascariensis
Burseraceae
Canarium schweinfurthii
Commiphora africana
Commiphora mossambicensis
Cactaceae
Opuntia vulgaris (O. ficus-indica)
Caesalpiniaceae
Bauhinia kalantha
Bussea massaiensis (Peltophorum massaiense)
Cordyla africana
Cordyla densiflora
Delonix elata
Dialium holtzii
Dialium orientale
Piliostigma thonningii (Bauhinia thonningii)
Senna bicapsularis (Cassia bicapsularis)
Senna singueana
Tamarindus indica
Tylosema fassoglense (Bauhinia fassoglensis)
Capparidaceae (Capparaceae)
Cleome hirta
Cleome monophylla
Maerua decumbens (M. edulis)
Ritchiea albersii
Thylachium africanum

751
 LIST OF FAMILIES AND SPECIES

Caryophyllaceae
Drymaria cordata
Cecropiaceae
Myrianthus arboreus
Myrianthus holstii
Celastraceae
Salacia leptoclada
Chenopodiaceae
Chenopodium opulifolium
Chrysobalanaceae
Hirtella megacarpa (Acioa goetzeana)
Maranthes goetzeniana (Parinari goetzeniana)
Parinari curatellifolia subsp. curatellifolia
Parinari excelsa (P. holstii)
Clusiaceae (Guttiferae)
Allanblackia stuhlmanii
Allanblackia ulugurensis
Garcinia buchananii (G. huillensis)
Garcinia livingstonei
Harungana madagascariensis
Mammea usambarensis
Psorospermum febrifugum
Combretaceae
Combretum padoides
Commelinaceae
Commelina africana
Commelina benghalensis
Connaraceae
Rourea orientalis (Byrsocarpus orientalis)
Convolvulaceae
Convolvulus farinosus
Hewittia sublobata
Ipomoea cairica var. cairica
Ipomoea eriocarpa
Ipomoea pres-caprae (I. biloba)
Jacquemontia tamnifolia
Cucurbitaceae
Coccinia grandis
Cucumis dipsaceus
Cucumis figarei
Kedrostis leloja

752
 LIST OF FAMILIES AND SPECIES

Momordica foetida
Momordica rostrata
Peponium vogelii
Dioscoreaceae
Dioscorea dumetorum
Dioscorea odoratissima
Dioscorea quartiniana var. quartiniana
Dracaenaceae
Dracaena mannii (D. usambarensis)
Ebenaceae
Diospyros kirkii
Diospyros mespiliformis
Euphorbiaceae
Acalypha bipartita
Acalypha fruticosa
Acalypha ornata
Antidesma venosum
Bridelia micrantha
Erythrococca kirkii
Flueggea virosa (Securinega virosa)
Oldfieldia dactylophylla
Phyllanthus engleri
Ricinodendron heudelotii subsp. africanum
Tragia insuarvis
Uapaca kirkiana
Uapaca nitida
Uapaca paludosa (U. guineensis)
Uapaca sansibarica (U. macrocephala)
Flacourtiaceae
Dovyalis abyssinica
Dovyalis macrocalyx
Flacourtia indica
Oncoba spinosa
Scolopia rhamniphylla
Scolopia zeyheri
Xylotheca tettensis var. kirkii
Hydnoraceae
Hydnora abyssinica (H. johannis)
Icacinaceae
Alsodeiopsis schumanii
Lamiaceae (Labiatae)
Hoslundia opposita

753
 LIST OF FAMILIES AND SPECIES

Leonotis nepetifolia
Platostoma africanum
Lobeliaceae
Lobelia fervens subsp. fervens (L. anceps)
Loganiaceae
Strychnos cocculoides
Strychnos innocua
Strychnos madagascariensis (S. dysophylla)
Strychnos spinosa subsp. lokua
Malvaceae
Abutilon angulatum
Abutilon longicuspe
Abutilon mauritianum
Azanza garckeana
Hibiscus acetosella
Hibiscus calyphyllus
Hibiscus diversifolius
Hibiscus surattensis
Malva parviflora
Meliaceae
Trichilia dregeana
Trichilia emetica
Mimosaceae
Acacia nilotica
Acacia senegal
Parkia filicoidea
Moraceae
Ficus stuhlmannii
Ficus sur (F. capensis)
Ficus sycomorus
Ficus vallis-choudae
Treculia africana
Trilepisium madagascariense
Musaceae
Ensete ventricosum (Musa ensete)
Myrsinaceae
Embelia schimperi
Myrsine africana
Myrtaceae
Eugenia capensis subsp. nyassensis (E. bukobensis)
Syzygium cordatum

754
 LIST OF FAMILIES AND SPECIES

Syzygium guineense
Syzygium owariense
Nymphaeaceae
Nymphaea lotus
Olacaceae
Ximenia americana
Ximenia caffra
Opiliaceae
Opilia amentacea (O. celtidifolia)
Orchidaceae
Habenaria epipactidea (H. foliosa)
Habenaria walleri (H. soyauxii)
Satyrium macrophyllum (S. cheirophorum)
Satyrium neglectum var. neglectum
Papilionaceae
Crotalaria natalitia var. natalitia
Dalbergia nitidula
Dolichos trilobus
Eriosema burkei var. burkei
Ormocarpum kirkii
Pseudeminia comosa
Vigna pubescens
Passifloraceae
Adenia gummifera
Pedaliaceae
Ceratotheca sesamoides
Sesamothamnus busseanus
Sesamum angolense
Sesamum calycinum var. angustifolium (S. angustifolium)
Piperaceae
Piper guineense
Poaceae (Gramineae)
Dactyloctenium aegyptium
Dactyloctenium giganteum
Sorghum purpureo-sericeum
Polygalaceae
Carpolobia goetzii
Oxygonum sinuatum
Polygonum salicifolium (P. serrulatum)
Rumex abyssinicus
Rumex usambarensis

755
 LIST OF FAMILIES AND SPECIES

Portulacaceae
Portulaca oleracea
Talinum portulacifolium (T. cuneifolium)
Resedaceae
Caylusea abyssinica
Rhamnaceae
Berchemia discolor
Ziziphus abyssinica
Ziziphus mauritiana
Ziziphus mucronata subsp. mucronata
Rhizophoraceae
Anisophyllea boehmii
Anisophyllea pomifera
Rosaceae
Rubus apetalus (R. adolfi-friedericii)
Rubiaceae
Canthium burttii
Canthium lactescens
Canthium oligocarpum subsp. oligocarpum
Coffea eugenioides
Coffea mufindiensis
Fadogia ancylantha
Fadogia cienkowskii var. cienkowskii
Fadogia elskensii var. elskensii
Fadogia homblei
Feretia apodanthera subsp. tanzaniensis
Leptactina benguelensis
Multidentia crassa (Canthium crassum)
Oldenlandia corymbosa var. corymbosa
Polysphaeria parvifolia
Psydrax parviflora subsp. rubrocostata
Pygmaeothamnus zeyheri
Pyrostria bibracteata (Canthium bibracteatum)
Rothmannia engleriana
Rubia cordifolia
Tapiphyllum burnettii
Tapiphyllum cinerascens var. cinerascens
Vangueria apiculata
Vangueria infausta subsp. rotundata
Vangueria madagascariensis (V. acutiloba)
Vangueria volkensii
Vangueriopsis lanciflora

756
 LIST OF FAMILIES AND SPECIES

Rutaceae
Zanthoxylum chalybeum var. chalybeum (Fagara chalybea)
Salvadoraceae
Salvadora persica
Santalaceae
Osyris lanceolata (O. compressa)
Sapindaceae
Chytranthus obliquinervis
Deinbollia borbonica
Deinbollia kilimandscharica var. kilimandscharica
Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius subsp. vaughanii
Lepisanthes senegalensis (Aphania senegalensis)
Pappea capensis
Zanha africana (Dialiopsis africana)
Sapotaceae
Englerophytum magalismontanum (Bequaertiodendron magalismontanum)
Englerophytum natalense (Bequaertiodendron natalense)
Inhambanella henriquesii
Manilkara dawei
Manilkara discolor
Manilkara mochisia
Manilkara obovata
Manilkara sansibarensis
Manilkara sulcata
Mimusops kummel
Mimusops obtusifolia (M. fruticosa)
Pouteria adolfi-friedericii subsp. australis (Aningeria adolfi-friedericii)
Synsepalum brevipes (Pachystela brevipes)
Synsepalum msolo (Pachystela msolo)
Solanaceae
Lycium europaeum
Nicandra physaloides
Solanum anguivii (S. indicum)
Solanum schumannianum
Sterculiaceae
Cola scheffleri
Sterculia africana
Sterculia appendiculata
Sterculia tragacantha
Taccaceae
Tacca leontopetaloides (T. involucrata)

757
 LIST OF FAMILIES AND SPECIES

Thymelaeaceae
Synaptolepis alternifolia
Synaptolepis kirkii
Tiliaceae
Carpodiptera africana
Corchorus tridens
Corchorus trilocularis
Grewia bicolor
Grewia conocarpoides
Grewia mollis
Grewia platyclada
Grewia similis
Grewia trichocarpa
Grewia villosa
Triumfetta cordifolia var. tomentosa
Urticaceae
Laportea ovalifolia (Fleurya ovalifolia)
Pouzolzia mixta (P. hypoleuca)
Urtica massaica
Verbenaceae
Lantana camara
Lantana trifolia
Lantana ukambensis (L. rhodesiensis)
Lippia kituiensis (L. ukambensis)
Stachytarpheta jamaicensis
Vitex doniana
Vitex ferruginea
Vitex fischeri
Vitex madiensis subsp. milanjiensis
Vitex mombassae
Vitex payos var. payos
Vitaceae
Ampelocissus africana
Cissus cornifolia
Cyphostemma njegerre
Zamiaceae
Encephalartos hildebrandtii
Zingiberaceae
Aframomum angustifolium
Zygophyllaceae
Tribulus terrestris

758
 INDEX OF SPECIES

Index of species
Abutilon angulatum ............................. 68 Balanites aegyptiaca ........................... 140
Abutilon longicuspe .............................. 70 Balanites rotundifolia (B. orbicularis) 142
Abutilon mauritianum ......................... 72 Balanites wilsoniana .......................... 144
Acacia nilotica ...................................... 74 Bauhinia kalantha .............................. 146
Acacia senegal ...................................... 76 Berchemia discolor ............................ 148
Acalypha bipartita ................................ 78 Bidens pilosa ...................................... 150
Acalypha fruticosa ................................ 80 Bidens schimperi ................................ 152
Acalypha ornata ................................... 82 Bombax rhodognaphalon var.
Acanthopale laxiflora ........................... 84 tomentosum ................................... 154
Achyranthes aspera .............................. 86 Borassus aethiopum ........................... 156
Acokanthera oppositifolia .................... 88 Brexia madagascariensis ................... 158
Acokanthera schimperi ........................ 90 Bridelia micrantha ............................. 160
Adansonia digitata ............................... 92 Bussea massaiensis (Peltophorum
Adenia gummifera ................................ 94 massaiense) .................................... 162
Aerva lanata ......................................... 96 Canarium schweinfurthii ................... 164
Aerva leucura ....................................... 98 Canthium burttii ................................ 166
Aframomum angustifolium ............... 100 Canthium lactescens .......................... 168
Allanblackia stuhlmannii ................... 104 Canthium oligocarpum subsp.
Allanblackia ulugurensis ................... 106 oligocarpum .................................... 170
Aloe nutii ............................................ 108 Cardamine trichocarpa ...................... 172
Alsodeiopsis schumannii ................... 110 Carissa edulis ..................................... 174
Alternanthera tenella Carpodiptera africana ........................ 176
var. bettzickiana ............................. 112 Carpolobia goetzii ............................... 178
Amaranthus spinosus ........................ 114 Caylusea abyssinica ........................... 180
Ampelocissus africana ........................ 116 Celosia trigyna ................................... 182
Ancylobotrys petersiana (Landolphia Ceratotheca sesamoides ..................... 184
petersiana) ...................................... 118 Chenopodium opulifolium ................. 186
Anisophyllea boehmii ......................... 120 Chytranthus obliquinervis ................. 188
Anisophyllea pomifera ........................ 122 Cissus cornifolia ................................. 190
Annona senegalensis Cleome hirta ....................................... 192
(A. chrysophylla) ............................ 124 Cleome monophylla ............................ 194
Annona stenophylla .......................... 126 Coccinia grandis ................................. 196
Antidesma venosum ........................... 128 Coffea eugenioides .............................. 198
Asparagus africanus (A. abyssinicus) 130 Coffea mufindiensis ............................ 200
Asparagus flagellaris (A. nudicaulis) . 132 Cola scheffleri ..................................... 202
Asystasia gangetica ............................ 134 Combretum padoides ......................... 204
Asystasia mysorensis (A. schimperi) . 136 Commelina africana ........................... 206
Azanza garckeana ............................... 138 Commelina benghalensis ................... 208

759
 INDEX OF SPECIES

Commiphora africana ........................ 210 Eriosema burkei var. burkei .............. 296
Commiphora mossambicensis ........... 212 Erythrococca kirkii ............................ 298
Convolvulus farinosus ....................... 214 Eugenia capensis subsp. nyassensis
Corchorus tridens .............................. 216 (E. bukobensis) ............................... 300
Corchorus trilocularis ........................ 218 Fadogia ancylantha ........................... 302
Cordia monoica .................................. 220 Fadogia cienkowskii
Cordia sinensis (C. gharaf) ................ 222 var. cienkowskii .............................. 304
Cordyla africana ................................. 224 Fadogia elskensii var. elskensii ......... 306
Cordyla densiflora .............................. 226 Fadogia homblei ................................. 308
Crotalaria natalitia var. natalitia ...... 228 Feretia apodanthera
Cucumis dipsaceus ............................. 230 subsp. tanzaniensis ........................ 310
Cucumis figarei .................................. 232 Ficus stuhlmannii .............................. 312
Cussonia spicata ................................. 234 Ficus sur (F. capensis) ....................... 314
Cyathula orthacantha ........................ 236 Ficus sycomorus ................................ 316
Cyphostemma njegerre ...................... 238 Ficus vallis-choudae ........................... 318
Dactyloctenium aegyptium ................ 240 Flacourtia indica ................................ 322
Dactyloctenium giganteum ................ 242 Flueggea virosa (Securinega virosa) . 324
Dalbergia nitidula .............................. 244 Friesodielsia obovata (Popowia
Deinbollia borbonica .......................... 246 obovata) .......................................... 326
Deinbollia kilimandscharica var. Garcinia buchananii (G. huillensis) ... 328
kilimandscharica ............................ 248 Garcinia livingstonei .......................... 330
Delonix elata ....................................... 250 Grewia bicolor .................................... 332
Dialium holtzii ................................... 252 Grewia conocarpoides ........................ 334
Dialium orientale ............................... 254 Grewia mollis ..................................... 336
Dicliptera laxata ................................. 256 Grewia platyclada .............................. 338
Dictyophleba lucida (Landolphia Grewia similis .................................... 340
lucida) ............................................. 258 Grewia trichocarpa ............................ 342
Dioscorea dumetorum ....................... 260 Grewia villosa ..................................... 344
Dioscorea odoratissima ..................... 262 Guizotia scabra .................................. 346
Dioscorea quartiniana Habenaria epipactidea (H. foliosa) .... 348
var. quartiniana ............................. 264 Habenaria walleri (H. soyauxii) ......... 350
Diospyros kirkii .................................. 268 Harungana madagascariensis ........... 352
Diospyros mespiliformis .................... 270 Heliotropium zeylanicum
Dolichos trilobus ................................ 272 (H. subulatum) ............................... 354
Dovyalis abyssinica ............................ 274 Hewittia sublobata ............................. 356
Dovyalis macrocalyx .......................... 276 Hexalobus monopetalus ..................... 358
Dracaena mannii (D. usambarensis) . 278 Hibiscus acetosella ............................. 360
Drymaria cordata .............................. 280 Hibiscus calyphyllus .......................... 362
Duosperma crenatum ........................ 282 Hibiscus diversifolius ......................... 364
Embelia schimperi .............................. 284 Hibiscus surattensis ........................... 366
Emilia coccinea .................................. 286 Hirtella megacarpa (Acioa
Encephalartos hildebrandtii .............. 288 goetzeana) ....................................... 368
Englerophytum magalismontanum Hoslundia opposita ............................ 370
(Bequaertiodendron magalis- Hydnora abyssinica (H. johannis) ..... 372
montanum) ..................................... 290 Hygrophila auriculata
Englerophytum natalense (Asteracantha longifolia) ................ 374
(Bequaertiodendron natalense) ...... 292 Hyphaene compressa ......................... 376
Ensete ventricosum (Musa ensete) .... 294 Hyphaene coriacea (H. pileata) .......... 378

760
 INDEX OF SPECIES

Hyphaene petersiana (H. ventricosa) 380 Mimusops obtusifolia (M. fruticosa) .. 458
Inhambanella henriquesii .................. 382 Mollugo cerviana ................................ 460
Ipomoea cairica var. cairica ............... 384 Momordica foetida ............................. 462
Ipomoea eriocarpa .............................. 386 Momordica rostrata ........................... 464
Ipomoea pres-caprae (I. biloba) .......... 388 Monanthotaxis poggei ........................ 466
Isoglossa lactea .................................. 390 Multidentia crassa (Canthium
Jacquemontia tamnifolia ................... 392 crassum) ......................................... 468
Justicia heterocarpa ........................... 394 Myrianthus arboreus ......................... 470
Kedrostis leloja .................................. 396 Myrianthus holstii ............................. 472
Kigelia africana (K. pinnata, K. Myrsine africana ................................ 474
aethiopum) ..................................... 398 Nicandra physaloides ........................ 476
Landolphia kilimanjarica Nymphaea lotus ................................. 478
(L. buchananii) ............................... 400 Oldenlandia corymbosa
Landolphia kirkii ............................... 402 var. corymbosa ............................... 480
Landolphia parvifolia ......................... 404 Oldfieldia dactylophylla ..................... 482
Lannea fulva ....................................... 406 Oncoba spinosa .................................. 484
Lannea humilis .................................. 408 Opilia amentacea (O. celtidifolia) ...... 486
Lannea rivae (L. floccosa ) ................. 410 Opuntia vulgaris (O. ficus-indica) ..... 488
Lannea schweinfurthii var. Ormocarpum kirkii ............................ 490
stuhlmannii (L. stuhlmannii) ........ 412 Osyris lanceolata (O. compressa) ...... 492
Lantana camara ................................. 414 Oxygonum sinuatum ......................... 494
Lantana trifolia .................................. 416 Pappea capensis .................................. 496
Lantana ukambensis Parinari curatellifolia subsp.
(L. rhodesiensis) ............................. 418 curatellifolia ................................... 498
Laportea ovalifolia (Fleurya Parinari excelsa (P. holstii) ............... 500
ovalifolia) ........................................ 420 Parkia filicoidea ................................. 502
Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius subsp. Peponium vogelii ................................ 504
vaughanii ........................................ 422 Phoenix reclinata ............................... 506
Leonotis nepetifolia ............................ 424 Phyllanthus engleri ............................ 508
Lepisanthes senegalensis (Aphania Piliostigma thonningii (Bauhinia
senegalensis) ................................... 426 thonningii) ...................................... 510
Leptactina benguelensis ..................... 428 Piper guineense .................................. 512
Lippia kituiensis (L. ukambensis) ...... 430 Pistacia aethiopica ............................. 514
Lobelia fervens subsp. fervens Pistia stratiotes .................................. 516
(L. anceps) ...................................... 432 Platostoma africanum ....................... 518
Lycium europaeum ............................ 434 Polyceratocarpus scheffleri ................ 520
Maerua decumbens (M. edulis) .......... 436 Polygonum salicifolium
Malva parviflora ................................. 438 (P. serrulatum) ............................... 522
Mammea usambarensis ..................... 440 Polysphaeria parvifolia ...................... 524
Manilkara dawei ................................. 442 Portulaca oleracea .............................. 526
Manilkara discolor ............................. 444 Pouteria adolfi-friedericii subsp.
Manilkara mochisia ........................... 446 australis (Aningeria
Manilkara obovata ............................. 448 adolfi-friedericii) ............................. 528
Manilkara sansibarensis .................... 450 Pouzolzia mixta (P. hypoleuca) ......... 530
Manilkara sulcata .............................. 452 Pseudeminia comosa ......................... 532
Maranthes goetzeniana (Parinari Pseudospondias microcarpa .............. 534
goetzeniana) .................................... 454 Psorospermum febrifugum ................ 536
Mimusops kummel ............................. 456

761
 INDEX OF SPECIES

Psydrax parviflora subsp. Strychnos madagascariensis (S.

rubrocostata ................................... 538 dysophylla) ..................................... 624
Pupalia lappacea var. velutina .......... 540 Strychnos spinosa subsp. lokua ........ 626
Pygmaeothamnus zeyheri .................. 542 Synaptolepis alternifolia .................... 628
Pyrostria bibracteata (Canthium Synaptolepis kirkii ............................. 630
bibracteatum) ................................. 544 Synsepalum brevipes (Pachystela
Raphia farinifera ................................ 546 brevipes) .......................................... 632
Rhus natalensis .................................. 548 Synsepalum msolo (Pachystela
Rhus vulgaris ..................................... 550 msolo) ............................................. 634
Ricinodendron heudelotii subsp. Syzygium cordatum ........................... 636
africanum ....................................... 552 Syzygium guineense ........................... 638
Ritchiea albersii ................................. 554 Syzygium owariense .......................... 640
Rothmannia engleriana ..................... 556 Tacca leontopetaloides
Rourea orientalis (Byrsocarpus (T. involucrata) .............................. 642
orientalis) ....................................... 558 Talinum portulacifolium
Rubia cordifolia .................................. 562 (T. cuneifolium) .............................. 644
Rubus apetalus (R. adolfi-friedericii) 564 Tamarindus indica ............................ 646
Rumex abyssinicus ............................ 566 Tapiphyllum burnettii ........................ 648
Rumex usambarensis ......................... 568 Tapiphyllum cinerascens
Saba comorensis (S. florida) ............. 570 var. cinerascens .............................. 650
Salacia leptoclada .............................. 572 Thylachium africanum ...................... 652
Salvadora persica ............................... 574 Tragia insuarvis ................................. 654
Satyrium macrophyllum (S. Treculia africana ................................ 656
cheirophorum) ................................ 576 Tribulus terrestris .............................. 658
Satyrium neglectum var. neglectum . 578 Trichilia dregeana .............................. 660
Sclerocarya birrea subsp. caffra ........ 580 Trichilia emetica ................................ 662
Scolopia rhamniphylla ....................... 582 Trichodesma zeylanicum ................... 664
Scolopia zeyheri ................................. 584 Trilepisium madagascariense ............ 666
Senna bicapsularis (Cassia Triumfetta cordifolia
bicapsularis) ................................... 586 var. tomentosa ............................... 668
Senna singueana ................................ 588 Tylosema fassoglense (Bauhinia
Sesamothamnus busseanus ............... 592 fassoglensis) .................................... 670
Sesamum angolense ........................... 594 Typhonodorum lindleyanum ............. 672
Sesamum calycinum var. Uapaca kirkiana ................................. 674
angustifolium (S. angustifolium) .. 596 Uapaca nitida ..................................... 676
Sesuvium portulacastrum ................. 598 Uapaca paludosa (U. guineensis) ...... 678
Solanum anguivii (S. indicum) ......... 600 Uapaca sansibarica
Solanum schumannianum ................ 602 (U. macrocephala) .......................... 680
Sonchus luxurians ............................. 604 Urtica massaica ................................. 682
Sorghum purpureo-sericeum ............. 606 Uvaria acuminata .............................. 684
Sorindeia madagascariensis .............. 608 Uvaria kirkii ....................................... 686
Stachytarpheta jamaicensis ............... 610 Uvaria lucida subsp. lucida ............... 688
Sterculia africana ............................... 612 Vangueria apiculata ........................... 690
Sterculia appendiculata ..................... 614 Vangueria infausta
Sterculia tragacantha ........................ 616 subsp. rotundata ............................ 692
Strychnos cocculoides ........................ 620 Vangueria madagascariensis (V.
Strychnos innocua ............................. 622 acutiloba) ........................................ 694
Vangueria volkensii ............................ 696

762
 INDEX OF SPECIES

Vangueriopsis lanciflora .................... 698

Vigna pubescens ................................. 700
Vitex doniana ..................................... 702
Vitex ferruginea .................................. 704
Vitex fischeri ....................................... 706
Vitex madiensis subsp. milanjiensis . 708
Vitex mombassae ............................... 710
Vitex payos var. payos ....................... 712
Ximenia americana ............................ 714
Ximenia caffra .................................... 716
Xylotheca tettensis var. kirkii ............ 718
Zanha africana (Dialiopsis africana) . 720
Zanthoxylum chalybeum
var. chalybeum (Fagara chalybea) 722
Ziziphus abyssinica ............................ 724
Ziziphus mauritiana .......................... 726
Ziziphus mucronata
subsp. mucronata ........................... 728

763
INDEX OF SPECIES

764
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766
The soils of Ethiopia: annotated bibliography
Berhanu Debele. 1994. TH No. 9. ISBN 9966-896-21-X

Curriculum for training in soil and water conservation in Kenya

Stachys N. Muturi and Fabian S. Muya (eds.) 1994. TH No. 8. ISBN 9966-896-20-1

Soil conservation in Arusha Region, Tanzania: manual for extension workers with emphasis on
small-scale farmers
Per Assmo and Arne Eriksson. 1994. TH No. 7. ISBN 9966-896-19-8

Useful trees and shrubs for Tanzania: identification, propagation and management for agricultural
and pastoral communities
L.P. Mbuya, H.P. Msanga, C.K. Ruffo, Ann Birnie and Bo Tengnäs. 1994. TH No. 6. ISBN 9966-896-16-3

Agroforestry manual for extension workers in Southern Province, Zambia

Jericho Mulofwa, Samuel Simute and Bo Tengnäs. 1994. TH No. 4. ISBN 9966-896-14-7

Useful trees and shrubs for Ethiopia: identification, propagation and management for agricultural
and pastoral communities
Azene Bekele-Tessema, Ann Birnie and Bo Tengnäs. 1993. TH No. 5. ISBN 9966-896-15-5

Guidelines on agroforestry extension planning in Kenya

Bo Tengnäs. 1993. TH No. 3. ISBN 9966-896-11-2

Agroforestry manual for extension workers with emphasis on small-scale farmers in Eastern
Province, Zambia
Samuel Simute. 1992. TH No. 2. ISBN 9966-896-07-4

Curriculum for in-service training in agroforestry and related subjects in Kenya

Stachys N. Muturi (ed.). 1992. TH No. 1. ISBN 9966-896-03-1
T
he Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) has supported rural
development programmes in eastern Africa since the 1960s. Through its Regional Land
Management Unit (RELMA), Sida promotes initiatives to increase agricultural production in
order to enhance food security and reduce poverty.
RELMA, the successor of the Regional Soil Conservation Unit (RSCU), is based in Nairobi and
operates mainly in six eastern and southern African countries: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
and Zambia. RELMA’s goal in the region is to improve livelihoods of small-scale land users and en-
hance food security for all households. In pursuit of this goal, RELMA promotes environmentally sus-
tainable, socially and economically viable farming and marketing systems, and supports policies that
favour small-scale land users.
RELMA organizes, on a regional level, training courses, workshops and study tours. It also gives
technical advice, facilitates exchange of expertise and produces information materials for the dissemina-
tion of new knowledge, techniques and approaches. A variety of reports, handbooks, posters and other
information materials are published and distributed in the region on a non-profit basis.

About this book

This book is the third in a series on the wild food plants of eastern Africa and describes over three
hundred species found in Tanzania, most of them indigenous.
Wild food plants are those with edible parts such as leaves, fruit, seeds, tubers and bark that are found
growing naturally. Many are still used by rural people in Tanzania, but often they are not valued as much
as introduced species, and there is a continuing decline in knowledge about them, especially among
young people and in urban areas.
However, many of these plants are both nutritious and important for food security. The inclusion in
staple diets of a small amount of vitamin- and mineral-rich wild fruits, for example, can result in a
considerable improvement in people’s nutritional status. In addition, the indigenous species are adapted
to their local environments and therefore can be easily integrated into farming systems.
In humid areas, leafy vegetables are available throughout the year, and in drier places, leaves, fruit
and other parts collected during the peak season can be preserved for later use. Roots and tubers are
important sources of food during periods of food scarcity, and these wild food plants can also provide
income and employment through the sale or exchange of fruit, nuts and vegetables.
This book aims to encourage more Tanzanians to learn about and promote the use of the wild food
plants found in their areas. It will also help extension officers and district and group leaders to take an
active role in the promotion and use of these plants. The book will also be of interest to foresters,
horticulturists, botanists and students and teachers at all levels.

ISBN 9966-896-62-7

Regional Land Management Unit (RELMA), ICRAF Building, Gigiri, P. O. Box 63403, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: (+254 2) 52 44 00, 52 44 18, 52 25 75, Fax: (+254 2) 52 44 01, E-mail: relma@cgiar.org
www.relma.org

SWEDISH INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION AGENCY