Some 3 billion people in the world live outside the cash economy in the world’s poorest nations. Food security and regular supply are their daily concerns. Chronic malnutrition is a leading cause of death and disease for them. Young children are amongst the most affected. One child every 5-10 seconds dies from undernutrition. Vitamin A deficiency causes night blindness for someone every minute. Most people in tropical and subtropical countries are iron deficient.
Our goal is to provide information that enables people to choose the right plant for their environment, to give them stable food production and a greater choice of plants to enrich their diets and improve their nutritional wellbeing.
The plant fact sheets listed in this collection are only a small portion of those available from FPI. Please check your plant inquiries in the ECHO Search and reference the FPI plant database for further information.
Most of the plants selected to list here are further described in country-specific publications by Food Plant Solutions (FPS in the Search).
8000 Starchy Staples
7000 Legumes
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4000 Vegetables
3000 Nuts, Seeds, Herbs, and other foods
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Cordyla Africana - Wild Mango
Edible parts: Fruit, Seeds, Flowers - nectar
It is a large tree. It grows up to 22 m tall. The trunk can be 1.2 m across. The branches spread widely. The bark is greyish brown and has furrows along it. The leaves are divided once. They are 25 cm long with about 9-12 pairs of leaflets with one at the end. The leaflets are 2.5-4 cm long. They are dark green and smooth. There are dots which let light through scattered over the leaf surface. The flowers occur in small sprays in the axils of leaves. The flowers face upwards and are filled with nectar. The fruit is a yellow fleshy succulent fruit. It is about 4 cm long and oval. It has a leathery skin and 1-8 seeds inside. The seeds are embedded in the sticky flesh. The fruit are edible.
A tropical tree. It grows in low altitudes in hot areas. It is often in swamp forest and along rivers. It grows between 10-900 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.
Parinari curatellifolia - Hissing Tree
Edible parts: Kernels, Fruit pulp, Nuts, Seeds, Leaves - medicine, Seeds - oil
The leaves are simple and oblong. They are 4-11 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. They narrow towards the base. The upper surface is shiny dark green and the lower surface is dull and covered with felt. The veins are conspicuous and run straight to the edge of the leaf. The flower buds occur in sprays at the ends of the branches. The flowers are pale green and have a strong sweet scent. The fruit are 2.5-4 cm long. They are olive green covered with rough grey spots. They become yellowish-red when ripe. The flesh of the fruit clings to the kernel. The fruit are edible. There are 2 subspecies.
A tropical plant. It is native to tropical Africa. It is common on sandy soils and in open deciduous woodland. It is very sensitive to frost and cold. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 700-1,500 mm. It is often in poorly drained soils with a high water table. Plants can re-grow after fire. It grows in areas between sea level and 2,100 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places. It grows in Miombo woodland in Africa.
Parinari excelsa - Rough-skinned Plum
Edible parts: Nuts, Fruit, Kernel, Seed - oil
A large evergreen tree. It grows to 50 m high. The trunk is 1.5 m across. It has buttresses. The branches have a cottony covering. The leaves are alternate and simple. They are 5-10 cm long by 2.5-5 cm wide. The flowers are pink and white. They have a sweet smell. Fruit are oval and 6 cm long by 4 cm wide. They are red-brown and have a warty surface. This is hard and woody. There are 1-2 seeds per stone.
A tropical plant. It grows in tropical Africa. It grows in forest and along river banks. It can be in savannah or palm groves. It grows from the lowlands to 1,000 m altitude in West Africa. In East Africa it grows to 2,400 m altitude.
Parkia filicoidea - African Locust Bean
Edible parts: Nuts, Fruit, Kernel, Seed - oil
A large evergreen tree. It grows to 50 m high. The trunk is 1.5 m across. It has buttresses. The branches have a cottony covering. The leaves are alternate and simple. They are 5-10 cm long by 2.5-5 cm wide. The flowers are pink and white. They have a sweet smell. Fruit are oval and 6 cm long by 4 cm wide. They are red-brown and have a warty surface. This is hard and woody. There are 1-2 seeds per stone.
A tropical plant. It grows in tropical Africa. It grows in forest and along river banks. It can be in savannah or palm groves. It grows from the lowlands to 1,000 m altitude in West Africa. In East Africa it grows to 2,400 m altitude.
Sclerocarya caffra - Marula
Edible parts: Fruit, Seeds, Nuts, Leaves, Kernel
A deciduous tree. It grows 10-18 m tall. It has a thick trunk and light rounded crown. The trunk is straight and 1 m across. The branches are large. The twigs are sturdy with blunt tips. The bark is grey but turns black with age. It is thick and develops cracks and raised scales. This gives the trunk a mottled appearance. The inner bark is pink-red. The leaves are compound, alternate and crowded at the tips of branches. The leaves are 15-30 cm long. New leaves are tinged pink. Older leaves are bluish green and paler on the underside. There are 3-18 pairs of leaflets and one central leaflet. The leaflets are oval and stalked. They are 3-10 cm long and 1.3-4 cm wide. They are pointed at the tip. The midrib of the leaflets is more towards one side of the blade. The flowers have male and female flowers on the same or on different trees. Male flowers are pale green and hang downwards attracting insects. Female flowers occur on their own and are green-pink. Flowers are 5-8 mm across. Flower spikes are 10 cm long. The fruit is rounded and fleshy and 3.5 cm across. The skin is smooth, cream and spotted.
Distribution
It is a tropical tree occurring at medium and low altitudes up to 1,600 m. It grows in the lowlands. It occurs throughout Africa. It occurs in savannah and wooded grassland. It grows in Miombo woodland in Africa. It suits warm dry areas and sandy soils. Trees are susceptible to frost when young. It does best in hot, dry climates. It needs a permanent supply of moisture. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.
Syzygium cordatum - Water Boom
Edible parts: Fruit, Stems - flavouring
A medium sized evergreen tree. It grows to 8-15 m high. The trunk sometimes has buttresses. The crown of the tree is rounded. The bark is dark brown and rough with cracks along its length. The small branches are angular and the edges of them is winged. The leaves tend to be near the ends of branches and occur in large numbers. They clasp the stem in opposite pairs. The following leaf pair are at right angles. The leaves are leathery and blue-green. They are oblong to circular and 3-8 cm long by 2-8 cm across. The base of the leaf is heart shaped. The edges of the leaves are often wavy. The new leaves are bright red.
The flowers occur in dense branched clusters. These can be 10 cm across. They are white or pink and the stamens show up clearly. The flowers contain both sexes. The flowers produce abundant nectar. They are also scented. The fruit is 1.3 cm long. They are purple. The fruit is edible. It has one seed inside.
A tropical plant. It occurs in lowland forests always near streams and swamps. It can grow up to 1680 m above sea level in South Africa. In swamps forests it can form a very large fern covered tree while in drier areas is is a much smaller rounded shrub. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall above 500 mm. It can re-grow after fire. It can grow in arid places.
Syzygium guineense - Water Berry
Edible parts: Fruit, Bark - tea, Seeds, Roots
It is a medium sized evergreen tree. It grows 15-30 m tall. This tree varies a lot. The trunk is broad and fluted. The bark is rough, greyish white and flaky. It produces a red watery sap if cut. The young branches are four sided. The branches tend to hang over. The leaves are simple and opposite one another along the stem. They are shiny, dark green and leathery. Underneath the leaves is paler green. Young leaves are purple red. Leaves are 5-16 cm long by 1.3-7 cm across. The leaf stalk is about 1 cm long. The leaves do not have as many side veins as Syzygium gerrardii. The flowers are white. They have a honey sweet scent. The flowers occur in clusters at the ends of branches. Clusters can be 10 cm across. The fruit are oval and 2-3 cm long. They are whitish green when young and turn dark purple when ripe. Clumps of 20-30 fruit occur together. The fruit contains one large seed. The seed is 1.4 cm across. The fruit is edible. There are about 10 subspecies.
A tropical plant. It occurs in most of Africa. It grows from sea level to 1350 m in Tanzania and up to 2,100 m in Uganda. It requires plenty of water. It grows in areas with annual rainfalls of 743 mm to 2340 mm but in the drier areas relies on underground water. It occurs in areas with temperatures between 16°C and 30°C. It grows on a range of soils. It commonly occurs in rainforest or swamp forest. It suits humid locations. Seedlings need adequate light. It can grow in arid places.
Trichilia emetica - Natal mahogany
Edible parts: Aril, Seeds, Fruit, Seeds - oil
A large tree. It is evergreen. It grows 8-20 m high. The crown is round and widespreading. The leaves have 4-5 pairs of leaflets
and one at the end. They are oblong and 12 cm long by 5.5 cm wide. They are dark green and glossy above and have short
hairs underneath. The leaf stalk is 7-12 cm long. The flowers are creamy-green. The petals are 1.6 cm long. They occur in sort
branched heads in the axils of leaves. These are about 5 cm long. The fruit is an almost round creamy-brown capsule. It is 2.5
-3 cm across. They split into 2-3 valves. The seeds are black and covered with a red seed coat (aril).
Distribution
A tropical plant. It grows at medium to low altitudes in forests along rivers and near the coast. In East Africa it grows from sea
level to 1,835 m altitude. In West Africa it grows in the savannah. It grows in areas with a rainfall above 550 mm. It can tolerate
drought. It cannot tolerate frost. It can grow in arid places.
Ziziphus mucronata - Buffalo Thorn
Edible parts: Fruit, Seeds - coffee, Leaves
A shrub or small tree. It grows up to 9 m tall. It has many sharp thorns. It has spreading and often drooping branches. The trunk is often crooked. The leaves are simple and alternate. They are shiny and have 3 veins from the base. The leaves are 2.5 -8 cm long by 1.9-8 cm wide. Leaves and young plant parts can be hairy. There can be thorns at the nodes. The flowers are small and green. The flowers are in small clusters in the axils of leaves. The fruit are round. They are red and shiny. There is a sweet mealy pulp around a large seed.
A tropical plant. It grows in the lowlands and the highlands. It grows in tropical Africa. It grows in the Sahel. It grows in open scrub. It can grow on a range of soils. It is often on embankments and termite mounds. In East Africa it grows up to 2,000 m above sea level. It is drought resistant. It can grow in arid places. It grows in Miombo woodland. Mt Lofty Botanical Gardens. Melbourne Botanical gardens. It suits hardiness zones 7-9.
Bidens schimperi
Edible parts: Leaves, Vegetable
A herb. It grows 1.8 , tall. The leaves are roughly hairy. They are usually deeply divided into 3. The edges of the leaves are marked by a line of black dots. The flowers are yellow and larger than Bidens pilosa. The fruit have 2 hooked bristles.
A tropical plant. It grows on arable land. It is also in woodland and on flood plains. It grows between 300-950 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places. In Tanzania it grows from sea level to 2,400 m above sea level.
