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
6000 Leafy Greens
5000 Fruits
4000 Vegetables
3000 Nuts, Seeds, Herbs, and other foods
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Sideroxylon foetidissimum
Edible : Fruit
An evergreen tree. It grows up to 25 m tall. The leaves are simple and yellowish-green. They are oblong and 20 cm long. The flowers are small and creamy-yellow. They clasp the twigs. They have a smell like cheese. The fruit is fleshy with a stone. They are 2.5 cm across. They are deep yellow and sour. They have a gummy latex.
A tropical plant. It is native to Central America and the West Indies. It grows in dry coastal forests and woodlands. It can tolerate drought and salt. It need full sun and does best in a fertile, well drained soil. It suits hardiness zones 9-11.
Common names : Mastic, Mastic jungleplum, Akoma, Akoma fran, Ascomat, Caguani, Caguini, Calla, Caya amarilla, Caya blanca, Caya prieta, Coguani, Coma, Goma, Jacuma, Jocuma, Juba, Koma, Tortigo amarillo, Tortugo colorado,
Synonyms :
Achras pallida (Sw.) Poir.;
Bumelia auzuba Roem. & Schult.;
Bumelia foetidissima (Jacq.) Willd.;
Bumelia lucida (Sol. ex Lam.) Roem. & Schult.;
Bumelia mastichodendron (Jacq.) Roem. & Schult.;
Bumelia pallida Sw.;
Bumelia pauciflora (Jacq.) Roem. & Schult.;
Mastichodendron foetidissimium (Jacq.) H.Lam.;
Mastichodendron foetidissimum subsp. typicum Cronquist;
Mastichodendron foetidissimum var. cuneatum Kitan.;
Mastichodendron sloaneanum Box & Philipson;
Sideroxylon acouma A.DC.;
Sideroxylon domingense Urb.;
Sideroxylon foetidissimum var. quadriloculare (Pierre) Dubard;
Sideroxylon jamaicense Urb.;
Sideroxylon lucidum Sol. ex Lam.;
Sideroxylon mastichodendron Jacq.;
Sideroxylon mastichodendron var. pallidum (Sw.) M.Gómez;
Sideroxylon nitidum Lam.;
Sideroxylon obovatum C.F.Gaertn.;
Sideroxylon oppositifolium Mill.;
Sideroxylon pallidum (Sw.) Spreng.;
Sideroxylon pallidum var. sphaericarpum A.DC. ;
Sideroxylon pauciflorum Jacq.;
Sideroxylon quadriloculare Pierre;
Toona ciliata
Edible : Leaves, Vegetables
NB Naming of plant confused.
A large spreading tree. It loses its leaves. It grows 15-25 m high. The trunk is thick. The bark is dark grey and rough. It cracks into squares. The leaves are large and compound. They can be 90 cm long and have 10-14 pairs of narrow leaflets. These are 15 cm long. They have unequal sides. They taper to the tip. The edges are wavy. The veins are light green. The flowers are bell shaped. They are small and white. They occur in long sprays. The fruit are brown capsules. They split open in a star shape. The seeds have wings.
A tropical plant. It grows up to 1,850 m above sea level in East Africa. In tropical Queensland it grows from sea level to 1000 m altitude. In XTBG Yunnan. In Sichuan.
Common names : Toon, Red cedar, Kashit-ka, Kuruk, Latsai, Mahaneem, Mahanim, Mai-yum, Malarveppu, Mandurike, Mathagiri, Moulmein cedar, Nandichettu, Nandivriksha, Poma, Santhanavembu, Sendrella, Taung-tama, Tawtama, Thevatharam, Thit-kado, Todu, Toon, Tooni, Tun, Tundu, Tuni, Tunna, Tunumaram,
Synonyms:
Cedrela australis F. Mueller;
Cedrela toona Roxb.;
Toona australis (F. Muell.) Harms;
and others
Vangueria madagascariensis
Edible : Fruit
A deciduous tree. It often has several stems. It can grow to 15 m high. The bark is pale grey and fairly smooth. It loses its leaves during the year. The leaves are pale green and attractive. They are oval and 8-20 cm long by 12 cm wide and rounded at the base. They are shiny and limp. Leaf stalks are up to 1 cm long. There are leaf stipules on the young shoots. The flowers are greenish white in clusters in the axils of leaves. These are 8 cm long. The flowers are yellow green and 8 mm long. They are small and few. The petals are pale green. Fruit are round, smooth and green with white dots. They are about 4-5 cm across. Often fruit are in bunches of 5-6. Fruit contain 4 or more seeds. The seeds are 1-2 cm long. The fruit are edible.
A tropical plant. It grows in the lowlands. They suit a range of soil types. They have good drought tolerance. It grows in scrub and on the edges of forests. The grow naturally in dry forest edges. They grow from sea level to 2,130 m altitude. It grows in areas with rainfall from 600 to 1200 mm annually. Temperatures are in the range 17°C to 29°C. The plant needs to be in an open sunny position. It can re-grow after fire. It cannot tolerate frost.
Common names : Spanish tamarind, Smooth wild-medlar, Bergel, Bururi, Dimbliksha, Engumi, Erakwtu, Gara, Ikormosiyoi, Kamolwet, Kanoy, Katkara tenga, Kikomoa, Kikomua, Kirkir, Knoy, Komol, Komolwo, Loshoro, Mdaria, Mesho, Moyen, Msada, Msambalawe, Mubiru, Mudhukanta, Muhilu, Mukomoa, Mulande-nu-kue, Mviru, Ngoromosui, Odeyo, Ol-gumei, Surangaro, Tamarind of the Indies, Tamarindo, Voa-vanga,
Synonyms :
Canthium edule (Vahl) Baill.;
Canthium maleolens Chiov.;
Dondisia foetida Hassk.;
Vangueria acutiloba Robyns;
Vangueria commersonii Jacq.;
Vangueria cymosa C. F. Gaertn.;
Vangueria edulis Lam. [Illegitimate];
Vangueria edulis Vahl;
Vangueria floribunda Robyns;
Vangueria macrophylla Wall.;
Vangueria robynsii Tennant;
Vavanga chinensis Rohr.;
Vavanga edulis Vahl;
Vanilla planifolia
Edible : Pods, Fruit, Seeds, Herb, Spice,
A climbing orchid. The vine is fleshy and climbs by means of roots. It can climb to 10-15 m high. It is 1-2 cm across and flexible but easily broken. There are 5-15 cm between nodes. It is often trained to a lower height to allow easier pollination and harvesting. Aerial roots arise from the stem opposite the leaves. These are white and 2 mm across. They attach to supports. It has long pointed fleshy leaves. They have almost no stalk and can be 8-25 cm long by 2-8 cm wide. The tip of the leaf is pointed and the base is rounded. The flowers are greenish yellow and large and waxy. They occur in groups of up to 30 in the axils of the leaves. The fruit is a long fleshy pod with small black seeds inside.
A tropical plant. It needs a warm moist climate. The best temperature is between 21-32°C with an average around 27°C. It will grow up to at least 1,000 m altitude. It does best with an evenly distributed rainfall of 2,000-5,000 mm per year. Ideally it should have 2 drier months to allow the flowers to develop. Light shade is necessary. It needs a well drained location and lots of humus and organic matter to grow in. It suits hardiness zones 11-12.
Common names : Vanilla, Hpyaw-ye-thitkwa, Vainella, Vainilla, Vaniglia,
Synonyms :
Vanilla fragrans (Salisb.) Ames;
Vanilla pompona
Edible : Fruit, Flavoring
An orchid. It is like vanilla but has larger leaves and flowers and shorter, thicker pods. The vine has aerial roots to climb. It can be 5 m long. The leaves are fleshy and 10-30 cm long by 6-10 cm wide. The flowers are greenish-white. They are in groups in the axils of leaves. The fruit is spindle shaped and 1.5 cm long. They contain many seeds.
A tropical plant. It grows in forests.
Common names : West Indian vanilla, Guadeloupe vanilla, Pompona vanilla, Baunilha, Pompon,
Synonyms :
Vanilla grandiflora Lindl.;
and several others
Vernonia amygdalina
Edible : Leaves, Vegetable, Stems,
A woody shrub. It has a single stem and grows up to 3 m tall. Sometimes it grows up to 10 m. The bark is pale grey and rough. The bark flakes off and the branches are brittle. The young branches are hairy but become smooth later. The leaves are oval and 20 cm by 5 cm. They taper at both ends. The leaves are dark green above and have soft pale hairs underneath. The edges of the leaves can have teeth. The leaf stalks are 3 cm long. Flowers are green or white and 4-6 mm across. They occur in dense branching flattened heads. These heads are 30 cm across. They produce a sweet smell in the evening.
A tropical plant. It grows in subhumid wooded savannah and wetter highland areas in tropical Africa. It will grow in all kinds of soils. Humus rich soil gives better leaf production. It grows from sea level to 2,200 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places. Brisbane Botanical Gardens.
Common names : Bitter leaf, Tree vernonia, Amavive, Anouko sauvage, Aroman, Banjaga, Chipanza, Eebicha, Elimkpataxa, Erita, Ewuro, Futsa, Grawa, Hechcho, Labori, Lubilili, Lugon, Malulu, Mekang ndie, Moqune, Msangusangu, Mukarikari, Mululuza, Mundudindudi, Muuluza, Navate, Nlulu nlulu, Nsangunsangu, Okelo, Omororia, Omululisi, Onugbu, Oriwo, Shiwaka, Shuwaka, Suaka, Tifinhoun'ti, Tikoun'teete,Tree vernonia, Tsonzoro, Tsoyo, Umubiriizi,
Synonyms :
Gymnanthemum amygdalinum (Delile) Walp.;
Vernonia randii S. Moore;
Vitis vinifera
Edible : Flowers, Fruit, Leaves, Oil, Herb, Flavouring, Sap,
A woody vine which keeps growing from year to year. It is often pruned to reduce its size. It climbs by coiled tendrils which attach to objects. It has large leaves which are roughly heart shaped. They can be entire or be deeply divided into 3-5 lobes. Leaves can be 20 cm across. The edges of the leaf are sharply and irregularly toothed. The tip of the leaf is pointed and the base is rounded. Sometimes the leaves are hairy. The flowers are small and yellow-green. They occur in clusters which are 5-20 cm long and beside the leaves. The 5 green petals drop off together to show 5 central stamens and the ovary. These bear clusters of fleshy fruit. The fruit is a berry which is generally oval and juicy. The skin can be yellow or violet-black. They are 1-4 cm long. The flesh is edible. They contain a few hard seeds. There are 10,000 cultivated varieties.
A subtropical plant. It mainly grows in Mediterranean-type climates with hot dry summers and cool rainy winters. It needs shelter from the wind. In Nepal it grows up to 1400 m altitude. A pH of 6.5-7.5 is suitable. It suits hardiness zones 6-9.
Common names : Grapevine, European grape, Angoor, Angur, Aris, Bejuco parra, Diva loza, Grozde yagorida, Khaghogh, Meyv, Motiribe, Parra, Sa-pyit, Tiyek, Tumpeang ba'y chu, Uva, Vid, Vigne, Vino, Vinograd, Weinrebe, Yana uva,
Synonyms :
Vitis sylvestris C.C.Gmel;
Yucca elephantipes
Edible : Leaves, Pods, Flowers, Shoots,
A small tree. It grows 8 m tall. It has a single trunk. This is thickened at the base. It spreads 3 m wide. The leaves are stiff and pointed. They are less than 1 m long. The flowering shoot is at the end of the plant. It is about 60 cm long and has branches with many small with flowers. The fruit is a fleshy capsule about 8 cm long. The flesh is green or white with many seeds. The seeds are small and black.
A tropical plant. In Adelaide Botanical Gardens. In Brisbane Botanical Gardens. Melbourne Botanical Gardens. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.
Common names : Giant Yucca, Bulbstem yucca, Itabo, Izote, Prstasta juka, Spineless Yucca, Yuka raksasa,
Synonyms:
Yucca guatemalensis;
Citrus limon x sinensis
Edible : Fruit
A bush or small tree. It has thorny stems. The leaves are dark green. They are 10 cm long. The flowers occur in clusters and are cream. The fruit have smooth skins. The skins are thin.
It is a temperate plant. It can tolerate colder temperatures than other lemons. It suits hardiness zones 9-11.
Common names : Lemon, Meyer, Fragrant lemon, Xiang ningmeng,
Synonyms :
Probably now Citrus x meyeri;
Citrus meyeri Tyo. Tanaka;
Senna spectabilis
Edible : Fruit pulp
A shrub or small tree. It grows 7 m high. The leaves have 6-15 pairs of leaflets. These are 3-7 cm long by 1-2 m wide. They are oval with pointed tip. They have fine hairs underneath. The flowers are yellow. They are in large unbranched clusters at the ends of twigs. The fruit are pods 18-25 cn long by 1 cm wide. They are black and glossy.
It is a tropical plant. It grows in mixed forests up to 2,000 m above sea level. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 1,000 m above sea level. In XTBG Yunnan (As Cassia)
Common names : Yellow cassia, Pohon kasia amerika, Keshya wa maluwa,
Synonyms :
Cassia spectabilis DC.;
Pseudocassia spectabilis (DC.) Britton & Rose;
