Food Plants International - Plant Fact Sheets

Agave decipiens

Edible : Sap - drink

A large plant. It has rings of leaves. The trunk is 2.5 m long. The leaves are 120 cm long. They are prickly.

It is a subtropical plant.

Common

Couepia polyandra

Edible : Fruit

A small tree. It grows 15 m tall. The leaves are 6-13 cm long by 3-6 cm wide. The fruit are medium sized and oval with a rough surface. The can be 5-7 cm long. The flesh is soft and there is one seed inside. The pulp is yellow, juicy and fibrous.

A tropical plant. In Central America it grows between sea level to 900 m altitude. It can grow between sea level and 1,750 m above sea level.

Common Names : Sun Sapote, Camero, Fraile, Frailecillo, Guayabillo de tinta, Guayo, Gurupillo, Olosao, Olosapo, Olozapote, Palo fraile, Uspi, Uspiib, Uxpiib, Zapote bolo, Zapotillo amarillo,

Synonyms :

Couepia dodecandra (Moc. & Sesse ex DC.) Hemsl.;
Couepia floccosa Fritsch;
Hirtella dodecandra Moc. & Sesse ex DC.;
and others

Nashia inaguensis

Edible : Leaves - tea

A small shrub. The leaves are small and shiny. The leaves have a lemon scent. Flowers are very small. The fruit are very small and red or orange.

A tropical plant. At ECHO.

Common names : Moujean tea, Pineapple verbena,

Synonym :

Lippia inaguensis (Millsp.) Urb.;

Artocarpus hypargyreus

Edible : Fruit, Seeds

A small evergreen tree. It grows 10-25 m high. The trunk is 40 cm through. The bark is dark purple and peels off. The young branches have white hairs. The leaves are alternate. The leaf stalk is 1.5-2 cm long. The leaf blade is oval and 8-15 cm long by 4-7 cm wide. The leaves are lobed on young plants. Leaves are dark green on top and whitish green underneath. There are 6-7 secondary veins on each side of the midrib. Flowers occur singly in the axils of leaves. Male flowers are 1.5-2 cm long by 1.1-5 cm wide. The fruit are small, round and yellow. It is 5-7 cm across. The fruit can be seeded or seedless. The seeds are edible.

A tropical plant. It can withstand a little wind and drought. In China it grows in broad leafed forest between 100-1700 m altitude in southern China. It cannot tolerate frost. In garden at Miallo.

Common names : Kwaimuk, Bai gui mu,

Synonyms:

Acacia karroo

Edible : Seeds - coffee, Gum, Bark, Roots, Seeds, Leaves - coffee,

An evergreen shrub or small tree. It grows to 5 m tall and 3 m wide. It can be 15 m tall. The stem is erect. It has spines. The spines are silvery white with a black tip. The spines or thorns can be 7 cm long. The bark is rough and grey-black. The bark peals off to show a rust red colour underneath. The branches are spreading. The leaves (phyllodes) are grey and divided twice. They are 10 cm long. There are 8-20 pairs of leaflets. The flowers are pale yellow. They have a sweet smell. They flowers occur in dense clusters. The pods are 12.5 cm long and narrow. The pods curve to a sickle shape. When ripe they are dark brown.

This is a native of Southern Africa. It prefers light to medium soils They need to be well drained. It requires a sunny protected position. It can resist drought and frost. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 50-1,500 mm. It grows between 3-2,400 m above sea level. It grows in coastal scrub and woodland and along streams. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 9-11.

Common names : Karroo Thorn, Cape gum, Cape gum, Doorn Boom, Isinga, Mfungu, Mimosa, Mkwangwa, Moangala, Mooka, Mpampa, Mubayamhondoro, Muhunga, Munenje, Mupfamutshena, Muunga, Muye-nyewe, Muzunga, Soetdoring, Sweet thorn, Umnga, Umunga, Witdoring,

Synonyms:

Acacia dekindtiana A. Chev.;
Acacia eburnea sensu auct.;
Acacia inconflagrabilis Gerstner;
Acacia horrida sensu auct. mult. non (L.) Willd.;
Acacia karroo Hayne;
Acacia natalitia E. Meyer;

Confusion about these:
Acacia pseudowightii Thoth.;
Acacia roxburghii Wight & Arn.;
Acacia campbellii Arn.;
Mimosa eburnea L. f.;
Acacia minutifolia Ragnup.;
Acacia hirtella E. Mey.;
 

Acacia polyacantha

Edible: Gum, Seeds, Spice

A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.

It is a tropical plant. It occurs in wooded grassland and in soil from rivers in river valleys. It grows in the Sahel. It can grow in arid places.

Common Names: African cachechu tree, Chikwiku, Chiugadzi, Falcon's claw acacia, Guvwa, Kalakhanga, Kobakova, M'rroca, Mekaja, Mgunga, Msukanzi, Mtopotopo, Mugone, Mukwakwa, Munanga, Musewa, White thorn-tree

Synonyms: 

Acacia caffra (Thunb.) Willd. var. campylacantha (A. Rich.) Aubrev.;
Acacia campylacantha Hochst. ex A. Rich.;
Acacia catechu (L. f.) Willd. subsp. suma (Roxb.) Roberty;

Acalypha hispida

Edible: Leaves

A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.

A tropical plant. It suits sheltered sites. It needs a warm location. It does not tolerate salt spray. It is damaged by frost and drought. It suits hardiness zones 10-12. In South America, it grows form sea level to 2,000 m above sea level. Adelaide Botanical Gardens. In XTBG Yunnan. Slovenia Botanical Gardens.

Common Names: Buntot pusa, Buntut kuching, Cola de gato, Ekur kuching, Ekor kucing merah, Hahng-kra-rok-daeng, Kabi, Kyaung-hmi-pan, Moorukonda, Red-hot cat-tail, Tai tuong duoi chon, Vattattali 

Synonyms: 

Acalypha densiflora Blume;
Acalypha sanderi;

Acalypha indica

Edible: Leaves, Vegetable

A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.

A tropical plant. It grows in hot places. They occur as a weed and are found throughout the Philippines in waste places. In tropical Africa it grows up to 1,350 m altitude. It can grow in arid places. It grows in sunny waste places.

Common Names: Alcalifa, Biralkatshi, Bogus-damohan, Brennkraut, Chika mas, Copperleaf, Dadano, Harita-manjari, Hurita munjari, Indian nettle, Khokli, Khotka, Khotke, Kkokhali, Koopay maynei, Kuppaimeni, Kuppi gida, Kuppi, Kuppichettu, Kyaung-se-pin, Kyaung-yo-the, Lelatang, Muktajhuri, Poonamayakki, Ricinela, Rumput lis-lis, Swetbasanta, Tam ye tuaopu, Tamyae maeo, Three-seeded mercury,

Synonyms: 

Acalypha bailloniana Mull. Arg.;
Acalypha somalium Mull. Arg.;

Acalypha siamensis

Edible: Leaves - tea

A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.

A tropical plant. It grows in dry evergreen forests on sandy soil. It grows between 100-400 m above sea level.

Common Names: Akalifa siam, Chah ru-si, Laphet-nyo, Tae prei, Teh hutan, Teh kampong, Tumput

Synonyms: 

Acalypha evrardii Gagnep.;
Acalypha sphenophylla Pax & K.Hoffm.;
Acalypha fruticosa Ridley;