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
948 Issues in this Publication (Showing issues 3000 - 3000) Previous | Next
Kigelia africana - Sausage Tree
Edible Portion: Seeds, Fruit, Bark, Flowers
It is a tree which loses many leaves during the year. It grows 9-18 m high. The crown is rounded. The trunk is short and straight and about 80 cm across. It often branches from the base. The branches spread out and the secondary branches hang down. The bark is dark grey and smooth but flakes off in patches. The leaves are compound leaves growing in threes. They occur at the ends of branches. They are light green. The leaves are divided into leaflets along the stalk with one leaflet at the end. There are 7-9 leaflets. They are smooth on the upper surface and can be downy underneath. The side leaflets do not have stalks. The end leaflet grows out as much as 30 cm from the last pair. The leaflets are rough and hard and up to 10 cm long. They can have a sharp tip. The edge of the leaflet is wavy. The flowers occur on long rope like stalks. These can be 2-3 m long. The flowers are trumpet like. The flowers are on long sprays which hang downwards. The flowers point out and upwards. The petals are bright red with yellow veins. The flowers are 6-8-15 cm long. They have an unpleasant smell. The fruit is like grey green
Laurus nobilis - Bay Laurel, Sweet Bay
Edible Portion: Leaves, Herb, Spice, Oil
An evergreen tree which grows 10-20 m high. It spreads to 2.5-5 m wide. The bark is smooth and grey. The leaves are alternate. The leaves are oval and shiny and dark green. They are 3-6 cm long. The leaves have wavy edges and are leathery. The flowers are small and yellowish green. Male and female flowers are on separate plants. The fruit are one seeded dark berries. They are 1 cm long.
Lecythis zabucajo - Sapucaia Nut, Paradise Nut, Monkey Nut
Edible portion: Nuts, Seeds
A large deciduous tree. It grows 35 m high. The trunk is clear and straight when growing in rainforest. Cultivated trees are smaller. The leaves are simple and deep green. They are 12 cm long by 6 cm wide. They are papery with scalloped edges. The flowers are showy and white or yellow with purple edges. They have 6 petals. The stamens are inside a hinged flap. The flowers have a strong scent. The fruit is a capsule or pod 20 cm long by 26 cm wide. It is round with a 'lid'. The seeds are spindle shaped and deeply ridged. They are 5 cm long and 2.5 cm wide.
Livistona chinensis - Chinese Fan Palm, Fountain Palm
Edible Portion: Flowering Shoots
A solitary palm. The trunk is 15 m tall and 20-30 cm across. It is rough with leaf scars. The leaves have leaflets like fingers on a hand. The leaf stalks are 1.8 m long. There are spines that curve back along the edge. The leaves are almost round in outline. They are 1.2-1.6 m across. They are divided into 50-90 segments. These hang down at the tips. The flowering stalks are 1 m long. They are branched 3 times.
Lysiloma sabicu - Cuban Sabicu
Edible Portion: Information not noted at this time.
A shrub or small tree.
It is a tropical plant
Macadamia integrifolia - Macadamia Nut, Smooth-shelled Macadamia
Edible Portion: Seeds Kernel, Nuts
A medium size evergreen tree. It grows 18 m tall and spreads 15 m wide. It has a bushy habit. Young growth is pale green. Young leaves are long and toothed at the edge. Leaves are 10-20 cm long by 3-5 cm wide. They occur in whorls or rings of 3 or 4 leaves. They are stiff and dark green. The leaves are entire with a wavy or slightly prickly edge. Flowers occur in clustered stalks 10-30 cm long. They occur in the axils of leaves and hang downwards. The flowers are about 1.2 cm long. They are slender and white. The fruit are 3-4 cm across and green and leathery. The nuts are produced in a hanging cluster. They are 2 -3 cm across and round. They are smooth and shiny.
Macadamia tetraphylla - Macadamia, Rough Shelled Bush Nut
Edible Portion: Seeds Kernel, Nuts
A tree which grows 8-15 m high. It spreads to 6-8 m wide. It has a spreading bushy habit. Young growth is red. Young leaves are coarsely toothed. The leaves are 6-30 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. They occur in whorls or rings of 3-5 leaves but usually 4 in a ring. The leaves are stiff and dark green. There are coarse spines on the edge of the leaf. The flowers are in dense stalks 15 -45 cm long which hang down from the axils of leaves. The flowers are 1 cm long and slender. They are pink or white and densely hairy. The fruit are 2-3.5 cm across and green and leathery. The nuts are the same size. They are brown and rough. (It produces natural hybrids with Macadamia integrifolia.)
Moringa drouhardii - Madagascar Moringa
Edible Portion: Seeds, Leaves
A bottle shaped tree.
It is a tropical plant. It grows in limestone regions.
Pachira aquatica - Guiana Chestnut, Water Chestnut
Edible Plants: Flowers, Leaves, Seeds
An evergreen tree. It grows to a height of 7-18 m with a spread of 3 m. The trunk is erect and branches heavily. The leaves are large and compound like the fingers on a hand. There are up to 9 leaflets. The leaflets can be 30 cm long. The leaves are dark green and shiny. The flowers are cream with bright red tips. The petals are long and droop outwards. It is the red tips of the stamens that look like a shaving brush which gives it one of its common names. The flowers occur in long hanging groups. The flowers are short lived opening in the morning and falling by evening. The fruit is like a round pod. It can be 30 long and 15 cm across. The pod bursts open when ripe. The pod opens in about 5 sections. The seeds are round and 1-2 cm across. They are brown. They have a fleshy pulp. It is a good shade tree but other plants will not grow under it.
Perilla frutescens - Perilla, Beefsteak Plant
Edible Portion: Leaves, Seeds - spice, Flowers, Seeds - oil, Vegetable
An erect herb. It re-grows each year. It grows from 30 cm to 2 m tall. The stems are square. Plants can be green or purple. The leaf stalk is 3-5 cm long. The leaves are oval and 4.5-10 cm long by 2.8-10 cm wide. They are toothed along the edge. Leaves are hairy on both surfaces. The flowers are white. They are in equal stalked flower clusters either in the axils of leaves or at the ends of branches. The fruit is a 1-seeded nutlet. There are a range of cultivated varieties.
