An inventory and analysis of the food plants of southern Africa

Abstract, South African Journal of Botany, 2019

Highlights

• A comprehensive inventory of edible plants of southern Africa is presented.

• The inventory includes 1740 food plant species from 74 sources.

• Apocynaceae has the highest number of edible plants (137 species).

• The diversity in Apocynaceae and Iridaceae is unique for southern Africa.

• Edible plant use patterns differ markedly between 13 language groups.