Ceropegia nilotica
Kotschy
Apocynaceae
Ceropegia boussingaultiflora Dinter
Ceropegia brownii Ledger
Ceropegia constricta N.E.Br.
Ceropegia denticulata K.Schum
Ceropegia gemmifera K.Schum.
Ceropegia gossweileri S.Moore
Ceropegia grandis E.A.Bruce
Ceropegia mozambicensis Schltr.
Ceropegia plicata E.A.Bruce
Common Name:
Close-up of a flower
Photograph by: Engeser
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0
General Information
Ceropegia nilotica is a herbaceous perennial plant producing a single, climbing, annual stem from a bunch of fleshy white, succulent roots[
775- Title
- Gemsbok Bean and Kalahari Truffle
- Publication
-
- Author
- Leffers A.
- Publisher
- Gamsberg MacMillan; Namibia.
- Year
- 2003
- ISBN
- 99916-0-491-X
- Description
- Details of the traditional uses of over 200 species of plants in northeastern Namibia. Written for the non-expert, there is usually at least one photograph with each plant entry.
]. The stem can be 1 - 5 metres long; it scrambles over the ground and twines into the surrounding vegetation[
328- Title
- African Flowering Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
- Publisher
- Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
].
The plant is often harvested from the wild for local use of its edible roots.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
Range
Southern Africa - Namibia, Botswana, S. Africa.
Habitat
Not known
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Habit | Perennial Climber |
| Height | 3.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
A plant of semi-arid areas in the tropics and subtropics, where it can be found at elevations from 50 - 1,500 metres[
328- Title
- African Flowering Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
- Publisher
- Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
].
Edible Uses
Root - raw or cooked[
775- Title
- Gemsbok Bean and Kalahari Truffle
- Publication
-
- Author
- Leffers A.
- Publisher
- Gamsberg MacMillan; Namibia.
- Year
- 2003
- ISBN
- 99916-0-491-X
- Description
- Details of the traditional uses of over 200 species of plants in northeastern Namibia. Written for the non-expert, there is usually at least one photograph with each plant entry.
]. Crisp and juicy, with a flavour and texture reminiscent of horseradish; they are usually eaten raw as a refreshing snack on a hot day, but they can also be roasted[
775- Title
- Gemsbok Bean and Kalahari Truffle
- Publication
-
- Author
- Leffers A.
- Publisher
- Gamsberg MacMillan; Namibia.
- Year
- 2003
- ISBN
- 99916-0-491-X
- Description
- Details of the traditional uses of over 200 species of plants in northeastern Namibia. Written for the non-expert, there is usually at least one photograph with each plant entry.
]. The plant produces a clump of perhaps a dozen or so crisp, white roots up to 20cm long and almost as thick as a pencil[
775- Title
- Gemsbok Bean and Kalahari Truffle
- Publication
-
- Author
- Leffers A.
- Publisher
- Gamsberg MacMillan; Namibia.
- Year
- 2003
- ISBN
- 99916-0-491-X
- Description
- Details of the traditional uses of over 200 species of plants in northeastern Namibia. Written for the non-expert, there is usually at least one photograph with each plant entry.
]. The roots do not grow very deep in the soil and are easy to dig out[
775- Title
- Gemsbok Bean and Kalahari Truffle
- Publication
-
- Author
- Leffers A.
- Publisher
- Gamsberg MacMillan; Namibia.
- Year
- 2003
- ISBN
- 99916-0-491-X
- Description
- Details of the traditional uses of over 200 species of plants in northeastern Namibia. Written for the non-expert, there is usually at least one photograph with each plant entry.
].
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
