Common Name:

General Information

Sesamothamnus busseanus is a spiny, deciduous shrub or, rarely, a small tree growing from 1 - 7 metres tall. The bole is swollen at the base[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild as a local source of food and medicines.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

East tropical Africa - Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania.

Habitat

Dry Acacia-Commiphora bushland or grassed bushland on shallow rocky soils at elevations from 300 - 1,300 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of arid regions in the tropics, where it is found at elevations from 300 - 1,300 metres. Plants are not tolerant of frost[].
Requires a sunny position in a well-drained soil[]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[].

Edible Uses

Leaves and flowers - cooked. They are wilted and then cooked on their own or mixed with other vegetables such as amaranth or peas and eaten along with a staple such as rice[]. The leaves can be pounded, soaked in cold water and filtered, then the infusion used as a tenderizer when cooking other vegetables[].

Flowers - cooked, usually with the leaves[]. They can be cooked alone or mixed with other vegetables such as amaranth or peas and eaten along with a staple such as rice[].

Medicinal

The leaves are pounded then soaked in water. The infusion is drunk as a remedy for constipation and intestinal gas[].
Applied externally, the pounded leaves and stems are used as a poultice or paste on fresh wounds to stop the bleeding[].

Other Uses

The soft wood is used for making fire by friction[].

Propagation

Seed -
Cuttings[].

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