Common Name:

General Information

Cadaba farinosa is a slender, evergreen woody plant growing up to 5 metres tall. Usually a low shrub, it often has more or less climbing stems and sometimes adopts a more tree-like habit[]. It has a strongly furrowed stem, rarely straight, with a yellowish grey bark.
A food made using the leaves of this plant is sold in local markets[]. The plant also has medicinal uses and is planted for soil stabilization.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Western tropical Africa, north and east to Kenya and Saudi Arabia.

Habitat

Common in large depressions, but also found on sandy silts of valleys, around temporary ponds and on stabilized dunes, where there is a subsoil rich in fine particles[]. Also found on termite mounds[]. Commonly associated with Maerua spp[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	4.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in tropical and subtropical areas at altitudes from sea level to 1,600 metres[]. It prefers a mean annual temperature of around 29°c and a mean annual rainfall in the range 200 - 500mm[, ].
Shows preference for heavy soils though it can also be found on rocky screes and in sandy soils on the plains[, ].
Although it has shallow lateral roots, the plant roots deeply[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - cooked[]. They can be added to couscous[]. They can also be used, both fresh and dried, to spice and flavour foods[, ]. The pounded leaves and twigs are prepared with cereals and made into a cake or pudding called farsa or balambo[].

The macerated flowers are used as a sweetener[].

Medicinal

The leaves are used in the treatment of dysentery, colds, various internal disorders and dermatological conditions[]. The crushed leaves, mixed with millet flour, are used as a medicine against coughs[].

The roots and leaves have been used in the treatment of anthrax (mainly in cattle), coughs and rheumatism[].

The wood ashes are used to treat general body pains[].

The alkaloids cadabicine and cadabicine diacetate have been isolated from the stem bark[].

Preparations made from the plant are used in cleansing ceremonies in the Sudan[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Used in sand dune stabilization[]. It protects the soil from wind and water erosion[].

Other Uses

Provides fuel wood[].

Propagation

Seed - the plant regenerates naturally by way of seeds[].

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