Common Name:

General Information

Coccinia sessilifolia is a herbaceous, perennial, climbing plant producing stems up to 5 metres long from a deep, fleshy rootstock. The annual stems scramble over the ground, climbing into surrounding vegetation where they attach themselves by means of tendrils[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild as a local source of food. This species is considered to have potential for domestication[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southern Africa - Namibia, Botswana, S. Africa.

Habitat

Dry wooded grassland[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Perennial Climber
Height	5.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a position in full sun or light shade in a well-drained soil[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked. When ripe it has a sweetish but insipid flavour[, ]. When boiled, the unripe fruit is similar in flavour and texture to asparagus (Asparagus spp.)[]. The fruit is only ripe for a short time on the plant before starting to rot[]. The bright red, cylindrical fruit is 55 - 105mm long and 20 - 25mm wide, containing many seeds[].

Root - raw or cooked[]. It can be boiled or roasted[]. Tasteless and fibrous, though the nutritional value compares favourably with carrots, potatoes and turnips[]. It is normally pounded after cooking, then mixed with leafy vegetables[]. The root can be rather large, up to 20cm in diameter and weighing up to 25kg[, ]. Some reports say that the roots are toxic but, at least in the Kalahari desert, there are non-toxic plants[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Cuttings

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