Common Name:

General Information

Erythrococca kirkii is a much-branched straggling or erect, evergreen shrub, often adopting a climbing habit, growing 1 - 4.5 metres tall[, ].
The leaves are a popular vegetable within the plant's native range, where it is often gathered from the wild. The leaves are sometimes sold in local markets[]. The plant is sometimes grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

East tropical Africa - Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique.

Habitat

Forest edges; coastal bushland or thickets; when growing inland it is found mostly along rivers or beside lakes, at elevations from sea level to 1,200 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	2.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown of fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[]. The leaves are chopped and cooked alone, or pounded groundnuts or coconut milk may be added, thus making a slippery vegetable known locally as mlenda which is only eaten with ugali[]. The leaves can also be cooked as a mixture with other vegetables such as Amaranthus,
Bidens or Galinsoga, and served with a staple such as ugali, rice or bananas[].

Fruit - eaten raw when fully ripe[]. The fruit is a purple, three-lobed capsule, each lobe 3 - 4mm in diameter (though sometimes only 1 or 2 develop to maturity). They break open to show the orange-red aril around the seed[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The wood is used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed -

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