Landolphia kirkii
Dyer ex Hook.f.
Apocynaceae
Landolphia delagoensis (Dewèvre) Pierre
Landolphia dondeensis Busse
Landolphia polyantha K.Schum.
Vahea kirkii (Dyer ex Hook.f.) Sadeb.
Common Name:
General Information
Landolphia kirkii is an evergreen, straggling or climbing shrub, either scrambling across the ground or climbing into other plants and attaching itself by means of tendrils[
308- Title
- Flora Zambesiaca
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
]. It can produce stems up to 18 metres long, and in exceptional cases up to 30 metres long[
308- Title
- Flora Zambesiaca
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for its fruit, which is consumed locally[
323- Title
- Lost Crops of Africa. Vol. 3 Fruits.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- National Academy Press
- Year
- 2008
- ISBN
- 030910596X
- Description
- Masses of information on about 70 species of plants that have been utilized as fruits in Africa.
]. This species was at one time the major rubber plant in east Africa, with the latex being exported to Europe[
323- Title
- Lost Crops of Africa. Vol. 3 Fruits.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- National Academy Press
- Year
- 2008
- ISBN
- 030910596X
- Description
- Masses of information on about 70 species of plants that have been utilized as fruits in Africa.
]. However, with the rise in cultivation of Hevea brasiliensis, this species was no longer valued and its exploitation fell into decline. Nowadays the latex is only used locally.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
308- Title
- Flora Zambesiaca
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
Range
Eastern Africa - Kenya, Tanzania, DR Congo, S. Africa.
Habitat
A strong climber in forest, at forest edges and in Brachystegia bushland, miombo woodlands on plateaux and wet valleys[
398- Title
- Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
- Publisher
- Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 9966-896-60-0
- Description
- A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Climber |
| Height | 15.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
A plant of subtropical to tropical areas, where it is usually found growing in moister areas[
323- Title
- Lost Crops of Africa. Vol. 3 Fruits.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- National Academy Press
- Year
- 2008
- ISBN
- 030910596X
- Description
- Masses of information on about 70 species of plants that have been utilized as fruits in Africa.
].
Edible Uses
Fruit - raw[
323- Title
- Lost Crops of Africa. Vol. 3 Fruits.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- National Academy Press
- Year
- 2008
- ISBN
- 030910596X
- Description
- Masses of information on about 70 species of plants that have been utilized as fruits in Africa.
]. A juicy pulp, it is sweet with a slightly acid flavour[
398- Title
- Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
- Publisher
- Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 9966-896-60-0
- Description
- A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
]. They are popular with those in the know, but their tartness can put off the uninitiated[
323- Title
- Lost Crops of Africa. Vol. 3 Fruits.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- National Academy Press
- Year
- 2008
- ISBN
- 030910596X
- Description
- Masses of information on about 70 species of plants that have been utilized as fruits in Africa.
]. The rounded to oval, dull green but spotted, fruit is a many-seeded berry with a hard skin up to 15cm in diameter[
398- Title
- Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
- Publisher
- Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 9966-896-60-0
- Description
- A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
A good quality latex, suitable for making into rubber, is obtained from the stems[
323- Title
- Lost Crops of Africa. Vol. 3 Fruits.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- National Academy Press
- Year
- 2008
- ISBN
- 030910596X
- Description
- Masses of information on about 70 species of plants that have been utilized as fruits in Africa.
]. It is only used locally[
323- Title
- Lost Crops of Africa. Vol. 3 Fruits.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- National Academy Press
- Year
- 2008
- ISBN
- 030910596X
- Description
- Masses of information on about 70 species of plants that have been utilized as fruits in Africa.
]. The latex can be coagulated with sea water or with lime juice[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
].
The flexible stems can be used as rope[
398- Title
- Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B.
- Publisher
- Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 9966-896-60-0
- Description
- A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
].
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
