Common Name:

General Information

Sesamum radiatum is an erect annual plant growing up to 150cm tall[]. The stem can be unbranched or sparsely branched[].
The edible leaves are a popular vegetable in Africa, whilst the plant also yields an oil and has local medicinal uses. It is cultivated in Africa, India, Sri Lanka and South America (Guyana), mainly for its edible leaves but also for its high-quality seed oil, which is traded in mixture with the vegetable oil of S. Indicum[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

West tropical Africa - Senegal to Cameroon.

Habitat

Moist places in open savannah[]. Found in a wide range of habitats, though it is most common in savannah[]. It is also a weed and occurs in formerly cultivated fields[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a sunny position[]. Succeeds on nutritionally poor sites, growing in gravelly, sandy and rocky localities[]. Established plants are drought tolerant and continue to grow and flower during the dry season[].
The plant is a pan-tropical weed[].
The first leaves can be harvested 8 - 10 weeks after sowing. Harvesting at 7 - 10-day intervals can continue for a period of about 14 weeks[].
In Nigeria a leaf yield of 5 - 6 tonnes per hectare can be expected[].
It takes about 4 months from germination until the seeds are ready to harvest[].
The plant shows indeterminate growth, so that flowering continues as long as environmental conditions permit[]. This is longer than is usual for sesame (Sesamum indicum)[].
It takes about 6 weeks from anthesis to fruit maturity. The fruits do not open fully; an angular pocket at the base of the fruit retains some seeds[].
For leaf production, the plants are topped to promote the growth of new basal shoots from which larger leaves can be harvested[]. Plants in their second year may be pruned to a height of 2 - 5cm to encourage new shoot production[].
The plant is primarily self-pollinated; the flowers opening at dawn after pollination has occurred[]. However, under extreme conditions some outcrossing may occur[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves and shoots - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[]. They are cut up finely and added to soups or mixed with cereals[, ]. They have a mucilaginous texture and an unpleasant smell[].
Leaves harvested in the rainy season may be dried and stored for use during the dry season. They are brought from the field, cleaned and spread out in the sun without prior blanching. After drying they are crushed to powder and stored in bags or plastic containers[].

Seed[, ]. They can be toasted or ground into a powder and eaten as a paste[].

A high quality oil is obtained from the seed[, ].

Medicinal

A cold leaf infusion is drunk to ease childbirth[]. A filtrate of the crushed leaves is drunk to treat metrorrhagia and a leaf maceration is used for bathing for the same purpose[]. Macerated fresh leafy stems are drunk as an antidote for scorpion stings[].
The macerated, fresh leafy stems are applied externally to treat sprains[].

A paste made from the pounded seeds, combined with shea butter (Vitellaria paradoxa) and other ingredients, is applied as a treatment for rectal prolapse[].

Other Uses

A leaf infusion is used as a shampoo and to kill head lice[].

Propagation

Seed - it can be sown into seedbeds, in seed boxes or directly into the place where it is to grow, placing 2 - 3 seeds per hole. Germination takes 6 - 10 days. Seedlings are transplanted at a spacing of approximately 15cm[].

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