Talinum caffrum
(Thunb.) Eckl. & Zeyh.
Portulacaceae
Portulaca caffra Thunb.
Talinum esculentum Dinter & G.Schellenb.
Common Name:
General Information
Talinum caffrum is a somewhat succulent, perennial plant producing annual, decumbent or prostrate, much-branched stems up to 40cm tall from a deeply buried tuber[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
,
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.
,
328- Title
- African Flowering Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
- Publisher
- Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild as a local source of food. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental in specialist collections of caudiciforme plants[
385- Title
- Bihrmann's Caudiciforms
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.bihrmann.com/caudiciforms/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An internet site giving information on caudiciform plants (plants with swollen stem bases such as the Baobab tree, cycads and many succulents). Excellent photos, usually of cultivated plants in pots.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
Range
Africa - drier areas in Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, S. Africa.
Habitat
Rocky places in open woodland or grassland; at elevations from 100 - 2,050 metres[
328- Title
- African Flowering Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
- Publisher
- Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Habit | Perennial |
| Height | 0.30 m |
| Cultivation Status | Cultivated, Wild |
Cultivation Details
Prefers a sunny position[
385- Title
- Bihrmann's Caudiciforms
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.bihrmann.com/caudiciforms/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An internet site giving information on caudiciform plants (plants with swollen stem bases such as the Baobab tree, cycads and many succulents). Excellent photos, usually of cultivated plants in pots.
]. Requires a well-drained soil, but likes plenty of moisture during the growing season[
385- Title
- Bihrmann's Caudiciforms
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.bihrmann.com/caudiciforms/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An internet site giving information on caudiciform plants (plants with swollen stem bases such as the Baobab tree, cycads and many succulents). Excellent photos, usually of cultivated plants in pots.
].
Edible Uses
Leaves - raw or cooked[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
,
775- Title
- Gemsbok Bean and Kalahari Truffle
- Publication
-
- Author
- Leffers A.
- Publisher
- Gamsberg MacMillan; Namibia.
- Year
- 2003
- ISBN
- 99916-0-491-X
- Description
- Details of the traditional uses of over 200 species of plants in northeastern Namibia. Written for the non-expert, there is usually at least one photograph with each plant entry.
]. Crisp and juicy, they are also eaten to rellieve thirst[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. The leaves are often pounded and mixed with other leaves and corms[
775- Title
- Gemsbok Bean and Kalahari Truffle
- Publication
-
- Author
- Leffers A.
- Publisher
- Gamsberg MacMillan; Namibia.
- Year
- 2003
- ISBN
- 99916-0-491-X
- Description
- Details of the traditional uses of over 200 species of plants in northeastern Namibia. Written for the non-expert, there is usually at least one photograph with each plant entry.
]. The stems are considered to be unpalatable and are not eaten[
775- Title
- Gemsbok Bean and Kalahari Truffle
- Publication
-
- Author
- Leffers A.
- Publisher
- Gamsberg MacMillan; Namibia.
- Year
- 2003
- ISBN
- 99916-0-491-X
- Description
- Details of the traditional uses of over 200 species of plants in northeastern Namibia. Written for the non-expert, there is usually at least one photograph with each plant entry.
].
Caudex - eaten with relish and salt[
385- Title
- Bihrmann's Caudiciforms
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.bihrmann.com/caudiciforms/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An internet site giving information on caudiciform plants (plants with swollen stem bases such as the Baobab tree, cycads and many succulents). Excellent photos, usually of cultivated plants in pots.
].
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
