Common Name:

General Information

Triumfetta annua is an erect, annual or short-lived perennial herb growing up to 1 metre tall with occasional specimens to 2 metres[]. The stems, which are often woody at the base, are usually 15 - 25mm in diameter, occasionally to 40mm[, ].
The plant is mainly used locally, being gathered from the wild for its edible leaves and stems and the fibre obtained from the stems. It is occasionally cultivated for the stems, and is sometimes found for sale in local markets, though the soup is more commonly made at home and then sold in the market[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Nigeria to Ethiopia; south to Namibia to Mozambique and Madagascar. E. Asia - Indian subcontinent, Malaysia, southern China.

Habitat

Bushland, woodland, forest edges and as a weed in fields, usually in more or less shaded locations, up to 2,150 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual/Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

The spiny seed capsule adheres to clothing and animal fur and is thus carried to new sites where it can germinate[, ].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[]. It is also used to make a mucilaginous spinach-like relish[]. The leaves have to be cooked well to soften them and to develop their sliminess. Potash is sometimes added to facilitate this[].

The bark of the young green stem, called ‘slimy stick’, is used to extract a mucilaginous exudate for the preparation of a slimy soup called 'nkwi'[].. The slimy substance is mainly used as baby food and for young children not yet able to eat coarse starchy foods. Because of its high energy value the soup is often the first dish given to women who have delivered a child. It is also used as an appetizer[].
Stems are cut just above ground level when they are 75 - 100 cm long. They are then prepared by removing all leaves and the terminal part where the stem has a diameter of less than 1cm. The resulting sticks are either taken to the homestead or tied into bundles and brought to the market[].
To prepare the soup, the bark is separated from the stem by placing it over a fire for a short while until it loosens; the peeled bark is then placed in hot water for about 15 minutes and squeezed by hand to extract the sap. The sap and the water form a mucilaginous substance to which salt, pepper, various spices and a range of other ingredients are added. Care must be taken not to include vegetable oil, since this will spoil the product[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The fibrous bark is used as string[].

Propagation

Seed -

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