Common Name:

General Information

Triumfetta cordifolia is a fast-growing, sparsely-branched shrub usually growing up to 2.5 metres tall but exceptionally to 5 metres[]. The stems are about 15mm in diameter at the base[]
A multi-purpose plant, mainly used locally, being harvested from the wild and supplying food, medicines, fibre and several other commodities. It has sometimes been an important item of commerce, with stems sold for food in local markets and the retted fibre has in the past been exported for making sacks and packaging material[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - widespread in the moister areas.

Habitat

Locally common in wooded grassland; secondary forest; edges and clearings of wet forest; riverine forest; marshy locations; fallows; roadsides and disturbed land; also a common weed in cultivated land; at elevations from sea level to 2,650 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	4.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of moister areas in the tropics, where it can be found at elevations from sea level to 2,650 metres.
Prefers a position with some shade[].
The seed capsules are covered in hooked bristles that stick to clothing and the fur of animals and are thereby dispersed widely[]. It is a common weed in cultivated land and not easy to eradicate[].
Yields of about 260 kg dry fibre per ha have been obtained after 13 days of retting. Six hundred kilos of stems can yield about 100 kg of bark, from which about 10 kg of yarn can be obtained[].
Stems for mucilage are harvested by cutting them just above ground level when they are 75 - 100 cm long. They are 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[].
The flowers are a good source of nectar and pollen for bees[].

Edible Uses

The bark of green shoots is a source of mucilage, which is used for making soups and sauces with a sticky consistency[]. The mucilage is often 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 appetizer[].
The mucilage is extracted by softening the bark in hot water, followed by kneading it in a small amount of clean water. During kneading, the mucilage is released into the water, which is then added to stews to make them sticky[]. Bark peeled from the stem can be stored for later use[].

The leaf is commonly eaten as a cooked vegetable[]. Young, tender leaves are chopped and cooked alone or mixed with other vegetables, after which coconut milk or pounded groundnuts are added. This is then served with ‘ugali’, rice, potatoes or bananas[, ].

Medicinal

All parts of the plant are widely used in African traditional medicine. Modern research has discovered a number of active compounds within the plant, some of which have proven medicinal efficacy.
The stem is mucilaginous and recorded to be pungent. Two of the compounds it contains, maslinic acid and an oxidized derivative of betulin (betulinic acid), are known to have anti-HIV activity[].
An aqueous extract of the stem has been shown to induce weight loss and to have anti-hyperlipemic effects[].

The powdered root is mixed into food for the treatment of diarrhoea[].
Root preparations are applied as poultices on burns[].

The sap of the root or leaf, diluted with water, is taken to ease childbirth, to expel the placenta, and for the treatment of sterility in women[].

A maceration of the bark is used as a treatment for lumbago and muscle pain[]. Palm wine, in which the pounded bark has been steeped, is drunk in the treatment of lung problems[].

A decoction of the twigs with sugar is taken for the treatment of dyspnoea and intercostal neuralgia[]. In cases of insanity or possession, the sap of leafy twigs is drunk and the body is also sprinkled with it[].

The leaves are astringent, galactagogue, laxative, parturient[]. They are used in preparations to treat diarrhoea and dysentery; asthenia; marasmus; rhinitis; hepatitis; lumbago and muscle pain; and to help expel the placenta after childbirth[].
Young shoots are made into dressings for wounds to keep away insects[]. Softened leaves are rubbed on the affected areas as a treatment against lumbago, and warmed leaves are rubbed on the gums against caries[]. A decoction is applied as a wash against vaginal prolapse[].

An infusion of the flower is applied in enemas as a purgative, and ground flowers are steeped in water which is then drunk in the treatment of nausea[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is said to be resistant to fire and to have potential to be used in fire-breaks[].
This species is a host plant of the cotton stainer Dysdercus superstitiosus, a pest of cotton[].

Other Uses

A fibre is obtained from the bark of the stem and branches[]. Durable and water resistant, it is used for making strong rope, bowstring and fishing lines, brooms, bags, baskets, mats, hammocks, and traditional dancing costumes[]. It is sometimes made into belts used for climbing trees and palms, for instance to collect palm wine[]. Commercially, it has been used for making burlap cloth, sacks and packaging material[].
The fibre has the right balance between stiffness and elasticity to tie bundles into brooms[]. Fibre obtained from the branches is less flexible and more fragile than that from the stem. The fibre is comparable to jute (Corchorus spp.) in length and strength, but is less fine and flexible[].
Removing the bark from the stem requires some force. To obtain the fibre, the stem may be retted in water for several days. It takes more time in running water than in stagnant water, but the fibre obtained after soaking in running water has a lighter colour and better quality. It is difficult to extract the fibre from dry stems[].

Plant parts are locally used as toothbrushes.[].

The soft leaves have been used as toilet paper[].

Ash from the burnt leaves has been used for making soap and in the indigo industry[].

The wood is used for house construction[]. A rather strange entry, considering the plant is a shrub usually less than 2.5 metres tall with stems only 15mm in diameter[].
The stems are used as fuel wood and fire sticks[].

Propagation

Seed - fairly easy, a germination rate of 80 - 90% can be expected[].
When cultivated for the mucilage in the stems, cuttings of 15 - 20cm long are taken from the top end of the harvested stems. Since the crop does not perform well under direct sunlight, the cuttings are usually planted in the shade of a tree. They are planted in a circle with a spacing of 10 - 15cm. If the cutting is not planted straight upward, adventitious roots may develop, causing a reduced capacity to produce slime. Therefore, some farmers tie the cuttings to a taller plant, e.g. plantain, to ensure that they grow upright[].

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