Capparaceae FAMILY
Maerua angolensis
Maerua angolensis
Edibility
1/5
Medicinal
2/5
Safety & Hazards
There are conflicting reports about this plant, with some stating the plant is edible and others that it is either unwholesome, or poisonous[1]. The plant is often ignored by many grazing animals, is considered to be toxic for them in some areas, though considered good forage for sheep and goats in other areas[1]. The powdered leaves are used as fish-poison[1].
Cultivation Details
HabitTree
Growth—
A plant of drier, mainly lowland areas in the tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,700 metres[2]. Found mainly on sandy soils in the wild[3].
Propagation
Seed - Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Maerua+angolensis>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. — Burkil. H. M. · Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. · 1985 - 2004 ↩︎Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
- [2]African Flowering Plants Database — Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques. · http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php ↩︎Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
- [3]Trees and Shrubs of the Sahel. Their Characteristics and Uses. — von Maydell H. · Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit; Germany · 1990 · ISBN 3-8236-1198-4 ↩︎A well-researched book, usually with more than one photograph of each species and good information on the plant and its uses.