Euphorbiaceae FAMILY

Astraea lobata

Edibility

3/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

The whole plant is poisonous[ 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. ]. An arrow-poison made from the plant is reputed to be the most poisonous used in west Africa. The plant is simply crushed between stones with a little water and the arrows dipped in the paste[ 332 Title The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. Publication Author Burkil. H. M. Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 1985 - 2004 ISBN Description 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/ ].

Botanical Description

Astraea lobata is an erect, annual to perennial, herbaceous plant, often becoming woody at the base; it can, grow around 140 - 250cm tall[ 332 Title The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. Publication Author Burkil. H. M. Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 1985 - 2004 ISBN Description 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/ , 1895 Title The tribe Crotoneae (Euphorbiaceae, Crotonoideae) in the Chapada dos Veadeiros, Goiás, Brazil Publication Phytotaxa 321 (1): 001-059, 2017 Author Sodré R.C. et al Website https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.321.1.1 Publisher Year 2017 ISBN 1179-3163 Description ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. In some areas the leaves are only occasionally eaten, but in other areas they are frequently eaten and even sold in local markets[ 617 Title Traditional Vegetables in Benin Publication Author Achigan-Dako E. Et al Publisher Darwin Initiative; International Foundation for Science Year 2009 ISBN Description Issued as a PDF on the Internet, it contains basic information on over 250 species of plants used for food in Benin. ]. The plant has been experimentally cultivated as a vegetable in Africa[ 317 Title Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants Publication Author Website http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Terse details of a huge range of useful plants. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeS. America - Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; Caribbean; C. America - Costa Rica to Belize;

HabitatOpen sandy places, often on river-banks[ 332 Title The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. Publication Author Burkil. H. M. Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 1985 - 2004 ISBN Description 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/ ]. Found in cultivated and disturbed soils[ 1895 Title The tribe Crotoneae (Euphorbiaceae, Crotonoideae) in the Chapada dos Veadeiros, Goiás, Brazil Publication Phytotaxa 321 (1): 001-059, 2017 Author Sodré R.C. et al Website https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.321.1.1 Publisher Year 2017 ISBN 1179-3163 Description ].