Pedaliaceae FAMILY

Ceratotheca sesamoides

Edibility

3/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

False sesame is an annual plant growing up to 1.2 metres tall, sometimes with a woody rootstock. Growth can be erect, but the stems are more commonly prostrate with each plant producing 10 or more stems scrambling along the ground[ 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. , 398 Title Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania Publication Author Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B. Publisher Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi. Year 2002 ISBN 9966-896-60-0 Description A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants. ]. A popular vegetable in many parts of Africa, where the plant is often harvested from the wild for local use of its edible seeds and leaves as well as its medicinal virtues. The plant is often protected when occurring as a weed and is also sometimes cultivated. The leaves and seeds are often sold in local markets[ 46 Title Dictionary of Economic Plants. Publication Author Uphof. J. C. Th. Publisher Weinheim Year 1959 ISBN - Description An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader. , 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. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeTropical Africa from Senegal to Sudan and Kenya, south to Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique

HabitatIn open grassland and tree savannah on sandy soils, rarely among rocks, often in disturbed vegetation, sometimes recorded as a weed[ 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. ]. A weed of cultivation and wasteland near villages on sandy soils, at elevations from 800 - 1,600 metres[ 398 Title Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania Publication Author Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B. Publisher Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi. Year 2002 ISBN 9966-896-60-0 Description A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants. ].