Acanthosicyos naudinianus
Acanthosicyos naudinianus
Safety & Hazards
The tuberous roots are considered inedible or even poisonous and in Zambia they have been reportedly used for homicidal purposes[ 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. ]. The unripe fruits cause a burning sensation of the tongue and lips when eaten raw[ 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. , 418 Title Ecocrop Publication Author Website http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available. ].
Botanical Description
Acanthosicyos naudinianus is a perennial herbaceous plant producing annual stems up to 6 metres long from a tuberous rootstock that can be 1 metre long[ 328 Title African Flowering Plants Database Publication Author Website http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php Publisher Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques. Year 0 ISBN Description Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map. ]. The stems scramble over the ground, often rooting at the nodes, and also climb into the surrounding vegetation, supporting themselves by means of tendrils[ 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. ]. The plant is an important local food in the arid areas in which it grows. In view of increasing demands for edible oil and protein in arid lands, it is a candidate for development as a high-yielding, dry country crop. It yields a crop quickly, harvesting the fruits is easy, it has a wide ecological adaptation, it is easily propagated and handled, and fruits store well. As such, it compares favourably with Acanthosicyos horridus as a candidate for domestication[ 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. ].