Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
CYNARA SCOLYMUS
Botanical Name —
Cynara cardunculus
subsp.
flavescens
Wiklund.
Synonym —
C. cardunculus
spp.
scolymus
(L.) Hegi
Family —
Compositae
Common Names —
Globe artichoke, leaf artichoke, artichaut (Fr.)
African Names —
Arabic: kharsuf.
Description —
Cynara
is a small herbaceous and thorny plant, about 1.5 m in height. The
leaves are alternate, deeply dentate, with almost pinnatified whitish capitulum of tall purple flow-
ers that are in turn subtended by thick and imbricate bracts. The crude drug consists of the fresh,
thickened lower parts of the involucre bracts and the receptacle of thistle-like flowers of the plant.
436
They are usually greenish or purplish, with the intact bract showing involucre scales enlarged at the
base with a short, sharp spine arising from the notched apex. It has a soft and enlarged receptacle
that forms a cushion-like mass. The plant has a faint characteristic odor and a peculiar taste.
Habitat and Distribution —
Artichoke is a Mediterranean plant. It is cultivated in North Africa
and in some subtropical regions of the continent.
Ethnomedicinal Uses —
The
African Pharmacopoeia
436
listed the plant for the treatment of
liver dysfunction and as a diuretic and antiatherosclerotic. It imparts a sweet taste to food and can
be used as a sugar substitute for diabetics.
Constituents —
It contains chlorogenic acids, cyanarin, and sesquiterpenes.
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The plant also
contains a mixture of polyphenolic compounds, proteins, and inulin.
CYPERUS ESCULENTUS
Botanical Name —
Cyperus esculentus
L.
Synonyms —
Cyperus
spp. (34 synonyms, subspecies, and varieties);
Chlorocyperu saureus
(K.Richt.) Palla ex Kneuck.;
Chlorocyperus phymatodes
(Muhl.) Palla;
Pterocyperu sesculentus
(L.) Opiz;
Pycreus esculentus
( L.) Hayek.
Related Species —
Cyperus rotundus
L.
Family —
Cyperaceae
Common Names —
Tiger nut, yellow nutsedge, chufa flatsedge; earth-almond, grass nut, rush-
nut, souchet sultan
African Names —
Igbo (Nigeria): aki-awusa; Hausa (Nigeria): ayah, haya; Afrikaans (Namibia):
geeluintjie, hoenderuitjie, uintjie; Afrikaans (South Africa): geeluitjie, hoenderuintjie, patrysuitjie;
Damara/Nama (Namibia): !han; Khukh (Namibia): !hanni; Otjiherero (Namibia): okatjako; Shona
(southern Africa): chufa; Shona (Zimbabwe): pfende; Mozambique: chimbwe-chimbwe; Zulu (South
Africa): indawo, insikane; Dioula: tchoro toro; Bambara: nton togon; Malinke: toki
Description —
Tiger nut is an annual or perennial herb, cespitose or not, rhizomatous or not,
stoloniferous or not. Roots are fibrous, principally adventitious. Stems (culms) usually are trigonous,
occasionally serrated, rarely compressed, usually solid, rarely hollow or septate. Leaves are basal or
cauline, alternate, usually 3-ranked, rarely 2-ranked or multiranked, with bases forming cylindrical
sheaths enclosing the stem; margins are usually fused; the junction of sheaths and blades often is
with adaxial flaps of tissue or fringes of hair (ligules); blades frequently are absent from some basal
leaves, rarely from cauline leaves, and when present are divergent or ascending, flat, folded, plicate,
rolled, or terete, linear, venation parallel. Primary inflorescences (spikelets) have a shortened axis;
glumaceous bracts (scales) are 1-many, spirally arranged, sometimes 2-ranked, usually appressed
or ascending; scales usually are all fertile, each subtending a single flower, sometimes proximal or
distal scales are empty; lateral spikes often are with basal, usually empty, usually 2-keeled scale
