Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
GONGRONEMA LATIFOLIUM
Botanical Name —
Gongronema latifolium
Benth
Synonyms —
Marsdenia latifolia
(Benth.) K.Schum.,
Marsdenia glabriflora
Benth.,
Marsdenia
leonensis
Benth.,
Marsdenia racemosa
K.Schum.
Related Species —
Gongronema angolense
(N.E.Br.) Bullock
Family —
Apocynaceae (Asclepiadaceae)
Common Names —
Bush buck, tafel boom
African Names —
Igbo (Nigeria): utazi; Yoruba (Nigeria): arokeke; Ghana: aborode, akam,
nsurogya
Description —
Gongronema
is a small genus comprising five species in Africa, much resem-
bling
Dregea
, APG has assigned the subject species
G. latifolium
as a member of the genus
Marsdenia.
The name
Gongronema
, however, is used here for ease of cross-reference with earlier
information on this medicinally important plant. It is a weak climbing plant with a soft and fibrous
stem. The stem is green with little swollen internodes. Both the stem and leafy stalk produce milky
latex when cut. The leaves are cordate at the base and a little pointed at the apex. The leaves are
smooth. The flowers are cream, and the fruits are ovoid in shape. When dried, they split to expose
woolly materials.
Habitat and Distribution —
Gongronema
is widespread in tropical Africa and occurs from
Senegal east to Chad and south to DR Congo.
Ethnomedicinal Uses —
Gongronema latifolium
is widely used in West Africa for medici-
nal and nutritional purposes. It has a sharp-bitter and sweet taste and is widely used as a leafy
vegetable and as a spice for sauces, soups, and salads. Leaves of
Gongronema
are used as a bitter
tonic to treat loss of appetite and for management of diabetes. It is also used for hypertension
and cholesterol control. An infusion of the aerial parts is taken to treat cough, intestinal worms,
dysentery, dyspepsia, and malaria. It is taken with lime as a purge to treat colic and stomachache
in Sierra Leone. The pulverized leaves are applied as an embrocation in Senegal and Ghana on
the joints of small children to help them walk. The boiled fruits in soup are eaten as a laxative.
In Nigeria, a leafy stem infusion is taken as a cleansing purge by Muslims during Ramadan.
The latex is applied to teeth affected by caries. It is also taken for controlling weight gain in
