Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
wawa
(
Triplochitan scleroxylon
) leaf, mint and wild mint (
Ocimum basilicum
)
leaves,
nyanyina
(
Mormordica charantia
) leaves, leaves of
okosow
(
Sterculia
sp.), and wild lettuce (
Lactuca taraxifollium
).
Some important leafy vegetables in the demonstration sites
Cocoyam leaves
(
Xanthosoma saggitifolium
)
Cocoyam leaves are the most popular leafy vegetable in Ghana. It may appear
as a volunteer crop after land clearing, especially in areas with a previous history
of cocoa production. It is also cultivated from split corms or from cormels.
Tillers produced by leaving the cormels of mature cocoyams in the ground
to sprout into thick clumps of suckers are divided for planting during the rainy
season. Cocoyams are grown either in the home garden, annual crop farm, or
both. The leaves are harvested until the environment is too dry to support new
leaf production, and the old leaves become too coarse or too dry for consump-
tion. The tops are then allowed to die off and to resume growth at the beginning
of the rains.
Taro leaves
(
Colocasia esculenta
)
Taro leaves are used in the same way as cocoyam leaves, although they are less pop-
ular than the latter. Taros are found in marshy areas in crop farms or growing wild
on wetlands. In home gardens and around the homestead, they are cultivated in
areas where wastewater runs. Taro leaves are therefore more frequently available
year round than cocoyam leaves (Irvine, 1979).
Water leaf
(
Talinum triangulare
)
Water leaf grows wild during the rainy season. They are available for picking in
large quantities throughout that season and beyond, where water is available.
There is a market for the species. Therefore the leaves are sometimes picked for
sale. The talinum leaves are not usually preserved. However, one farmer reported
that cutting them into pieces might preserve the leaves, sprinkling a small quan-
tity of wood ash on it to reduce the slime and sun-drying.
Cassava leaves
(
Manihot esculenta
)
Young leaves of the cassava are used as vegetables, especially in Amanase-
Whanabenya. Cassava leaves are used as a single leafy vegetable or are mixed
with several other leaves including papaya to prepare a nine-leaf soup. However,
cassava is mainly planted for its tuber that is processed into
gari
or pounded
into
fufu
. The utilization of the leaves as a vegetable is only secondary.
The crop is maintained by continuous cropping using stem cuttings from the
harvested crop. Also, new introductions are continuously made.
