Monkey's Potato

Its native distributions are Tropical Africa - Senegal to Central African Republic and Chad, south to northern Angola, DR Congo. The plant is a popular local food and traditional medicine. It is often harvested from the wild and is sometimes also cultivated as a leaf crop. The plant has many ritual uses, especially related to pregnancy.

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Found in a range of habitats; growing as an annual weed in anthropogenic habitats, but also as a perennial herb or even subshrub in rocky savannah. The suitable temperature for its growth is in the range of 15 - 28 °C, with rainfall between 1,800-3,000 mm/yr.  Prefers loose and fertile soil conditions with moderate to high water requirements, and positions in partial shade or full sun.

• Stems - soft, quadrangular, pubescent hairy, green with a reddish purple tinge, internodes 1-10 cm, monopodial branching.
• Leaves - light green, ovate with a crenate leaf margin (lined with rounded teeth).
• Flowers - is composed of 2 bright purple petals fused to form a keel shape, a pinkish white banner and 2 reduced wings. Spike inflorescence is composed of small, pea-shaped flowers.
• Fruits - is composed of 4 round, flattened nutlets (1 mm wide).
• Seeds - small, flat, shiny, black.

Propagated by seeds and cutting.

Flavonoids, coumarins, polyphenols, essential oils (beta-pinene, oct-1-en-3-ol, beta-caryophyllene, octan-3-ol, (E,E)-α-farnesene).

• The leaf sap is considered sedative and stomachic and is applied internally to treat colic, convulsions, fever, headache and cough, especially in children.
• Leaves are used to treat dysmenorrhoea, haematuria, femalesterility, rheumatism, foot infections and snakebites.
• The leaf sap is applied externally as a treatment against eyesight troubles and aphthae.
• The roots are used to treat onchocerciasis (river-blindness, crawcraw).

• Siapkan akar rimangi, cuci bersih dengan air mengalir lalu tiriskan.
• Keringkan di bawah sinar matahari atau dengan oven suhu 40 °C hingga kadar air 10%.
• Simpan pada wadah bersih dan kedap udara.