Boscia salicifolia, Oliv. Nigeria (Kano State, northern): berries and leaves eaten. Vernacular names - Hausa: Zure. Ref. MORTIMORE.
Boscia senegalensis, Hochst. ex Walp; Pers. Lam. ex Poir. (syn. Boscia angustifolia, Lam.). Sudan (western and northern regions, Kordofan, Darfur): after being husked, the pea-like seed - a berry - is left. These can be eaten raw, but are very acid and are usually consumed after engthy preparations and cooking. The berries are dried in the sun, pounded to remove the outer seedcoat and soaked again for several days. If the water is changed often, only two days' soaking is necessary (it is reportedly soaked for 5-7 days to remove toxins). The seeds are boiled in a cauldron with local potash, then soaked in cold water to remove it and finally mixed with salt and butter for serving. Mukheit is 'sweetened' by removing the hull, debittered after seven days' soaking with the water (to which Kambo, or potassium carbonate is added) changed daily. The seeds are then sun-dried before cooking. Balilah is made from Mukheit by boiling the seeds with oil and salt. When they become soft, they are then eaten. Chad (central): fruit [sic] eaten. Nigeria (Kano State, northern): berries eaten. Chemical composition (after Berry-Koch) (g/mg/mcg per 100g) (dried): Protein = 21g. Fat = 1.6g. Calcium = 123mg. Fe = 6.8mg. Beta carotene = 165mcg Vitamin B1 = .02mg. Vitamin B2 = .03mg. Niacin = 8.8mg. Vitamin C = 5mg. Kcal = 341; (cooked): Protein = 5.4g. Fat = 0.2g. Calcium = 33mg. Fe = 2.8mg. Beta carotene = 25mcg. Vitamin B1 = .01mg. Kcal = 92. (after Abdelmuti) (un- debittered): Protein (crude) = 29.3%. Oil = 0.7%. Ash = 3.5%. Fibre (crude) = 2.7%. Carbohydrate (soluble) (starch) = 39.5%; (sugars): Sucrose = 4.3%. D-glucose = 0.2%. D-fructose = 0.7%. Amino acids (g [16g N]-1): Aspartic acid = 7.7g. Threonine = 1.7g. Serine = 2.3g. Glutamic acid = 9.0g. Proline = 6.5g. Glycine = 3.5g. Alanine = 3.2g. Valine = 4.5g. Cysteine (performic acid oxidation) = 1.3g. Methionine (performic acid oxidation) = 1.8g. Isolelucine = 2.9g. Leucine = 7.0g. Tyrosine = 2.3g. Histidine = 1.3g. Lysine = 1.5g. Arginine = 15.1g. Minerals: Sulphur = 2.20mg/kg-1 (dry). Potassium = 0.15%-1 (dry). Magnesium = 0.10% (dry). Calcium = 0.14% (dry). Na = 0.01% (dry). K = 1.03mg/kg-% (dry). Zinc = 42mg/kg-1 (dry). Iron = 10.5mg/kg-1 (dry). Manganese = 17mg/kg-1 (dry). Copper = 8mg/kg-1 (dry). [N.B. for values of various de-bittered forms, see Abdelmuti]. Ethnomedical uses - Sudan (eastern area): berries reported used as a diuretic in the treatment of syphillis, and an infusion of leaf-extract used as an eye wash. Powdered leaves and berries applied as dressing for chronic ulcers. Vernacular names - Sudan (Arabic): Mukhait, Mukheit, Aisen, Korsan. Chad (central) - (Arabic): Mekhet. Nigeria - Hausa: Hanza. Kanuri: Tabila. Ref. ABDELMUTI, BERRY- KOCH, CRÉAC'H, MORTIMORE; SALIH, NOUR & HARPER (1991).
Capparis decidua (Forsk.) Edgew. Chad (central): fruit eaten. India (Rajasthan, western): ripe fruit eaten raw; fruit eaten as vegetable and made into pickle; unripe fruit dried or used as vegetable or pickled. Flower buds used as potherbs. Floral nectar also eaten. Soil type favored by plant (Western Rajasthan): flat alluvial plains. Vernacular names - Chad (central) (Arabic): Tountoub. Rajasthan (western) (plant): Kair, Dhalu ; (fruit): Laddu. Rajasthan (Jaisalmer district): Ker.Ref. CRÉAC'H, SAXENA; SHANKARNARAYAN & SAXENA, BHANDARI.
Capparis sepiaria, L. var. Fischeri (Pax.) De Wolf. Nigeria (Kano State, northern): fruit and leaves eaten. May be poisonous. Vernacular names - Hausa: Janibaibai, K 'abdobo. Ref. MORTIMORE.
Capparis tomentosa, Lam. Nigeria (Kano State, northern): unspecified part of plant eaten. Vernacular name: Haujari. Ref. MORTIMORE.
Cleome gynandra, L. (syn. Cleome pentaphylla, L.; Gynandroposis pentaphylla, DC.; Blanco; Van Houtte ex Eichl. in Mart.; Vell. Gynanadropsis gynandra, Briquet). Nigeria (Kano State, northern): seedlings and leaves eaten eaten by Hausa but not normally by Manga in Dagaceri. India (Madras Presidency): leaves and young shoots eaten as greens. Elsewhere: seeds reported used for mustard. Chad (central): leaves eaten. Vernacular names - Hausa: Gasaya. Kanuri: Knasi. Tamil: Valay keeray, Neivaylla, Kadughoo. Telugu: Vaminta, Vala kura. Chad (central) (Arabic): Tim - Légué. Ref. MORTIMORE, CRÉAC'H, SHORTT, WATT, WILLIS.
Cleome serrulata, Pursh. North America (New Mexico): greens eaten by Native American Ramah Navajo and Picuris Pueblo groups; and Hispanic populations. Vernacular name: Rocky Mountain beeweed. Ref. CURTIN, KRENETSKY, MINNIS, VESTAL.
Cleome viscosa, L. India (Bombay Presidency): leaves eaten; Rajasthan, western): raw black leaves eaten. Sudan (western): leaves soaked, fermented and used as a spice. Chemical composition (per 100g) (leaves, raw): Protein = 5.5g. Fat = .9g. Calcium - 454mg. Iron = 2.7mg. Kcal = 57. Vernacular names - India (Poona, and Ahmednagar districts; Yeola, Nasik district, Bombay Presidency: Tilwani. Rajasthan (western): Bagre [Bagro ?], Hulhul. Sudan (western): Kawal. Ref. BERRY-KOCH, GAMMIE; GUPTA & KANODIA, SAXENA; SHANKARNARAYAN & SAXENA, WATT.
Courbonia virgata, A. Brongn. Sudan (southern), Uganda (northern), Kenya (northeastern), French Equatorial Africa: fruit eaten during times of famine, after soaking in runnng water for several days, and then boiling in water to which a little soda has been added. Chemical composition: the root of this plant contains powerfully toxic tetramethylammonium nitrate - ca. 0.25g of the base taken orally being lethal for adult humans. The kernel of the fruit contains the same toxic element as the root but in lower proportions. The leaching practices described above may reflect local awareness of the toxic properties of the root as well as possible reactions to ingestion of the fruit. The fruit also contains two crystalline, water-soluble, isomeric compounds: cis- and trans-3-Hydroxystachydrine. These compounds form approximately 10% of the dry weight of the husks of the fruit. One of the compounds was also isolated from kernels, but neither compound was found in the root. Vernacular names - Arabic (Sudan, Nuba Mountain area): Kordale. Dinka (south of Shambe): Amyok, Mayook. Ref. CORNFORTH & HENRY, HENRY; HENRY & GRINDLEY, HENRY & KING.
Crateva religiosa, Forst.; Ainslie. (syn. Crateva adansonii, DC.) Nigeria (Kano State, northern): leaves and fruit eaten. Vernacular names - Hausa: Ingigido, Ungudidi, Gudai. Ref. MORTIMORE.
Mærua angolensis, DC. Nigeria (Kano State, northern): leaves eaten. Vernacular names - Hausa: Ciciwa. Ref. MORTIMORE.
Mærua crassifolia, Forsk. Nigeria (Kano State, northern): leaves eaten. Vernacular names - Hausa: Jiga. Ref. MORTIMORE.
Mærua holsti, Pax. Kenya (Mbeere division, Embu district): fruit eaten? Vernacular name - Kikuyu: mu -Tanangia Ref. BROKENSHA & RILEY, RILEY & BROKENSHA.
Mærua subcordata (Gilg.) DeWolf. Kenya (semi-arid south eastern region: root is a famine food. It is [also?] chewed to quench thirst in the dry season. It is boiled in broth for strength and health. Vernacular names - Pokot: Chepulusuw. Turkana: Erut. Ref. KABUYE.
Mærua triphylla, A. Rich. Kenya (Mbeere division, Embu district): fruit eaten (?). Vernacular name - Kikuyu: mu -Tanangia. Ref. BROKENSHA & RILEY, RILEY & BROKENSHA.
Niebuhria nervosa, Hochst. Zululand (Ubombo district): fruit eaten. Vernacular name - Zulu: Matandana. Ref. HELY-HUTCHINSON.
Thylachium africanum, Lour. Tanzania (central): roots boiled and eaten. Kenya (Mbeere division, Embu district): fruit eaten (?); (semi-arid south-eastern region): an important famine food. The root is eaten. Reportedly poisonous. The root bark is removed, the cortex cut up, pounded, and soaked, then strained, and the remaining material boiled for many hours and used as a porridge. Vernacular name - Sandawe: Mutungu. Kikuyu: Raa -wa -mburi ("food for goats"). Kamba: Mtungu. Samburu: Lolmugi. Masai: Matanuyu. BROKENSHA & RILEY; KABUYE, NEWMAN; RILEY & BROKENSHA.