Description

An annual herb to about 85 cm high, commonly on cultivated land and in forest shade, throughout the Region from Senegal to W Cameroons, and widespread across tropical Africa and into India.Tenda people eat the leaves (8). The plant provides grazing for donkeys, cattle, sheep and goats in Senegal, but horses are said not to take it (1). It is a common weed of cultivation (3), and is reported as a weed of rice-fields in Bendel State, Nigeria (9). Its occurrence under planted cotton may not be altogether vicarious: for perhaps magical ends it is ‘used to adopt good results’ in S Nigeria (Dawodu in 6). In Ghana the mashed leaves are applied as a dressing to sores (4, 5). The plant might have expectorant and emetic properties as a succedaneum for A. indica Linn., which has numerous medicinal uses in India (7), and for the well-known ipecacuanha, Psychotria ipecacuanha (Brot.) A. Stokes. (Rubiaceae).A trace of alkaloid has been detected in the leaves of Nigerian material (2).

Description

An annual herb to about 85 cm high, commonly on cultivated land and in forest shade, throughout the Region from Senegal to W Cameroons, and widespread across tropical Africa and into India.Tenda people eat the leaves (8). The plant provides grazing for donkeys, cattle, sheep and goats in Senegal, but horses are said not to take it (1). It is a common weed of cultivation (3), and is reported as a weed of rice-fields in Bendel State, Nigeria (9). Its occurrence under planted cotton may not be altogether vicarious: for perhaps magical ends it is ‘used to adopt good results’ in S Nigeria (Dawodu in 6). In Ghana the mashed leaves are applied as a dressing to sores (4, 5). The plant might have expectorant and emetic properties as a succedaneum for A. indica Linn., which has numerous medicinal uses in India (7), and for the well-known ipecacuanha, Psychotria ipecacuanha (Brot.) A. Stokes. (Rubiaceae).A trace of alkaloid has been detected in the leaves of Nigerian material (2).