''Acalypha bipartita'' is a species in the botanical family
Euphorbiaceae. It occurs widely in Africa where it is eaten as a vegetable,
[Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (2004) Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA Foundation, Wageningen; Backhuys, Leiden; CTA, Wageningen.] or fed to animals. The leaves are considered nutritious, as they contain a high concentration of
calcium. It is often found as undergrowth in the forest, on the edges of the forest, and in wooded grasslands, particularly in
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
,
Uganda,
Kenya, eastern
Zaire,
Burundi
Burundi (, ), officially the Republic of Burundi ( rn, Repuburika y’Uburundi ; Swahili language, Swahili: ''Jamuhuri ya Burundi''; French language, French: ''République du Burundi'' ), is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the ...
,
Rwanda
Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...
, and
Tanzania.
The stems are often used in making baskets.
Description
''A. bipartita'' is a climbing shrub, often about 3 meters tall,
with light brown bark. Its leaves are broad and ovate, with serrated edges and pubescent undersides. The plant produces 4-8 cm
spikes of tiny red
flowers, which give way to three-capsuled
seeds
A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiosperm pl ...
.
References
External links
PROTA4U on ''Acalypha bipartita''
bipartita
Leaf vegetables
{{euphorb-stub