''Myrianthus'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s in the nettle family (
Urticaceae
The Urticaceae are a family, the nettle family, of flowering plants. The family name comes from the genus ''Urtica''. The Urticaceae include a number of well-known and useful plants, including nettles in the genus ''Urtica'', ramie (''Boehmeri ...
). They are mainly found in
Tropical Africa
Although tropical Africa is mostly familiar to the West for its rainforests, this biogeographic realm of Africa is far more diverse. While the tropics are thought of as regions with hot moist climates, which are caused by latitude and the trop ...
.
They are mostly tropical trees, shrubs, or lianas. Leaves are simple and pinnately veined or with a palmate structure. It is
dioecious, with separate male and female plants.
The leaves of ''
Myrianthus arboreus'' are an important food source in the
Delta
Delta commonly refers to:
* Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet
* River delta, at a river mouth
* D ( NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta")
* Delta Air Lines, US
* Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19
Delta may also ...
and
Edo States of
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
where the plant is known locally as ''ujuju''.
The fruits are also edible.
Species
Although 13 species have been described,
there are only four are accepted species:
*''
Myrianthus arboreus''
*''
Myrianthus holstii''
*''
Myrianthus preussii''
*''
Myrianthus serratus''
References
External links
*
Leaf vegetables
Fruits originating in Africa
Urticaceae
Urticaceae genera
Dioecious plants
{{Urticaceae-stub