Cadaba Explained
Cadaba is a genus of shrubs in family Capparaceae, with about 30 species.[1] These have simple, alternately set leaves. The zygomorphic flowers, are solitary or stand in small clusters at the end of short side branches. These flowers consist of four sepals, none or four petals with a narrow claw at base and a wider plate at the top, a tube-shaped nectar producing appendix, four or five stamens that are merged for about half their length into a so-called androgynophore, and a gynophore on top of which will develop a cylindrical capsule with one or two cavities that contain many small kindney-shaped seeds, and opens with two valves. The genus name Cadaba is derived from the Arab word "kadhab", a local name for Cadaba rotundifolia. Some species are classified as famine food in southern Ethiopia.[2]
29 species are accepted:
- Cadaba aphylla
- Cadaba baccarinii
- Cadaba barbigera
- Cadaba benguellensis
- Cadaba capparoides
- Cadaba carneoviridis
- Cadaba divaricata
- Cadaba farinosa
- Cadaba fruticosa
- Cadaba gillettii
- Cadaba glaberrima
- Cadaba glandulosa
- Cadaba insularis
- Cadaba kassasii
- Cadaba kirkii
- Cadaba linearifolia
- Cadaba longifolia
- Cadaba madagascariensis
- Cadaba mirabilis
- Cadaba natalensis
- Cadaba parvula
- Cadaba rotundifolia
- Cadaba ruspolii
- Cadaba schroeppelii
- Cadaba somalensis
- Cadaba stenopoda
- Cadaba termitaria
- Cadaba trifoliata
- Cadaba virgata
External links
Notes and References
- http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/cadabaph.htm PlantZAfrica.com: Cadaba aphylla
- Yves Guinand and Dechassa Lemessa, "Wild-Food Plants in Southern Ethiopia: Reflections on the role of 'famine-foods' at a time of drought" UN-OCHA Report, March 2000 (accessed 15 January 2009)
