Characteristics
A herb. It usually has a single stem. It grows 25-40 cm high. The stem is purplish-green. It has a white scaly tuber. It is 5 cm across and is 6-12 cm below the surface. The leaves are in a ring around the stem just above the ground. They are almost round and 10 cm long. They have irregular teeth. The flowers are pink and have 5 petals.
| Life form |
perennial
|
| Growth form |
herb
|
| Growth support |
-
|
| Foliage retention |
-
|
| Sexuality |
hermaphrodite
|
| Pollination |
-
|
| Spread |
-
|
| Mature width (meter) |
0.05
|
| Mature height (meter) |
0.25 - 0.4
|
| Root system |
-
|
| Rooting depth (meter) |
-
|
| Root diameter (meter) |
-
|
| Flower color |
-
|
| Blooming months |
-
|
| Fruit color |
-
|
| Fruiting months |
-
|
| Nitrogen fixer |
-
|
| Photosynthetic pathway |
-
|
Environment
It is a tropical plant. In Kenya it grows between 1,000-2,000 m altitude.
| Light |
-
|
| Soil humidity |
-
|
| Soil texture |
-
|
| Soil acidity |
-
|
| Soil nutriment |
-
|
| Hardiness (USDA) |
|
Usage
The leaves are used as a vegetable. The tubers are peeled and eaten.
Cultivation
Plants can be grown by tubers or seeds.
| Mode |
-
|
| Germination duration (days) |
-
|
| Germination temperacture (C°) |
-
|
| Germination luminosity |
-
|
| Germination treatment |
-
|
| Minimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Optimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Size |
-
|
| Vigor |
-
|
| Productivity |
-
|
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