Ectadium virgatum E.Mey.

An erect shrub. It has several stems. It has a taproot and keeps growing from year to year. It can grow 3 m high. The stems have a milky sap. The leaves are opposite and slender. The flowers tube is trumpet shaped. It is pale green to yellow. The flowers are in clusters near the end of the plant. The flowers have a scent like honey. The fruit is a capsule 4-5 cm long by 1 cm wide.

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in hot, arid areas where there is a marked dry season. The dry season can be 6-11 months. It grows in deep sandy and rocky soils. In southern Africa it grows between 70-200 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

The outer most layer of the fruit is used as a vegetable. It is roasted and ground.