fruit, a capsule up to 4 ins. long. Flowers in December to February in the hills, 

 throughout the year where water is available. It is one of the many hosts of the 

 tobacco aphis. Very widespread at all elevations, particularly at about 2,000 ft., 

 It is cultivated round the huts in many parts of the country. 



The leaves make a very good spinach for European use and are probably the 

 most popular of all wild leaves for side-dishes. In order to pick them, it is the native 

 custom first to ask permission of the owner of the garden. The young shoots of 

 leaf blades of older leaves are cooked without soda or potashes, groundnuts and 

 tomatoes are added. Sometimes it is cooked mixed with mnadzi, {Solanum nigrum), 

 or mpilu, {Brassica sp.). It may also be cooked mixed with green cowpea pods and 

 onions (Port Herald) or fish (Mua). The former mixture with onions is very appetiz- 

 ing. The leaves are rubbed on the skin as a cure for cihayo, pneumonia. 

 Ref. 6; 7; 15; 23. 



231. Gynura rubens (Jacq.) S. Moore. See Grassocephalum. 



232. Habenaria walleri Reichb. f. (Orchid.). 

 Cinaka, cikande (N). See also Disa sp. and Satyrium sp. 



A slender herb up to 2 J ft., flowers large, white, in few flowered racemes. In 

 marshes and grasslands, in the Kasungu District. 



One of the several orchids which are dug up for their tubers. (See Disa sp. 

 for details of preparation.) 



233. Harungana madagascariensis Lam. (Hyper.). 



Mhuluni (N), mtunu, ntununga (Y), mhimu (He, To), msnwasuwa (Su, Nk). 



A much- branched tree up to 30 ft. tall with spreading canopy and opposite 

 discolourous leaves, terminal panicles of small greenish-white flowers and smaU 

 orange berries. Found in moister parts of lower mountain and plateau areas 

 clearings in evergreen forests are rapidly colonized by this species. 



An orange dye is obtained from the stem and branches and is used for dyeing 

 native mats (E.A.) and for colouring the traditional bark cloth belts of the aSukwa 

 women. Many medicinal uses; root bark used for developing the breasts and 

 interrupting the menses. (Tt). 

 Ref. 14; 15; 17; 26. 



234. Heeria muconata Bernh ex Krauss (Anacard.). 

 Mbewe (Y). 



A much-branched shrub or tree up to 20 ft., leaves alternate or ternate, oblanceo- 

 late, under surfaces silvery, flowers, small white in panicles, fruits, small, black 

 and fleshy. 



An infusion of the root bark is used for dysentery. (E.A.). 

 Ref. 14; 17; 26. 



235. H. reticulata (Bak. f.) Engl. 



Mbewe (N, Y), ntukambako (Tu), namasira (N), msimbiti (To, He), masimya (Nk). 



A much-branched, finely pubescent tree up to 30 ft. tall, leaves, alternate or 

 ternate, somewhat variable from lanceolate, prominently but finolj^ reticulate below, 

 flowers small, white, in much-branched panicles at the ends of the branches, fruit, 

 a small 2-lobed, shiny, black berry. Common in forest fringing rivers of lower 

 mountain and plateau areas. 



Wood resistant to termites and used for native huts and bedsteads (E.A.). 

 An infusion of the bark used to cure dysentery, the powdered bark used for inflamma- 

 tion of the eyes. (E.A.). An infusion of the roots mixed with others used to cure 

 various venereal diseases and also colds. 

 Ref. 14; 17; 26. 



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