The flowers are cooked as a side-dish with added groundnuts. Bark used for 

 string for sewing mats, woody parts used as fire sticks instead of matches (Tt). 



Ref. 26. 



241. H. esculentus L. Ladies' fingers, Okra, Gombo. 

 Nathando, cilunguthando, thdele lobzala, thelele la amwenye (N). 



A hairy cultivated annual herb growing to 5 or 6 ft. tall, leaves on long stalks, 

 cordate, palmately 5-lobed, epicalyx of 9-12 linear segments, calyx, tubular, 5-toothed, 

 corolla large, yellow with a purple spot at the base, fruit, a capsule 4-6 ins. long, 

 smooth or hairy containing many seeds. The plant is very easily grown from 

 seed and does particularly well at low elevations. It is very commonly grown in the 

 Southern Province, to a lesser extent as one comes north to Ncheu, Dedza and 

 Lilongwe Districts, and then scarcely at all until one reaches Karonga District where 

 a few plants are to be found. 



The young fruits are very frequently cooked as a side-dish. They are first 

 sliced and then cooked with soda or potashes, tomatoes are added and sometimes 

 groundnuts. Among some tribes groundnuts are omitted as they do not mix in 

 well with the mucilaginous product (Southern Province). The fruits are also cut 

 into small segments and dried for use later in the year (Ncheu). The leaves are 

 occasionally used as a side-dish, either cooked separately or mixed with the fruits. 

 They also need potashes and form a slimy product. The bark yields a good fibre. 



Ref. 15; 23. 



242. H. physaloides Guill. & Perr. 

 Thelele thengo (N), wemphe (Ng). 



A hispid undershrub, growmg to 5-6 ft. tall with numerous chalky secretions 

 near the base of the lower side of the leaf, flowers yellow with red base which turns 

 violet. Flowers from October onwards until at least April (Mlanje). Known to be 

 in use near Blantyre, Mlanje and Fort Johnston. 



The flowers are sometimes cooked with other leaves as a side-dish, the product 

 is mucilaginous. Yields a short white fibre of good strength. 



Ref. 15; 26. 



♦243. H. rosa-sinensis L. Rose of China. 



A shrub nativ3 of Asia up to 30 ft. with large, red, showy flowers, it is often 

 cultivated for ornamental purposes. Cultivated in areas of European settlement. 



The leaves and flowers are sometimes cooked as a side-dish. (Blantyre). The 

 leaves a^e flrst pounded and then cooked with soda or potashes. 



Ref. 26. 



♦244. H. sabdariffa L. Roselle, Guinea or Jamaica sorrel. 



Cidede (C). 



A cultivated annual growing 4-5 ft. tall, slightly branched often purplish stem, 

 leaves variable, lower ones undivided, upper generally large, palmatety 5-lobed, 

 flowers with epicalyx of 8-10 linear segments, calyx cup-shaped, longer than epicatyx, 

 as it ripens becomes a deep scarlet colour, fleshy ; corolla yellow, large ; fruits, ovoid 

 capsules about 1 ins. long with numerous seeds. The plant is very common 

 in N.A. Mponda's area near Fort Johnston, where it is grown for sale to Europeans 

 and also for ornamental purposes. It is occasionally to be found at lower elevations 

 in the Kota Kota and Lilongwe Districts as the aCewa use both the fruit and the 

 leaves. It grows at Karonga but seems to be seldom used. 



The fleshy calyx is cooked as a side-dish by the aCewa (Kota Kota), potashes 

 are used and pounded groundnuts are always added as the dish is sour tasting. 



66 



