A perennial herb with very large leaves, about 2 ft. long; capitula densely 

 clustered in a large open panicle. 



An infusion of the root, mixed with many other kinds, is used to cure nyamakazi, 

 rheumatism and allied pains, and cipeta, one of the forms of venereal disease. It is 

 also drunk by women while menstruating. 



♦256. Ipotnoea batatas (L.) Lam. (Convolv.) Sweet potato. 



Names for tubers. M batata, cimunyulu (N), kholowa (Ngu), mhambaira (Se) mtoto- 

 7nera, mbwete (Tu), mbohole (To), imbatata (Nk). 



A cultivated perennial creeper, rooting freely at the nodes and producing stems 

 up to 6 ft. long; forming a dense cover on the ground and having tuberous roots, 

 native of America. Very widespread at all elevations. 



(1) The tubers (potatoes). 



They are universally popular and are eaten as an extra food. They are eaten 

 boiled or roasted in their skins. They may be mashed after boiling with pounded 

 groundnuts to form a very popular dish, futali (kiSwahili). In the Misuku country 

 of Karonga District, large quantities are eaten and they often take the place of 

 porridge for the main meal of the day. In some places, they are stored in covered 

 pits often dug under the hut verandah (Blantyre). They are not dried in Nyasaland 

 but the two following methods are in use in Tanganyika : — 



(a) The tubers are boiled, peeled or whole, made into very thin flat cakes 



and dried gradually in the sun for about four days. When needed they are 



broken up and boiled. (From Mrs. G. M. Culwick). 



(6) " In Unyamwezi, natives boil sweet potatoes first, then peel and slice 



them and dry them in the sun. The dry chips are semi-transparent and very 



palatable and I have found them an acceptable iron ration on ulendo " (M. J. 



Fortie, letter to the Editor E.A.A. Journal, Jan., 1941.) 



There are many varieties differing in flavour and digestibility according to 

 native accounts. Some varieties have yellow flesh and these are to be preferred 

 to the white kinds from the nutritive point of view as they contain provitamin A. 



(2) The Leaves. 



Names: kholowa (N), ntolilo (Y), dontomo (Se), cipolwa (Tu), cibwaka (To), mbwaka 

 (He) (Tu). 



Preparation for eating . 



A bundle of the long trailing stems are gathered, from these the leaves and 

 their attached stalks are peeled off. They are cooked without soda or potashes, 

 groundnuts and tomatoes are used whenever available. The product is black, 

 somewhat unpleasant tasting and rather slimy. To prevent the extreme softening 

 of the leaves, they are very frequently left on the hut roof in the sun for several 

 hours before cooking. aCewa women often cook the leaves in the liquid in which 

 maize has been soaked, matsukwa. When cooked in this way it is said to be a 

 lactagogue. 



Men often object to eating the leaves because of their unpleasant flavour, they 

 are, however, said to be good when they are picked young while sprouting after 

 the dry weather. The leaves are much eaten in the Southern Province and seem 

 to be well liked by the tribes there. They are not very popular, though widely 

 eaten, among the tribes further north and are not eaten at all by the aKonde in 

 Karonga District. 



They are an extremely valuable standby for side dishes as the plants produce 

 leaves for almost the whole of the year except for a short time during the dry weather. 

 The leaves are dried and eaten by old women when short of a side-dish. They are 

 left to dry in the sun with no preliminary cooking. 



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