*277. Lactuca sativa L. (Comp.) Lettuce. 



Saladi (N). 



Lettuces are grown fairly commonly in towns for sale to Europeans and are 

 occasionally cooked by Africans for a side-dish. The product is soft and well liked 

 if pounded groundnuts have been added. 



278. Lagenaria vulgaris Sp. (Cucurbit.) Gourd. 

 Mphonda (N), mbonda (Ngu), jungu, mswera (Tu), matakale (Nk, pi.), madyaundu (Su), 

 ciko (N, for kinds to be used as gourds). 



An annual, usually allowed to straggle over the ground, flowers white ; fruits of 

 varying shapes, some edible and some used only for gourds, some have a prolonged 

 base to the fruit which forms a natural handle to the gourd. Common at Lake 

 levels and to a lesser extent at higher elevations all over the country. 



The fruits of some kinds are cooked to eat as an extra food. The leaves are 

 cooked as a side-dish among some tribes, e.g., aTonga whose name for the leaves 

 is ntondwe. The ripe fruits are boiled then the seeds are scraped out and the gourd 

 allowed to dry out to use as a receptacle for beer, milk or for ladling-out purposes. 



Ref. 6. 



279. Landolphia kirkii Dyer (Apocyn.), Rubber vine. 

 Mpila (N, Y, To) (See Manihot for same native name), matwatwa (He, name for 

 fruits). 



A scandent shrub or liane, containing latex with evergreen, opposite, small 

 lanceolate to oblong leaves and panicles of small white or very pale pink flowers 

 and speckled globular fruits, about the size of an orange. Found commonly in 

 Chinteche District with its high rainfall, also found in other places to a lesser extent, 

 e.g., Nchisi Forest. 



The latex forms an inferior rubber when collected and allowed to coagulate 

 and was at one time considered one of the most important rubber plants of East 

 Africa. The fruits are edible. 



Ref. 14; 17; 26. 



280. L. parvifolia K. Schum. 



Kapwati (N, C, Y), matwatwa (Nk, He), liwungo (To). 



A much-branched, climbing shrub with tendrils of modified inflorescences from 

 the branch forks, young branches more or less villous, rusty; leaves, small oblong 

 to lanceolate, fruit like a small orange, 1-2 ins. in diameter, greenish-purple, seeds 

 up to half an inch long. Found in Lake-shore areas. 



The fruits are edible (Kota Kota). 



28L Landolphia sp. 



Makombe (N), mkombe (C, N). 



A liane with globular fruits 2-3 ins. in diameter which exude a white latex. 

 The fruits are edible. 



282. Lannea discolor (Sond.) Engl. (Anacard.), Livelong. 



Ciumhu (Y), sidyatungu (N). 



A fair-sized tree, distinguished by the numerous catkin-like spikes appearing 

 before the leaves; bark reddish-grey and smooth; leaves, deciduous, alternate, 

 pinnate, petiole 6-7 ins. long, leaflets in 2-5 pairs with a terminal one, ovate, under 

 surface whitish; flowers in bunches in terminal spikes, male spikes being longer 

 and looser than female; fruit, purple, the size of a pea with a solitary seed. 



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