*310. Morus alba L. (Morac). Mulberry. 



Mapulesi (N), matibeni (Tu). 



Native of Asia ; several kinds of mulberries have been planted and are growing 

 in various parts of the country. They are mostly of a shrubby kind bearing 

 rather small fruits but a tree variety is known in at least one place, e.g., Mlanda 

 D.R.C.M., Ncheu District. Planted at all elevations in villages near places of 

 European settlement. 



The fruits are eaten raAv mainly by children. Where there is scarcity of a 

 side-dish, the leaves are cooked, e.g., parts of Lilongwe and Kota Kota Districts, 

 but are not much liked. 



311. Mucuna aterrima Holland (Papil.). Velvet or Bengal bean. 



Kalongonda (N), kalikonda (Ngu), tangale (Y), ukazi mudzi (To). 



A climbing bean grown to a small extent in the country. The beans have 

 very thick skins. They are well known all over the Southern Province but are only 

 grown in small amounts. They are also occasionally grown at Fort Johnston and 

 in the Nkata Bay District. 



The beans are cooked for a side-dish. They are bitter and hence the cooking 

 process is laborious. The beans are first boiled and the water discarded, the process 

 is repeated for as many as six times. By this time the skins have become detached 

 and the beans are soft and more or less tasteless. They seem to be well enough 

 liked. The leaves are not eaten. 



312. M. pruriens (L.) DC. (Papil.) Buffalo bean. 

 Citedze (G), lekwanya (Y). 



A climbing herb with pinnately trifoliate ovate leaflets, flowers in short stalked 

 racemes, petals dark purple, flowering from March to June; pods clustered 5-6 seeded, 

 densely clothed with brown silky bristles which cause intense irritation to the skin. 

 Common especially in the hills. 



A famine food, the beans are cooked by repeated boilings and throwing away 

 of the water. There is a story of how the aNgoni in one of their raids found beans 

 ready in the pots and so ate them. They were so incapacitated as a result that the 

 aCewa finding them in this state were able to punish them appropriately ; possibly the 

 beans were of this species. 



Ref. 17. 



313. Mucuna sp. 



Dema (N). 



A shrub found in the hills which has a very large white tuberous root. It 

 flowers from November to December. Very common in the Kota Kota Hills. 



The root, when cut up and soaked for several days, gives a milky liquid which is a 

 good insecticide. It can be used for spraying plants or for killing fleas on dogs. 

 A native practice is to hollow out a root and to fill it with drinking water for the 

 fowls to keep them free from disease. 



314. Mundulea sericea (Willd.) A. Cheval. (Papil.). 



Lusyunga (Y). 



A much-branched shrub or small tree up to 25 ft. with alternate pinnate leaves, 

 leaflets in 6-10 pairs, flowers mauve to lilac up to 1 in. long in dense terminal 

 racemes, pods slightly woody narrow, up to 5 ins. long ; young bark is greenish- 

 brown, smooth but becomes very corky and much fissured and yellow with age. 



The bark is used as a fish poison. 

 Ref. 16; 17; 23. 



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