Trials of Different Varieties of Field and Garden Peas. 

 Trials were made at Mwera Hill in 1941 on the following three field types: — 

 the commonly grown Nyasaland type, Mauritius pea and Miselesele from Uganda, 

 and on two kinds of garden pea, i.e., " Daisy " and " Pride of the Market ". Only 

 very minor differences could be detected between the three field types, all took 

 about two hours to cook when dry and the product was soft and of a good flavour. 

 They were all small yellow-brown peas. Of the two garden kinds, " Daisy " was 

 definitely a slower cooker and not such a good yielder as " Pride of the Market ". 

 The leaves of all kinds were soft and palatable when cooked. 



Leaf yields. 



One trial was made of the comparative leaf yields of " Pride of the Market," 

 natiA^e pea and Mauritius. A woman picked the leaves as she normally would for 

 her own use. The peas were planted in March in a hill garden, mtunda, and the 

 leaves were picked during April and May until they were too old to eat. The yield 

 from the two field types was about three quarters of a short ton per acre and of the 

 garden type about half a ton. In the stream bed gardens, madimba, the peas will 

 yield for a longer period, usually up to three or four months. 



Ref. 13; 23. 



363. Podocarpus milanjianus Rendle (Podocarp.), Yellow wood. 



Nkanguni, mkute (Ml), nkaci (Y). 



A fine evergreen tree growing to 100 ft. with bole of 20 ft. or more ; bark smooth, 

 thin, grey coming off in strips, leaves alternate simple linear ; male flowers in axillary 

 catkins, female flowers axillary, consisting of a scale bearing a naked ovule; fruit a 

 so-called cone consisting of a seed with a hard shell. Only rarely found in mountain 

 evergreen forest, e.g., Mlanje and Matipa (Karonga District) and then only of small 

 size. 



Timber is valuable for all purposes especially railway sleepers. 

 Ref. 9; 22; 26. 



364. Polygonum barbatumL (Polygon.). 



Cikungu ufa (N), kungu ufu (Tu) (Both meaning floury-skin, from the white hairy 



leaves.). 



A peremiial herb with slender hairy, erect stems, leaves, lanceolate, narrowed 

 to the base, usualty hairy on both sides, 4-6 ins. long; spikes of very small flowers, 

 cylindrical slender, 2-3 ins. long, bracts conspicuous, ciliate with rigid bristles. 

 Known to be used in the Kasungu and Mzimba Districts, found usually on stream 

 banks. 



The leaves are cooked as a side-dish with the help of potashes. They are bitter 

 if growing on dry land but good flavoured when grown near water. 



365. P. plebeium R. Br. (Polygon.). 

 Kasabwe (C). 



A herb growing to 6 ins. with minute flowers found in damp places. The 

 leaves are cooked with potashes and groundnuts. The product is slimy, thelele, 

 but is well liked because it has a good smell, fungu. (Kasungu). The leaves are 

 bitter when grown in dry places. 



366. P. serrulatum Lag. 



Nsendeka (Y), nsendekere, nsendecere (N), musendeka (To), muswente (Tu, Nk), 

 msendeka (C). 



An annual herbaceous plant; stem slender, glabrous 2-3 ft., erec^ decumbent 

 at base; spikes slender with small pink flowers. Very widespread in moist places. 

 It is known and eaten all over the country. 



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