The leaves are cooked with the help of native potashes and form a slimy product, 

 thelele, pounded groundnuts are needed because the leaf is bitter. The leaves are 

 often mixed with kasadzula, {Smithia sp . ) . The product is not much liked but because 

 of its abundance is probably eaten fairly frequently. 



367. Popowia obovata (Benth.) Engl. & Diels. (Annon.). 



Mfulafula (N, fruits), mcmga (N, tree), kombe (N), mkatamu (Y). 



Straggling coppicing shrub, leaves obovate, elliptic, rounded at the apex, 

 sub-cordate at the base, fruits constricted between seeds, scarlet with 1-3 seeds, 

 ripe in April. Found at the Lake-shore, e.g., Dedza and Shire Valley. 



The fruits are edible; Stems used for withies (Tt). 



Ref. 9; 14; 26. 



368. Portulaca oleracea (L.) (Portulac), Common purslane. 

 Matahoatsanu (N), mataga atsanu (Y), matakaoali (To), matakogawaoli (Nk),. (All 

 these names mean literally " the buttocks of the wife of a chief" from the shape 

 of the leaf.), kokwa (Tu). 



An annual herb with prostrate succulent branches, leaves fleshy, alternate or 

 sub-opposite, J-IJ ins. long; flowers small, yellow in terminal sessile, few-flowered, 

 solitary or loosely and cymosely panicled heads; petals 5. Widespread, particularly 

 at low elevations. 



The leaves are cooked without potashes; sometimes bonongwe {Amaranthus 

 lividus L.), is mixed with them. The product is soft and well liked but does not seem 

 to be often eaten. The leaves are eaten raw as salad by the French. 



369. Pouzolzia hypoleuca Wedd. (Urticac). 



Multisa, ihingo (N), licopwa (Y), lucopwa (He), lukayo (Nk), wazi (To). 



An erect shrubby perennial with alternate simple leaves, broadly ovate, 3-nerved 

 at the base, covered with a white felt on the lower side ; monoecious, rarely dioecious ; 

 flowers in dense sessile axillary clusters. Found widespread at Lake levels; the 

 plant is often cultivated in the fishing villages. 



The fibre from the bark is very strong and string made from it is used for fish 

 nets. " The fibres are stripped off the branches, dried and separated into narrow 

 strips. Two of these are placed close together and spun into a single thread by a 

 rolling movement of the hand on the thigh. The fishermen are extremely dexterous 

 at this operation and produce a surprisingly neat thread." From ''Report on the 

 Fish and Fisheries of Lake Nyasa. " Bertram, Borley and Trewaras, 1942. 

 Ref. 14; 26. » 



370. Protea abyssinica Willd. (Proteac). Sugar Bush. 



Nkulukulu (Y). 



A small tree or bush about 12 ft. high, bark deeply corrugated, dark brown, 

 leaves deciduous, alternate, simple, glabrous, blade linear-lanceolate; fiowers white 

 in dense, terminal heads surrounded by fleshy, silvery bracts ; fruit and achene with 

 hairs and persistent style. Common in drier parts of lower mountain areas at 

 about 4,000 ft. 



A good firewood. 



*371. Prunus armeniaca L. (Rosac). Apricot. 



Native of the Asiatic sub-tropics. There are apricot trees bearing well at 

 several of the D.R.C. Mission Stations at elevations of over 4,000 ft., e.g., Mlanda 

 and Kongwe. The trees are said to bear well when planted so that they are exposed 

 to the wind. 



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