A native of the Andes, potatoes are commonly grown for sale to Europeans in 

 places where the climate is suitable. Grown in the hill areas in the Central Province 

 and Northern Province and in small amounts wherever cold enough. 



The tubers are occasionally eaten by Africans but they are said to be tasteless, 

 kuzizila, and are not nearly so much liked as sweet potatoes. The leaves are cooked 

 as a side-dish in places where there is shortage of other leaves, e.g., Kota Kota Hills 

 in dry season. 



Ref. 13; 23. 



413. Solanum spp. (Solan.). 



There are a large number of plants belonging to this genus, many of which 

 have edible fruits, the following are some of them : — 



(a) Nthula (N) possibly S. aculeastrum Dunal. 



A shrub up to 6 or 8 ft. high of vigorous growth, thorns on stems and backs 

 of leaves, undersurface white with hairs ; fruits ridged 2-3 ins. long, green turning 

 to yellow. The shrubs are often found in villages in the Central Province, e.g., 

 Dedza and Ncheu Districts. 



The fruits are cooked as a side-dish. They are put in hot ashes for a moment, 

 after which the thin outer skin is peeled oflF. This reveals the flesh which is bright 

 apple-green in colour. It is sliced oif leaving the central seedy part to be discarded. 

 The flesh may be eaten raw or the strips added to a cooked mixture of pounded 

 groundnuts and tomatoes and heated up, not cooked, and eaten as a side-dish. 



(6) Madwanzi (N). 



A shrub with large green leaves, it has no thorns and flowers in November 

 (Ncheu). 



The fruits are sliced, sometimes mixed with leaves and cooked as a side-dish. 

 The fruits are roasted whole and eaten (Ncheu). 



(c) Imphwa (Ncheu) = nthula (Lilongwe). 



A shrub with oval fruits, 1^-2 ins. long, smooth, yellow when ripe. 

 The fruits are cooked as a side-dish (Ncheu). 



{d) Zimphwa (N., Mlanje), mbwanyanya (Y). 



A shrub with prickly leaves, the fruits vary in size from a hen's egg to a duck's 

 egg, striped light green. They are ripe in March and April (Mlanje). 



The fruits are sliced and cooked and when soft, pounded groundnuts are added. 

 The dish is well liked and the fruits sufficiently popular to be on sale at the markets 

 (Mlanje). 



(e) Matungwi (C), nthula zazikulu (N). 



A prickly shrub with oval fruits, green with stripes ripening to deep orange. 

 The fruits are eaten raw by children (Mvera, Dowa District). 



(/) Mtungwi (C), nthula zazing'ono (N), malanza (leaves). 



Very common in the Kota Kota and Ncheu Districts, the fruits and leaves 

 are cooked occasionally as a side-dish. 



{g) Malanza (N), makwenda (Y). 



A shrub growing to 3 ft. very commonly found on waste ground. 



The fruits when young are sliced and cooked with groundnuts as a side-dish 

 (Mlanje). 



110 



