414. Sonchus oleraceus L. (Comp.). 



Cinguwo (N), see Emilia coccinea for plant with same native name. 



A coarse erect annual lJ-3 ft. high, stem with waxy bloom; leaves ovate or 

 oblong, simple or lobed, 1-6 ins. long; flower heads yellow. Found in gardens and 

 waste places, widespread. 



The leaves are eaten cooked, see Emilia. 



415. Sorghum vulgare Pers. (Gram.), Guinea corn, kaffir corn, giant millet. 

 Mapila (N), mapemba (Y), namuve (Ngu), gonkho (Se), amapemba (Nk), cidomba 



(Tu), cipira (Su). 



There are many kinds cultivated varying greatly in habit and size. Large 

 quantities are grown in the Lower Shire, a fair amount in the rest of the Southern 

 Province and southern part of Central Province and in Karonga District while small 

 quantities are grown in the rest of the country. 



Peeparation of Flour. 



The grain is stored in the heads. When required the latter are threshed with 

 sticks and the grain separated from the debris by winnowing. The grain is given 

 two poundings, first the bran is removed, then the remainder is well washed and 

 given a second pounding or grinding to produce a fine flour. The bran is softer than 

 that of maize so only the coarse fraction of it is thrown away and the remainder 

 kept to mix with the flour. No soaking or sometimes a very short one (Karonga, 

 15 minutes) is needed, hence flour can be made at short notice. See Zea mays L. 



(1) Use as food. 



(a) Porridge, nsima. The method of preparation is the same as for maize 

 porridge. A gruel is made and boiled for about 10 minutes, then more flour is 

 added until the required consistency has been reached, the whole process takes 

 about 20 minutes. The product is softer than maize porridge and has not the latter 's 

 staying power. It is in this respect like rice so that several meals of it are needed 

 a day. 



(6) Madea, gaga, bran porridge. The bran is well liked and porridge is made 

 using some of it mixed with the flour. Men will eat it whereas they often refuse 

 maize bran porridge. It is also eaten raw mixed with water. 



(c) Cigodo, ntimphwa, unyu. A mixture of flour with water in varying amounts 

 is eaten as cigodo or drunk as unyu. 



(d) Malt, cimera. Malt is commonly made and used with almost any kind of 

 flour to make beer. 



(e) Fresh grain, mapira awisi. Heads of fresh grain are picked, left in the sun 

 for a day or two to allow the glumes to open, then beaten with sticks and the sweet 

 grain eaten raw. Where small amounts only are grown it is eaten almost exclusively 

 in this way. Only certain kinds are eaten thus, e.g., at Fort Johnston, lupira is 

 not eaten fresh while mapemba is often eaten in this way. 



(/) Cakes, mikate. Boiled flat cakes are made from a mixture of the flour 

 either with bananas or honey. 



(g) The stalks, misinde, misale. Some varieties are grown solely for the sweet 

 juice that their stems contain, and are chewed like sugar cane. 



[h) After the grain has been harvested, the young sprouting leaves, maleka a 

 mapira, are cooked with the help of potashes and form a slimy product, thelele. 



(2) All varieties of sorghum can form a red dye, especially where the plant has 

 received an injury. This dye is used throughout tropical Africa for colouring mats, 

 dyeing leather, etc. 



Ref. 13; 23. 



in 



