Kedrostis africana

It is a succulent monoecious plant, with a large underground tuber, called a caudex which can span to lengths of up to 50 cm. This caudex is a store of water, which enables the plant to be somewhat resistant to droughts. It develops long climbing stems that reach between 1 – 6m in length. Its lobed leaves are between 6 – 10 cm long. They also bear orange fruit, with a diameter between 8 – 15mm. ==Distribution==

This species is indigenous to southern Africa, occurring from Namibia in the north west, southwards as far as Worcester and the Gourits River valley, through the Karoo as far as Port Elizabeth in the south east, and northwards to KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga in the north east. == Cultivation ==

This species can be propagated with seeds or cuttings. Because they can produce separate male and female flowers on the same plant, they are self-fertile. This also allows their orange fruit to readily show. They also grow very slowly. == Uses ==

Traditional Medicine Kedrostis africana is used to induce vomiting, urination, the prevention of fluid retention. It is also used to treat syphilis. A decoction of the crushed bulb is taken to manage obesity. ==References==