Uses

ID Crop ID Part Use Category Notes Metadata ID
412 Buffalo Gourd Seed Oil (Food) An edible oil is obtained from the seed. 7,604
413 Buffalo Gourd Root Food Root are the source of a starch that is used as a sweetener, stabilizer or for making puddings like tapioca. Some caution is advised. 7,604
414 Buffalo Gourd Fruit Medicinal Buffalo gourd was employed medicinally by many native North American tribes who used it particularly in the treatment of skin complaints. It is still employed in modern herbalism as a safe. 7,604
415 Buffalo Gourd Fruit Industrial The fruit is used as a soap substitute. The fruit is cut up and simmered in water to obtain the soap which can be used for removing stains. The fruit can also be dried and stored for later use. It is often used with the root which is also a soap substitute. The soap is said to be effective in removing stains from clothing. 7,604
416 Nara Melon Seed Food The seeds of nara, known as butter-nuts or butterpips, are eaten either fresh or roasted as a snack food, or ground into flour for cooking with other dishes. They are a good substitute for almonds, and have been exported to bakeries in Cape Town for use in confectionery. 7,617
417 Nara Melon Fruit Food In Namibia ripe fruits, which are sweet and juicy and about 900 g in weight, are either eaten raw and relished for their high water content, or made into a traditional preserve, the dried fruit pulp being made into flat cakes. Nara is also eaten as a famine food. 7,617
418 Nara Melon Forage (fresh) Feed (Forage/Fodder) Young stem tips are browsed by livestock. 7,617
419 Nara Melon Root Medicinal The bitter roots have medicinal value. Either chewed or made into a decoction, they are used to treat nausea, stomach-ache, venereal diseases, kidney problems, arteriosclerosis and chest pains. The crushed root mixed with fat is used to heal wounds. 7,617
420 Oyster Nut Seed Food The seeds of Telfairia pedata are eaten raw, cooked or roasted and are said to taste as good as almonds or Brazil nuts. 7,626
421 Oyster Nut Seed Oil (Food) The seed kernel contains an excellent edible oil, known as ‘oyster-nut oil’ or ‘koémé de Zanzibar’. It is useful in cosmetics and in soap and candle making. 7,626
422 Oyster Nut Seed Medicinal The oil is used as medicine for stomach troubles and rheumatism in East Africa. The Wachagga of Tanzania use the seed as tonic after childbirth. 7,626
423 Oyster Nut Seed Feed (Forage/Fodder) After oil extraction, the presscake makes valuable feed for livestock, being rich in protein. 7,626
424 Cushaw Fruit Food Ripe fruit of Cucurbita argyrosperma are eaten as vegetables. 7,631
425 Cushaw Fruit Feed (Forage/Fodder) The ripe fruit is occasionally used to prepare sweets although it is used most frequently as feed for livestock and poultry. 7,631
426 Cushaw Seed Food The seeds are eaten whole, roasted, toasted or ground and are the main ingredient of sauces used to prepare various stews (for example, pipián - meat cooked in thick chili sauce, mole verde - a stew prepared with chili and green tomatoes). 7,631
427 Cushaw Seed Oil (Food) The seed is rich in oil and has a pleasant nutty flavour. It is used as a vegetable in pies etc, it can be stored for up to 6 months. The seeds yield an edible oil. 7,631
428 Cushaw Fruit Medicinal Cucurbita argyrosperma also has medicinal properties. A liquid emulsion of its seed can act as a vermifuge, and the subsequent use of a laxative can effect an expulsion of parasitic worms. 7,631
429 Snake Gourd Fruit Food Immature fruits, and more rarely young shoots and leaves of snake gourd are used as cooked vegetables. The fully mature fruit contains a soft, red, tomato-like pulp that is used in stews or sauces as a substitute for tomato puree or paste. 7,645
430 Snake Gourd Fruit Medicinal An infusion of the young shoot is mildly aperient, the leaf sap is emetic and the seeds are anthelmintic and antiperiodic. 7,645
431 Squirting Cucumber Fruit Medicinal The squirting cucumber has been used as a medicinal plant for over 2,000 years, though it has a very violent effect upon the body and currently has little use in modern herbalism. Medicinally, the plant is mostly known for its high content of cucurbitacins, which can provide the species with various biological activities. 7,646