Talinum caffrum

Talinum caffrum

Family: Portulacaceae

Tallinum caffrum is found from southern Ethiopia south to Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. The leaves of Tallinum caffrum are collected from the wild and eaten raw as a salad or as a cooked vegetable. They contain much water and are also eaten raw against thirst. It is a succulent herb with a deeply buried tuber (caudex) with annual stems that are usually decumbent or prostrate, up to 40 cm long, much branched.

Sowing instructions: Sow in trays, pots, etc of good seed compost in a propagator or warm place to maintain an optimum temperature of 20-25°C. Cover with peat or sand.

Locality: Bloemfontein. Harvest: January 2024