Rhoicissus revoilii (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007)
From PlantUse English
| Rhoicissus revoilii (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007) |
Rhoicissus revoilii Vitaceae Indigenous
Common names
- Oromugna: Daga chebsa
- Somaligna: Armo saged, Hyab
Ecology
A perennial shrub, often a climber, which occurs in Acacia and Combretum‑Terminalia woodland, wooded grassland, and riverine forests. It is found in Ilubabor, Welo, Shewa, Wolega, Kefa, Gamo Gofa, Sidamo, Bale and Harerge in Dry, Moist and Wet Kolla and Weyna Dega agroclimatic zones, 700–1,900 m.
Uses
Firewood, food additive (stem juice).
Description
A shrub or woody climber to 5 m with tendrils opposite the leaves.
- BARK: Only young branchlets grey‑yellow and hairy, scaly when older.
- LEAVES: 3 leaflets, variable in size, the central leaflet long oval, 3–9 cm, lateral leaflets narrow, sickle‑shaped, veins looping before the edge, usually without teeth, shiny deep green above, paler below but not hairy, a stalk to 3 cm.
- FLOWERS: Tiny in dense heads opposite the leaves, stalks and calyx with woolly yellow hairs, brown‑purple petals in star‑like flowers.
- FRUIT: A bunch of fleshy black berries, bilobed, about 1 cm across, surface rough, 1–3 seeds in each berry.
Management
The plant has tendrils and requires something to climb and hook onto. Stake the plants, or plant them where there are other plants to support them.
Remarks
The acid juice from the stem is sometimes added to palm wine.
