APPENDIX I
Lost Crops of Africa Series
This is the first in a series of books highlighting the promise to be found in food plants native to Africa. The second and third volumes in the series are now being prepared for publication, and the fourth, fifth, and sixth are in the planning stage. Following are lists of the plants now being considered.
Volume 2: Cultivated Fruits
Balanites (Desert Date) |
Balanites aegyptiaca |
Baobab |
Adansonia digitata |
Butterfruit (Africado) |
Dacryodes edulis |
Carissa |
Carissa spp., esp. C. macrocarpa |
Horned Melon |
Cucumis metuliferus |
Kei Apple |
Dovyalis caffra |
Marula |
Sclerocryo caffra |
Melon |
Cucumis melo |
Tamarind |
Tamcarindus indica |
Watermelon |
Citrullus lanatus |
Ziziphus |
Ziziphus mauritiana |
Volume 3: Wild Fruits
African Medlars |
Vangueria madagascariensis |
Aizen |
Boscia spp. |
Chocolate Berries |
Vitex spp. |
Custard Apples |
Annona senegalensis |
Figs |
Ficus spp. |
Gemsbok Cucumber |
Acanthosicyos naudinianus |
Gingerbread Plums |
Parinari spp. |
Grapes |
Vitis spp. |
Icacina (False Yam) |
Icacina oliviformis |
Imbe (African Mangosteen) |
Garcinia livingstonei |
Milkwoods |
Mimusops spp. |
Monkey Apple |
Anisophyllea laurina |
Monkey Orange |
Strychnos spp. |
Nara |
Acanthosicyos horrida |
Raisin Trees |
Grewia spp. |
Rubber Fruits |
Landolphia spp. |
Sour Plum |
Ximenia spp. |
Star Apples |
Chrysophyllum spp. |
Sugar Plums |
Uapaca spp. |
Sweet Detar |
Detarium senegalense |
Tree Grapes |
Lannea spp. |
Tree Strawberry |
Nauclea spp. |
Velvet Tamarind |
Dialium guineense |
Water Berry |
Syzygium guineense |
Wild Plum |
Pappea capensis |
Volume 4: Vegetables
African Eggplant |
Solanum macrocarpon |
Amaranths |
Amaranthus spp. |
Bitterleaf |
Vernonia amygdalina |
Bitter Melon |
Momordica spp. |
Baobab |
Adansonia digitata |
Bologi |
Crassocephalum biafrae |
Bungu |
Ceratotheca sesamoides |
Bur Gherkin |
Cucumis spp. |
Celosia |
Celosia spp. |
Cleome |
Cleome gynandra |
Crotalaria |
Crotalaria spp. |
Dayflowers |
Commelina spp. |
Edible Flowers |
Various species |
Edible Mushrooms |
Various species |
Edible Trees |
Various species |
Egusi-ito |
Cucumeropsis mannii |
Enset |
Ensete ventricosum |
Ethiopian Mustard |
Brassica carinata |
Fluted Pumpkin |
Telfairia occidentalis |
Garden Cress |
Lepidium spp. |
Gherkins |
Cucumis spp. |
Horned Melon (Kiwano) |
Cucumis metuliferus |
Jilo |
Solanum gilo |
Mock Tomato |
Solanum aethiopicum |
Okra |
Abelmoschus esculentus |
Ogunmo |
Solanum melanocerasum |
Oyster Nut |
Telfairia pedata |
Spirulina |
Spirulina spp. |
Water Leaf |
Talinum spp. |
Volume 5: Legumes
Bambara Groundnut |
Vigna subterranea |
Cowpea |
Vigna unguiculata |
Grass Pea |
Lathyrus spp. |
Guar |
Cyamopsis tetragonoloba |
Groundbean |
Macrotyloma geocarpa |
Lablab |
Lablab purpureus |
Locust Beans |
Parkia spp. |
Marama Bean |
Bauhinia esculenta |
Pigeon Pea |
Cajanus cajan |
Sword Bean |
Canavalia spp. |
Velvet Tamarind |
Dialium spp. |
Volume 6: Roots and Tubers
African Yam Bean |
Sphenostylis spp. |
Anchote |
Coccinia spp. |
Guinea Yam |
Dioscorea x cayenensis |
Potato Yam |
Dioscorea esculenta |
Other Yams |
Dioscorea spp. |
Hausa Potato |
Solenostemon rotundifolius |
Sudan Potato |
Solenostemon parviflorus |
Livingstone Potato |
Plectranthus esclentus |
Wing bean Roots |
Psophocarpus spp. |
Tiger Nut (Chufa) |
Cyperus esculentus |
Vigna Roots |
Vigna spp., especially V. vexillata |
We hope that this set of reports will alert everyone to the wealth of foods that are Africa's own heritage. We also hope to continue the series with volumes on nuts, oilseeds, spices, beverage plants, and others. Collectively, the resulting wealth of knowledge and guidance might well lead to a "second front" in the war on hunger in what is now the most hunger-ravaged part of the world.
We would very much like to hear from readers who would like to contribute to these future volumes. Send your name and the crop in which you're interested to:
Noel D. Vietmeyer, FO 2060
National Academy of Sciences
2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20418, USA
Fax: (202) 334-2660
Email: nvietmey@nas.edu
Above all, we'd like to appeal for photographs. Locating pictures for this book on grains has been a monumental headache; finding interesting shots for the future volumes will likely be even harder.