Basella alba

Basella alba, also known as Ceylon spinach or Indian spinach, is a common food in Africa. It is in the family Basellaceae.


 * "Basella alba is an evergreen creeping plant with heart-shaped leaves that is widely used as a vegetable. It is sometimes planted on hedges or staked near homesteads where the leaves are accessible; but it is mainly picked in the wild. It is commonly used from West Kenya (where it is called nderema), through Uganda to the Democratic Republic of Congo (baselle or epinard) and West Africa, where it is occasionally cultivated."

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * Traditional Food Plants of Kenya

External Articles

 * Patrick Maundu, Judith Kimiywe, Maryam Mbumi, I. F. Smith, T. Johns, and P.B. Eyzaguirre, "Nutrition and Indigenous Vegetables in Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture in Kenya," Biodiversity International.