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Plant Fact Sheets about Leafy Greens from Food Plants International.



  1. Some 3 billion people in the world live outside the cash economy in the worldā€™s poorest nations. Food security and regular supply are their daily concerns. Chronic malnutrition is a leading cause of death and disease for them. Young children are amongst the most affected. One child every 5-10...
  2. Edible Portion: Leaves, Seeds A tree. It grows to 30 m high. It loses its leaves during the year. The trunk is stout and up to 1 m across. The crown is rounded. The tree is usually divided near the base into large spreading branches. The bark is pale grey and slightly rough. The leaves are 18-25...
  3. Edible Portion: Seeds, Leaves A tall tree. It grows 40 m tall. The crown is dark green. The bark is thin and grey. The leaves are divided with leaflets along thestalk. There are 1-4 pairs of leaflets. These are 5-10 cm long by 2-4 cm wide and the top ones are the largest. The flowers arein groups...
  4. Edible Portion:Leaves, Seeds, Vegetable, Flowers, Leaves - Tea A herb about 1 m high and spreads 45 cm wide. A small annual leafy green. An upright, much branched annual with a thinmembrane covering the stems. Sometimes the plant lies over. The stems are angular. The plant branches in the upper...
  5. Edible Portion: Leaves, Vegetable, Flowers A cabbage plant. The leaves are ruffled or crinkled but some are more smooth than normal kales. The leaf shape and colourvaries considerably. The flowers are yellow or white.
  6. Edible Portion: Leaves A tree. It grows 18 m high and spreads 4.5 m wide. The trunk can be 1.5 m across. It has large buttresses. It has an opencanopy. The bark is grey or brown and furrowed. The lower limbs curve down. The leaves have leaflets along the stalk. Theleaves are 60 cm long. There are...
  7. Edible Portion: Leaves, Seeds, Sprouts, Flowers, Vegetable, Tea An annual plant. It grows to 1 m high and spreads to 1 m across. The stem is erect. The stems are succulent and without hairs.They often have soft mealy lumps which can be rubbed off. The leaves are simple, with one at each node, and...
  8. Edible Portion: Leaves, Flowers, Pods, Seeds, Vegetable, Caution An annual herb. It grows to 0.6-0.9 m. It has a long tap root. It is erect and somewhat hairy. It usually has purple stems. Theleaves occur one after another along the stalk. The leaf stalk is long. There are 5-7 leaflets which are...
  9. Edible Portion: Leaves, Vegetable, Fruit, Roots Kangkong is a creeping sweet potato like plant. It has hollow stems and can float on water. The leaves are green and arenormally not divided like some sweet potato leaves, but the shape and size varies a little between different kinds. The trumpet...
  10. Edible parts -Leaves, Herb, Spice, Vegetable, Seeds - oil A cabbage family herb. It is an annual plant about 60 cm high. It has narrowly lobed leaves. The leaves near the base havelong stalks and the leaves higher on the plant do not have stalks. The flowers are small and white. The fruit is a...
  11. Edible Portion: Leaves, Flowers, Fruit, Seeds, Roots, Bark, Pods, Spice, Vegetable A small tree up to 9-12 m high. The trunk is 60 cm across. The wood is soft. It has feather-like divided leaves. The tree losesits leaves during the year. The bark is grey and thick. It is corky and peels off in...
  12. Edible Portion: Leaves A herb. It grows 0.5-1 m tall. It grows from seed each year. The stems are angular and green. The leaves are deeply lobed.The lobes are along the stalk. They also have coarse, sharp teeth. The flower heads are single. They have long stalks and areyellow. The fruit is dry.
  13. Edible Portion: Leaves A perennial shrub. It grows to 0.5-1 m tall. Plants are clumpy bushes about 75 cm high and 60 cm wide. The leaves are 2-3 cmlong. They are small, oblong and have teeth around the edge. The flower heads are on the tips of stems. They are in clustersand are white. The fruit...
  14. Edible portions:Fruit, Seeds, Leaves, Flowers, Spice, Vegetable A large spreading tree up to 24 m tall. It has a broad dense evergreen crown. In dry areas the tree can lose its leaves. Thetrunk can be 1 m across. The bark is rough and grey with a checkered pattern. The leaves are carried one...
  15. Edible portions:Seeds, Leaves, Fruit, Bark, Vegetable An evergreen shrub or small tree. It grows 4-6 metres high. It has many branches forming a rambling habit. The stems are crooked and can grow along the ground. The branches are drooping and twisted. They are slender and greenish white. The...
  16. Edible portions:Fruit, Leaves, Seeds, Oil, Root bark - tea A small tree or spiny shrub about 3-4 m high. It has spines about 1 cm long which are thin and straight. The leaves andbranches are without hairs. The leaves are alternate, oval and about 2-4 cm long. The leaves are bluish green. The...
  17. Key Resource Edible Portion: Seeds, Leaves A bottle shaped tree. It is a tropical plant. It grows in limestone regions.
  18. Edible parts:Leaves, Stem, Seeds, Corm, Flower heads, Rootstock, Rhizome, Vegetable A banana like plant. It grows to 6-12 m high. The lower part of the leafy false stem is swollen. Many different varieties exist.The leaves are bright green with an obvious red midrib. The leaves can be 5 m long...
  19. Edible:Shoots, Roots, Fronds, Leaves, Vegetable A fern with a short to medium creeping rhizome. The rhizome is up to 3 cm thick. It has large fleshy roots. The fronds are erect and up to 4 m long. The leaflets are large, thick and leathery. They are only divided once. They have blunt tips. They...
  20. Edible parts:Fruit, Leaves, Roots, Bark, Vegetable A fig. This tree varies in form. It can be a small tree up to 6 m tall in dry places or a large spreading tree up to 12-24 m tall inforest. It normally loses its leaves for a short period. The bark is smooth and brownish grey. It has a thick...
  21. Edible parts:Fruit, Roots, Leaves, Bark, Seed A deciduous tree. It grows up to 21 m tall. It has a wide leafy crown. The trunk is grey-brown. It is smooth when young butrough when older. The twigs are knobbly and covered with small scattered raised brown dots. The leaves are simple and slightly...
  22. Edible parts: Leaves, Vegetable A herb. It grows 1.8 , tall. The leaves are roughly hairy. They are usually deeply divided into 3. The edges of the leaves aremarked by a line of black dots. The flowers are yellow and larger than Bidens pilosa. The fruit have 2 hooked bristles. A tropical plant....
  23. Edible parts:Fruit, Leaves, Seeds, Roots, Vegetable A herb. It is a pumpkin family plant. It is a vigorously growing climber that can last for several years. The vine can be up to 15 mlong. It has strong tendrils which can attach to fences and trees so that the plant can climb well. The choko...
  24. Edible parts:Fruit, Leaves A shrub or small tree. It can grow to 15 m tall. The crown can be round and spreading or drooping. The bark is pale and flaky.The young twigs are covered with red hairs. The leaves are simple, large and without teeth. They can be 2.5-15 cm long and 1.9-10 cm wide. The...
  25. Edible parts:Fruit, Seeds, Nuts, Leaves, Kernel A deciduous tree. It grows 10-18 m tall. It has a thick trunk and light rounded crown. The trunk isstraight and 1 m across. The branches are large. The twigs are sturdy with blunt tips. The bark is greybut turns black with age. It is thick and...
  26. Edible parts - Leaves, Seeds, Vegetable An annual herb plant. It is erect and grows up to 1.2 m tall. The stems are angular and the plant is often branched from the baseupwards. Plants can be green or tinged purple. The leaves are 3-8 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. The leaf stalk is 1-5 cm long.Leaves...
  27. Edible parts:Fruit, Seeds, Leaves A shrub or small deciduous tree. It grows to 3 or 4.5 m tall. It can be 7 m tall. It has a smooth grey trunk. The bark becomesrough with age. The branches are short and stout. They are soft and covered with red hair when young. The leaves are lightgreen and...
  28. Edible parts:Kernels, Fruit pulp, Nuts, Seeds, Leaves - medicine, Seeds - oil The leaves are simple and oblong. They are 4-11 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. They narrow towards the base. The upper surfaceis shiny dark green and the lower surface is dull and covered with felt. The veins are conspicuous...
  29. Edible parts -Seeds, Leaves, Vegetable An annual plant growing up to 50 cm high. The plant is sprawling over the ground. It has a taproot. The branches do not havehairs. The flowering shoots are leafy. The flowers are in small clusters. They are greenish. It is a Mediterranean and tropical plant....
  30. Edible parts -Leaves, Fruit, Herb, Spice, Vegetable It is a shrubby perennial plant about 1 m tall. The leaves are smaller than round capsicums or bell peppers. Two or more flowersoccur together in the axils of leaves. They have small pointed fruit about 1-2 cm long and they are red when ripe....
  31. Edible parts - Leaves A vine with tuberous roots.Probably now Cyphostemma adenocarpum A tropical plant. It grows in tropical Africa
  32. Edible parts -Fruit, Flower buds, Leaves A shrubby tree which looses its leaves during the year. It grows to 2-6 m high. The bark is grey and smooth. The young stemsare hairy and orange. The older bark becomes thick and folded. It peels off to expose paler patches. The leaves are oval and...
  33. Edible parts -Fruit, Seeds, Leaves, Vegetable An evergreen tree. It grows up to 15-20 m tall. It can grow to 45 m tall in forests. It has a dense wide spreading round crown.The trunk sometimes has buttresses. Young branches have soft hairs. The bark is dark grey. The bark is smooth in young trees...
  34. Edible parts -Leaves, Seeds, Pods, Fruit, Flowers, Seeds - oil, Bark, Gum, Vegetable A herb. It can grow from seed each year or keep growing from year to year. It grows up to 3.5 m high. It has a few sharpspines. The leaf stalk is 6-20 cm long. The leaf blade has 2 forms. The leaves lower on the...
  35. Edible parts -Fruit, Leaves, Vegetable A shrub which loses some of its leaves during the year. It can be spiny. It grows 4-5 m tall and can be 9 m tall. It has a largerounded crown. There can be one or several trunks. The branches can be flexible or stiff and smooth or hairy. The brancheshave...
  36. Edible parts -Leaves, Fruit, Vegetable A deciduous tree. It can be 8-14 m tall. It has a heavy rounded crown. The trunk is clear. It can be 1 m across. The bark ispale brown or grey white. It has long cracks along it and the ridges are sticky. The base of old trees has scales. The leavesoccur...
  37. Edible parts -Leaves, Bark, Fruit, Vegetable A shrub or small tree. It loses its leaves during the year. It grows 6 m tall. The crown is broad and dense. It has pricklyprocesses on the trunk. The leaves are 6-20 cm long. There are 2-5 leaflets. The leaflet blades are 3-7 cm long by 1-3 cm wide....
  38. Edible parts -Plant, Leaves An erect annual herb. It grows 50 cm tall. The stems are 4 sided and purplish-green. They are hairy. The stems come from ataproot. The leaves are simple and opposite. They are oval or oblong and taper to both ends. They are light green and hairy.The flowers are small...
  39. Edible parts -Seeds, Leaves, Flowers A herb. It grows each year from seed. It is erect and the stems are 1-1.5 m tall. The angles are rough. The leaf stalk is 0.3-2.2cm long. It is rough. The leaf blade is sword shaped and 2.5-7.5 cm long by 1-2.5 cm wide. It is bluish green and hairy. Theflower...
  40. Edible parts -Leaves, Fruit, Vegetable A tree. It grows 10-15 m high. The bark is smooth. The branches are soft. The leaves are compound and divided 2-3 times.The flowers have a sweet scent. They are white and occur in loose flower arrangements. The fruit are long pods. The fruit areyellow when...
  41. Edible parts -Fruit, Seeds, Caution, Leaves A small or medium sized tree. It grows up to 13 m high. The trunk is straight. The bark is smooth and green or yellow, andpowdery. The small branches are stout and smooth and also powdery. They are often twisted and hang downwards. Theleaves are simple...
  42. Edible Portion: Leaves, Flavouring A shrub 2-4 m tall. Often the plant is small due to repeated cutting. It can grow 8 m tall. There are stilt like aerial roots on the stems near the base. It develops suckers and forms clumps. The leaves are arranged in spirals. The leaves are narrow and folded...
  43. Edible parts -Fruit, Roots - spice, Flowers, Leaves A shrub or small tree. It grows up to 1.5-5 m tall. It has green straggly branches. There are many spines 10-40 mm long. Thespines are simple. The leaves are opposite one another. They have short stalks. The leaves are leathery and widest below...
  44. Edible parts -Fruit, Leaves, Seeds, Flowers, Vegetable A pumpkin family plant. It is a creeping vine with tendrils. It is an annual plant. The stems are soft and round in cross section.The leaves are large and hang loose. They are dark green and kidney shaped. The edges of the leaves are entire....
  45. Edible parts -Leaves, Flowers, Bark, Fruit, Nectar, Vegetable, Root A shrub or tree. It is straggling in form and almost a climber. It grows up to 7 m tall. The bark is fibrous. The leaves are 8-17 cmlong by 2.5-8.5 cm wide. The leaves are grey green on top. They are lighter underneath, and...
  46. Edible parts -Leaves, Seeds, Seeds - oil, Vegetable A herb. It may or may not be branched. It grows 75-200 cm tall. The leaves are narrow and alternate or opposite. They are 2-12 cm long by 0.1-4 cm wide. The lower leaves can have irregular teeth. The flowers are dull red. They are a slightly...
  47. Edible portion :Leaves, Leaves - flavouring, Seeds - coffee, Seeds, Vegetable An annual or perennial herb. Often it has a bad smell. It can be a shrub 0.6-2.5 m tall. It has slightly hairy stems. The leaf stalk does not have a gland but the axis of the leaf does. The leaf has leaflets in 3 pairs....
  48. Edible portion: Leaves, Vegetable A shrub. It can grow 2 m tall. It can be a tree up to 7 m tall. It is a small densely shady, rounded tree. The central stem is about 10 cm across. The side branches are 2 cm thick and end abruptly. The cut stem exudes latex. Some varieties have stinging hairs on...
  49. Edible portion : Leaves, Fruit, Flowers, Vegetable A low growing shrub with small red flowers. It continues to grow from year to year. It grows 0.8-2 m tall. It can grow 6 m tall. It tends to grow upright then falls over due to its weight. It branches little. Compound leaves on the sides of the...
  50. Edible:Leaves, Seeds, Fruit, Vegetable A large deciduous tree. It grows 30 m tall. It has a very large pole like trunk. It has only a few, short, stubby branches. It is bare of leaves for most of the year. It develops leaves during times of rain. The leaves have 5 small leaflets which are wavy at...
  51. Edible Portion:Leaves as condiment, Flavouring, Spice A climbing or creeping herb. It can grow 1 m tall. The leaves are fleshy. The young leaves are often purple underneath. They are 3-8 cm long by 2-4 cm wide. The flowers are in greenish-yellow heads 2 cm long. The fruit are 5-6 mm long. A...
  52. Edible:Leaves, Vegetable A low lying grey and hairy herb. It can grow to 1 m tall. The stems are 20 to 80 cm long and sometimes branched. The leaves are alternate and with leaf stalks 1-5 mm long. The ends of the leaves are blunt. The leaves are 1 to 3.5 cm long. The flowers are green and white...
  53. Edible:Leaves A stout shrub. It is woody and grows 1-2 m high. The stems are fairly stout and have few branches. The leaves vary in shape and size. They are 2-11 cm long by 1-6 cm wide. There can be lobes and teeth around the edge. A tropical plant. In Pakistan it grows between 600-1,200 m...
  54. Leafy Greens Edible parts -Leaves, Seeds, Vegetable An annual herb. It is an upright plant. It grows 80 cm to 2 m tall. It is often green but can be dark red. The leaves are simpleand alternate. The leaves are oval shaped and can be 15 cm long. The flowers can be red, yellow or white. They are in...
  55. Edible Portion: Leaves, Vegetable A shrub or small tree. It grows 3-8 m high. The leaves vary in shape. They are oval and taper to the base. They are thick andleathery. Leaves can have a range of colours. They are 10-20 cm long by 4-8 cm wide. Flowers are separately male andfemale. The male...
  56. Edible : Leaves An evergreen vine. The stem is sturdy and climbing. It can be 5-12 m long. The older stems can be 3-4 cm thick. The young shoots can grow for several metres without producing leaves. The leaves are divided and have a silky surface underneath. There are 7-15 leaflets. These are...
  57. Edible:Leaves, Vegetable A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches....
  58. Edible:Leaves, Seeds, Flowers, Leaves - tea, Spice A perennial plant which grows to 1 m tall and spreads to 60 cm wide. The stems are erect. They are finely hairy. The leaves are gradually reduced upward. The leaf stalk is 1.5-3.5 cm long The leaf blade is heart shaped to oblong. It is 4.5-11 cm...
  59. Edible : Fruit, Seeds, Leaves, Stems A scrambling shrub or vine. The stem is strong and woody. It branches freely. It can climb to 20 m high. The plant is erect and shrub like when young. The twigs have soft brown hairs when young. The leaves are opposite and oblong. They have heart shaped bases....
  60. Edible Portion: Stalk, Leaves, Vegetable A lettuce plant with an edible stalk. It is an annual plant. It develops a stem 3-4 cm thick and 30 cm tall. The seed stalk is eatenlike celery or cooked. The leaves are curled. There are several cultivated varieties.
  61. Edible:Leaves, Flowers, Vegetable, Leaves - tea A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at...
  62. Edible:Leaves A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are...
  63. Edible : Fruit, Leaves, Vegetable A small evergreen tree. It grows 4-10 m tall and spreads 2-6 m wide. The branches are thick and somewhat 4 angled. It has large oval leaves which grow opposite each other along a four sided shiny branch. The leaves have a small leaf like appendage at the base of...
  64. Edible:Leaves - tea A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The...
  65. Edible:Leaves A herb which keeps growing each year. It can grow each year from seeds. It can be 20 cm to 2.5 m. The stems are hairy. They are erect and stiff and brittle. They have a woody rootstock and often grows to 1 m tall. There are many branches. The leaves are produced one after the other...
  66. Edible:Rhizome, Root, Tubers, Leaves, Spice A part of the ginger family. The plant continues to grow from year to year. The plant is 30-50 cm high. The roots are like a long orange brown group of fingers. These rhizomes are the size of fingers. They are 6-10 cm long and 1 cm wide. Inside the...
  67. Edible portion:Fruit, Leaves, Roots, Seeds-oil, Stems, Flowers An erect shrub. Seedling trees develop an exposed tuber. From this 3-5 broad leaflets emerge. Then the plant branches and produces longer leaves with many widely spaced leaflets. These leaves fall. The flowers are pink and occur in...
  68. Edible:Roots, Leaves, Flowers, Fruit, Seeds, Seeds - oil, Gum A large tree. It loses its leaves in the dry season. It grows to 20-25 m tall and spreads to 8-15 m wide. The stem is erect. It has buttresses when mature. The trunk and branches are covered with large pyramid shaped spines. The crown...
  69. Edible Portion: Leaves, Tender Stems, Vegetable An annual or perennial climbing herb with thick fleshy leaves. The vine is smooth and juicy and can be 10 m long. It branches freely. The vine and leaves can be red or green. The leaves are fleshy and pointed at the tip. They can be 8-18 cm long and...
  70. Edible parts -Leaves, Seeds, Vegetable An annual plant which can be 2 m high and 45 cm across. The stems are angular and it can have a single stem or be branched. It is often limp in the upper parts. Plants are hairy at first but become smooth. Often they are tinged purple. Leaves are 2-4 cm long...
  71. Edible portion:Leaves, Roots, Tubers, Seeds, Stems, Vegetable A tree. It grows 10 m high. The stem is crooked and it has bushy branches. The bark is smooth and pale grey. The leaf stalks are 7-14 cm long. The leaf blades are 10-28 cm across. They are deeply divided with 3-5 lobes. They are dark...
  72. Edible portions:Leaves, Seeds, Vegetable, Fruit An annual herb. It is upright, branching, and slightly woody. Plants vary in height, shape, leafiness and hairiness. Plants grownfor leaves are usually only 30 cm tall. They also have many branches. Leaves are shiny and have leaf stalks. The leaves...
  73. Edible portions:Fruit, Seeds, Vegetable, Leaves A pumpkin family plant. It is an annual plant. It grows to 0.5 m tall and spreads to 1.5 m wide. The stems are trailing and hairy.The tendrils are curled and do not branch. The leaves have 3 lobes and are heart shaped. The edges of the leaves have...
  74. Edible parts:Fruit, Gum, Leaves A tree. It grows 12-18 m tall. It usually loses its leaves during the year. The branches are spreading. The crown is dense andround. The leaves are simple and nearly opposite. They are dark green above and paler underneath. They are 2.5-10 cm longand 8 cm wide....
  75. Edible parts:Fruit, Seeds - coffee, Leaves A shrub or small tree. It grows up to 9 m tall. It has many sharp thorns. It has spreading and often drooping branches. Thetrunk is often crooked. The leaves are simple and alternate. They are shiny and have 3 veins from the base. The leaves are 2.5-8 cm...