Article 60: "EFO YANRIN"-Wild Lettuce

By S. Olanrewaju Disu

The wild lettuce which locals here call "efo yarin" in vernacular is botanicaly known as "Launaea taraxacifolia, Family Compositae". The leaves of this vegetable plant are eaten fresh as a salad or cooked in soups and sauces. The plant is often grown for cropping the leaves which are sold in markets as cooked or rolled up balls prepared for use. The mineral content of the leaves is known to be relatively high (21.8%)

Traditionally, the plant is burnt to ashes to prepare vegetable. Some cattle farmers in the northern parts of the country feed the leaves to cows-in-milk to increase the yield;and also to sheep and goats-mixed with "natron" to produce multiple births!Natron is a hydrated local sodium carbonate.

Photo: The "Efo Yanrin"-Wild Lettuce

Article 59: "EFINRIN" (The Scent Leaf)

By S.Olanrewaju Disu

The "Efirin" (scent leaf) is an important vegetable sold in large markets in Lagos Area because of its manifold medicinal usages. The "efirin" is a very peculiar plant in the tropics. It is a shrub that grows up to 1-2m in height. Since ancient times, this plant has been connected with the traditional treatment of fever in our clime, hence its acronyms such as "fever plant","fever leaf","mosquito plant" as well as "scent leaf"It is commonly grown around houses as a mosquito repellant.

The botanical name of "efinrin", the scent leaf is "Ocimum grattissimum, Family Labiatae". The many uses to which the plant is subjected to locally are incredible. To mention some of the uses, the leaf serves as a decongestant for head colds, bronchitis and sinusitis. The pulped foilage is belived to have antiseptic properties. The leaf is also chewed traditionally for all tooth and gum disorders.

Some ethnic peoples livings in Lagos State e.g the Ijaws from the south-southern part of Nigeria eat the leaves in sauces and soups with meat and condiments to embrace the taste; while others put the leaves into salads.

Finally, it is good to report that the plant has magical attributes too!In rural tropical West Africa, it is fetish for exorcising spirits and demons. The Yoruba's traditionally use the plant in an "Odu" incantation to imprecatewitches already in a house to departand to fumigate a house as protection against witches entering.

Photos: The "efirin" vegetable on sale at the "Wey Street" Weekly Farmers' Market

Article 58: The "Ebolo" Vegetable

By S.Olanrewaju Disu

In Lagos Area Market, the "ebolo" vegetable is uncommon i.e. it does not appear all year round. The vegetable comes out only after the arrival of the new yam, deep into the rainy season and sells like a "rare" commodity . It is botanically called "Crassocephalum rubens, Family Comopositae".

This vegetable is an erect herb that grows up to one meter in height and is widespread in the tropical lowlands. The whole young plant and the semi succulent leaves are mucilaginous and are a pot-herb eaten in soups and sauces. The leaves are slightly laxative and here in Nigeria the whole plant may be used for the cure of stomach ache. traditionally, the leaf sap is also applied to sore eyes. Among traditional herbalists, the powdered root of the plant is used to prepare a paste for external application to breast cancer patients.

Photo:

(I) A section of "Wey Street" weekly farmers' market where the "Ebolo" vegetable is sold.

(II) The"Ebolo" Vegetable at close range

Article 57: The "Afang" Vegetable

By S.Olanrewaju Disu

This vegetable is very popular among the ethnic peoples of southern and south-eastern Nigeria resident in Lagos Metropolitan Area. The Efik and Ibibio peoples call it 'afang' while the Igbo's call it "okazi". It is botanically known as "Gnetum africanum, Family Gnetaceae"

This vegetable is a rain forest liane of South-Eastern Nigeria. The plant is not cultivated;the leaves are collected as forest products. Wherever it occurs, the "afang" vegetable is valued as a tasty vegetable, usually eaten finely shredded for addition to soup or made up into condiments, or even taken raw.

In Lagos Area market especially the Oyingbo market and markets in and around Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of the State where people from the South -Eastern parts of Nigeria are in the predominance presence. The Afang vegetable is a common article of market trade. This vegetable is eaten as a greatly appreciated pot-herb and is also cooked with the water leaf.

Traditionally, the "Afang" vegetable is taken as a medicine for enlarged spleen, for sore throat and as a purgative medicine.

Photo' The "Afang" vegetable on sale at the Oyingbo Market and being shredded, preparatory to cooking

Article 56: BITTER LEAF

By S.O. Olanrewaju Disu

The bitter leaf soup is a very important vegetable in our daily lives in Lagos State. Though it can be purchased in many of our markets all year round in Lagos area and beyond, the bitter leaf, because of its diverse uses, is found more in our gardens and homesthan in markets generally. Wherever it grows, it flourishes.

Its scientific name is "Vernonia amygdalina, Family Compositae"Its vernacular name is "ewuro"- meaning something bitter. During the rainy season, the "bitter leaf" plant grows so much foilage. There are several species-some large, leafy and deep green leaves, while some have comparatively smaller leaves. The leaves are very bitter. The bitterness is usually removed by boiling before the leaves are cooked as soups or added to soups made with other vegetables or eaten as spinach.

Generally, the Igbo speaking members of the populace use the bitter leaf mostly as a vegetable while the Yoruba 's use it more as medicine.

The leaves are also taken as an appetizer and digestive tonic. Furthermore, they are held to be anti-scorbutic. Bitter leaves are widely used for fevers and leaf decoction is usually taken as laxative among our local people. Traditionally, some women, immediately after childbirth may take a decoction of the leaves to affect their milk so as to act as a prophylactic against worms in the baby. Also traditionally, bitter leaves are rubbed on the brests for weaning infants.

The wood of the bitter leaf plant as well as the twigs are used as traditional chewing sticks and a tooth cleaner for some highly traditional members of the populace in Lagos State.

Because of the diverse usefulness of the bitter leaf, the plant is commonly grown as a hedge or compound fence. At times in homes with gardens and bitter leaf plants, bitter leaf seeds are used as aphrodisiac and the powdered seeds used as worm expeller.

Photo's

(A) The "bitter leaf" plant growing in a garden in Lagos Area

(B) A bunch of bitter leaf vegetables on sale at the "Oyingbo Market"

(C) Bitter leaf Vegetables at close range

Article 55: "UTAZI"

By S.O. Olanrewaju Disu

This vegetable is very popular among the Igbo speaking residents of the state, is a climber from a tuberous root and the leaves serve as a vegetable. Its stems are soft and pliable.

The "Utazi" vegetable is botanically known as "Gongronema latifolium, Family Aselepiadaceae"

The Yoruba speaking populace of the state call it "arokeke". During the rainy season, it is available in abundance and cheaply too.

This vegetable is eaten cooked in soups either by itself or in conjuction with others e.g. "okro" or "ugu"- the fulted pumlin vegetable. Dried stockfish, crayfish and other condiments are normally added to enhance the palatability of soups made from "utazi" vegetables.

Illustrative photos : (A) The "utazi" vegetable on sale at the "Oyingbo" Market

Article 54: "EWEDU" - The Long Fruited Vegetable

By S.O. Olanrewaju Disu

In our Lagos Area Metropolitan markets, the "ewedu"- the long fruited vegetable, is a very popular and useful vegetable. It is available in our markets all year round. It is so important that even during the dry seanson, some farmers engage in dry season farming specially to cultivate "ewedu" vegetables in swampy areas. During the rainy season, on the orher hand, the "ewedu" vegetable is expressly cultivated by battalions of farmers and gardners.

The botanical name of "ewedu" is "Corchorous Olitorius, Family Tiliaceae"It derives its English name, the long-fruited vegetable from the appearance of its fruit. Though the fruit of the vegetable is edible i.e usage against fever locally- it is often kept for seed multiplication and propagation.

The "ewedu" or the "long fruited" vegetable is a semi-woody herb that can grow up to 90cm high and its widepsread in the tropics. The leaves are the valued part of the plant and are much favored as a spinach vegetable, and in soups and sauces. They are mucilaginous, a condition graetly appreciated by the populace. The leaf is rich in protein and is reported to have a high mineral content. Nutritionally, the leaves are recommended to counter malnutrition. The "ewedu" or the long "long fruited" vegetable is very useful indeed!

Photo: (A) Vegetableseller displaying the "ewedu" vegetables at the expansive "Mushin Market"

(B) The "ewedu" the long fruited vegetable at close range.

Article 53: "AMUNUTUTU" OR EUROPEAN HERB, INDIAN SPINACH, OR "MALABAR NIGHT SHADE"

By S. O. Olanrewaju Disu

In Lagos area, the rainy season is more or less our "vegetables" season:annuals, perenials as well as those appearing sub spontaneously. The above named vegetable with a long list of names is an Afro-Asian plant. Locally, it is known as "amunututu" which literally means "a cool appetiser to the stomach" and also 'Toromoganna", which means 'a wall climber".

This vegetable is succulent, scrambling twiner. Historically, it is a polymorphic Afro-Asian plant, but its now dispersed across the tropics by man. It is both an annual and/or short lived perennial. It is scientifically known as "Basella alba, Family Basellaceae"It is easily raised from seed and by cuttings. It is known to tolerate conditions of high humidity but prefers a drier tropical climate.

The species of the above named vegetable that are available in our markets are usually green, but sometimes also dark red and the leaves are eaten as a vegetable. The leaves are said to be high in calcium and iron and to be a good source of vitamins A, B and C. Inmdigenes nick named this vegetable as "seje sooro" meaning "causing blood to yield freely"