A widely used medicinal and culinary plant in Tiv culture.
Bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina, now often called Gymnanthemum amygdalinum, family Asteraceae) is a much-branched, evergreen shrub or small tree that can grow up to 10 metres tall, with a trunk up to 40 cm across. It is one of the most popular edible leaves in parts of Africa: it is cultivated as well as gathered from the wild and is commonly sold in local markets, and cultivated forms have been selected that are less bitter than the wild plant.
It is widespread in tropical Africa, from Guinea and Mali south to Angola, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, growing along rivers and lakes, at forest edges and in woodland and grassland up to 2,000 metres. It often springs up on abandoned farmland and in secondary woodland. It grows best in full sun, with 750 to 2,000 mm of rain a year and well-drained soil rich in humus, and is fairly drought tolerant once established. Plants can be cut back and regrow, flowering is triggered by short days, and it is raised from seed, which takes two to three weeks to germinate, or from cuttings of mature wood.
Source: Useful Tropical Plants database (Fern, K.).
Used to treat malaria, diabetes, and stomach ailments. The leaves are also used to cleanse the system.
Used in soups and as a vegetable. The bitter taste is reduced by washing.