INFORMATIVE

English Name :          Fluted Pumpkin Leaves Local Name:                Ugu (Igbo) Botanical Name:      Telfairia Occidentalis This tropical vine known as Telfairia occidentalis  is well grown in West Africa as a leaf vegetable and also for its edible seed. It belongs to a member of the Curcurbitaceae  family and is indigenous to southern Nigeria. Ugu is mostly cultivated in Nigeria by the south eastern Nigeria, and widely distributed among the Igbo speaking people, particularly Abia state. It is mainly used    It is mainly used in soups and herbal medicines. The seed produced by the gourd are high in protein and fat, and can therefore contribute to a well-balanced diet.  It is widely cultivated in the West and Central Africa (Benin Republic, Cameroon, Nigeria, Sierra Leone to Angola, and up to Uganda in east Africa). It is called ‘ugu’ by the Igbos, ‘ugw...