Zygotritonia bongensis is a perennial herb of the Iridaceae family. It is locally known as baka among the Yoruba people of Western Nigeria and it used by their traditional healers to treat diarrhea and dysentery.[1] It is also considered a famine food as corms can be eaten during famine.[2] Other names of the herb include Zygotritonia crocea (stapf).
| Zygotritonia bongensis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Iridaceae |
| Genus: | Zygotritonia |
| Species: | Z. bongensis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Zygotritonia bongensis (Pax) Mildbr.
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Zygotritonia crocea Stapf | |
Morphology
editZygotritonia bongensis ranges from 18 - 65 cm tall. A perennial herb, it has underground stems like corms, 15-25 mm in diameter. One to three leaves, lanceolate, plicate with three to six major veins, the largest, usually the lowermost is between 15 - 40 mm wide, the uppermost is longest, ranges 5 - 12 cm long.[3]
Distribution
editNative to West Tropical Africa, found in Nigeria, Ghana, Chad, Central African Republic, Benin and the Democratic Republic of Congo.[3]
References
edit- ^ Abo, K. A.; Ogunleye, V. O.; Ashidi, J. S. (1999). "Antimicrobial potential of Spondias mombin, Croton zambesicus and Zygotritonia crocea". Phytotherapy Research. 13 (6): 494–497. doi:10.1002/(sici)1099-1573(199909)13:6<494::aid-ptr490>3.0.co;2-9. PMID 10479760. S2CID 31969388.
- ^ Adeniyi, T.; Ajayi, G.; Akinsanya, M.; Jaiyeola, T. M. (4 January 2010). "Biochemical changes induced in rats by aqueous and ethanolic corm extracts of Zygotritonia croceae". Scientific Research and Essay. 5 (1): 71–76. S2CID 56300910.
- ^ a b Goldblatt, P. (1989). "Revision of the tropical African genus Zygotritonia (Iridaceae)". Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Section B. 11 (2): 199–212. Retrieved 2021-06-22.