Appendix I

Lost Crops of Africa Series

This is the first in a series of books highlighting the promise to be found in food plants native to Africa. The second and third volumes in the series are now being prepared for publication, and the fourth, fifth, and sixth are in the planning stage. Following are lists of the plants now being considered.

Volume 2: Cultivated Fruits

Balanites (Desert Date) Balanites aegyptiaca
Baobab Adansonia digitata
Butterfruit (Africado) Dacryodes edulis
Carissa Carissa spp., esp. C. macrocarpa
Horned Melon Cucumis metuliferus
Kei Apple Dovyalis caffra
Marula Sclerocarya caffra
Melon Cucumis melo
Tamarind Tamarindus indica
Watermelon Citrullus lanatus
Ziziphus Ziziphus mauritiana

Volume 3: Wild Fruits

African Medlars Vangueria madagascariensis
Aizen Boscia spp.
Chocolate Berries Vitex spp.
Custard Apples Annona senegalensis
Figs Ficus spp.
Gemsbok Cucumber Acanthosicyos naudinianus
Gingerbread Plums Parinari spp.
Grapes Vitis spp.
Icacina (False Yam) Icacina oliviformis
Imbe (African Mangosteen) Garcinia livingstonei
Milkwoods Mimusops spp.
Monkey Apple Anisophyllea laurina
Monkey Orange Strychnos spp.
Nara Acanthosicyos horrida
Raisin Trees Grewia spp.
Rubber Fruits Landolphia spp.
Sour Plum Ximenia spp.
Star Apples Chrysophyllum spp.
Sugar Plums Uapaca spp.
Sweet Detar Detarium senegalense
Tree Grapes Lannea spp.
Tree Strawberry Nauclea spp.
Velvet Tamarind Dialium guineense
Water Berry Syzygium guineense
Wild Plum Pappea capensis

Volume 4: Vegetables

African Eggplant Solanum macrocarpon
Amaranths Amaranthus spp.
Bitterleaf Vernonia amygdalina
Bitter Melon Momordica spp.
Baobab Adansonia digitata
Bologi Crassocephalum biafrae
Bungu Ceratotheca sesamoides
Bur Gherkin Cucumis spp.
Celosia Celosia spp.
Cleome Cleome gynandra
Crotalaria Crotalaria spp.
Dayflowers Commelina spp.
Edible Flowers Various species
Edible Mushrooms Various species
Edible Trees Various species
Egusi-ito Cucumeropsis mannii
Enset Ensete ventricosum
Ethiopian Mustard Brassica carinata
Fluted Pumpkin Telfairia occidentalis
Garden Cress Lepidium spp.
Gherkins Cucumis spp.
Horned Melon (Kiwano) Cucumis metuliferus
Jilo Solanum gilo
Mock Tomato Solanum aethiopicum
Okra Abelmoschus esculentus
Ogunmo Solanum melanocerasum
Oyster Nut Telfairia pedata
Spirulina Spirulina spp.
Water Leaf Talinum spp.

Volume 5: Legumes

Bambara Groundnut Vigna subterranea
Cowpea Vigna unguiculata
Grass Pea Lathyrus spp.
Guar Cyamopsis tetragonoloba
Groundbean Macrotyloma geocarpa
Lablab Lablab purpureus
Locust Beans Parkia spp.
Marama Bean Bauhinia esculenta
Pigeon Pea Cajanus cajan
Sword Bean Canavalia spp.
Velvet Tamarind Dialium spp.

Volume 6: Roots and Tubers

African Yam Bean Sphenostylis spp.
Anchote Coccinia spp.
Guinea Yam Dioscorea x cayenensis
Potato Yam Dioscorea esculenta
Other Yams Dioscorea spp.
Hausa Potato Solenostemon rotundifolius
Sudan Potato Solenostemon parviflorus
Livingstone Potato Plectranthus esculentus
Wing bean Roots Psophocarpus spp.
Tiger Nut (Chufa) Cyperus esculentus
Vigna Roots Vigna spp., especially V. vexillata

We hope that this set of reports will alert everyone to the wealth of foods that are Africa's own heritage. We also hope to continue the series with volumes on nuts, oilseeds, spices, beverage plants' and others. Collectively, the resulting wealth of knowledge and guidance might well lead to a "second front" in the war on hunger in what is now the most hunger-ravaged part of the world.

We would very much like to hear from readers who would like to contribute to these future volumes. Send your name and the crop in which you're interested to:

Noel D. Vietmeyer, FO 2060
National Academy of Sciences
2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D C 20418, USA
Fax: (202)334-2660
Email: nvietmey@nas.edu

Above all, we'd like to appeal for photographs. Locating pictures for this book on grains has been a monumental headache; finding interesting shots for the future volumes will likely be even harder.