DESCRIPTIONOmbudje plants are usually found as small shrubs outside the cultivated fields and reach a height of 2 metres. The long and compound leaves are folded in dry weather and the bush gives the impression of being just a bundle of stems. The flowers are yellow with brown or reddish spots. Ombudje flowers from late in the rainy season and long into the dry season.The seeds are quite large and develop inside long slim pods that are easy to pick and dry. When the pods are dry they split lengthwise and shatter the seeds. USEOnly the yellow flowers are picked and used for spinach. The flowers are popular because of their distinct 'sweet' taste. If there are enough flowers, farmers prefer to prepare evanda with only this Ombudje flowers. It may, however, also be used in mixture with other species in order to improve their taste.POTENTIAL FOR CULTIVATIONOmbudje is not promising for cultivation solely as a spinach species. It requires too much work to pick a substantial amount of the small yellow flowers. This species may be more interesting as a multi-purpose crop, combined with its soil improving qualities and as a reserve fodder for livestock during the dry season.SIMILAR SPECIESThere are no similar species, but note that a similar words such as "ombundje" or "Ombundjeombundje" are used for the wild sesamum. Some people therefore say that ombudje is not edible. They confuse the words, not the species
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