Sesamum radiatum

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Sesamum radiatum, commonly known as benniseed, black benniseed, black sesame, or vegetable sesame, is a flowering plant in the sesame family (Pedaliaceae). It is related to, but distinct from, the more familiar Sesamum indicum.

Origin and name
- Native to West and Central Africa; has been cultivated in Africa for ancient times and is sometimes naturalized in tropical Asia.
- The name benniseed comes from a blend of benne and seed; benne derives from the Gullah word for sesame.

Uses
- Seeds: eaten whole, ground into powder, or pressed for high-quality oil.
- Leaves: eaten fresh or cooked as a leafy vegetable; they become mucilaginous when cooked.
- Shoots: used in soups and porridge.
- Traditional uses: leaves are used as a laxative, as an antidote to scorpion venom, and to ease childbirth; stem and bark are noted for antibacterial properties.

Plant description
- An annual herb growing up to about 1.2–1.5 meters tall.
- Leaves are opposite or clustered toward the top, lance-shaped to oval, up to 12 cm long; edges may be smooth or serrated.
- Flowers are pink to purple (sometimes white), bell-shaped, and up to 5 cm long; they occur singly in the leaf axils.
- The fruit is a capsule up to 3.5 cm long containing seeds roughly 3 mm in length.

Habitat and cultivation
- Grows in savannas and similar habitats; can be a weed in fields and around homesteads.
- Tolerant of poor, rocky soils and drought.
- When cultivated, yields about 5–6 metric tons of leaves per hectare.

Pests and diseases
- Susceptible to the leaf spot disease Cercospora sesami.
- Pests include hawk moths (Sphingidae), the moth Antigastra catalaunalis, and the vegetable bug Nezara viridula.

Note
- Sesamum radiatum is different from Sesamum indicum, which may also have black seeds but is a separate species.