Cordeauxia edulis

Cordeauxia edulis
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Genus:	Cordeauxia Hemsley
Species:	C. edulis
Binomial name
Cordeauxia edulis Hemsley

Cordeauxia edulis, also known as the ye'eb (yicib in Somali), yeheb or jeheb nut is a species of tree from the monotypic genus Cordeauxia. The tree is native to the Horn of Africa where it is found in semi-desert bushland in Somalia and Ethiopia. It is also grown as a cultivated species in Kenya and Sudan for food and the extraction of a purple-coloured dye. The native populations of the species are threatened with extinction due to animal grazing and the use of the nutritious seed as a food source, which prevents the development of new trees.

The seed is rich in protein and lipids, and is a particularly good source of the amino acids lysine and arginine. Viability of the seed is said to be limited to 4 months.

References

• World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1998). Cordeauxia edulis. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 08 May 2006. Listed as Vulnerable (VU A2cd v2.3)
• El-Zeany BA and Gutale SF. 1982. The nutritional value of Yeheb-nut (Cordeauxia edulis Hemsl.). Nahrung 26:797-802 PMID 7155187

External links

• "Wild Food" Plans with "Famine Foods" Components: Cordeauxia edulis (Famine Food Guide website)