Guizotia abyssinica
(L.f.)Cass.
Asteraceae
The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.
Common Name: Niger Seed
Flowering plant
Photograph by: Jebicca Karki
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Flowering plant
Photograph by: Jebicca Karki
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Bowl of seed
Photograph by: Daderot
Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication
General Information
Guizotia abyssinica is an annual plant that can grow up to 1.80 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
17- Title
- Flora of the British Isles.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Clapham, Tutin and Warburg.
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Year
- 1962
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
,
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Range
Africa - Tropics. An infrequent casual in Britain.
Habitat
Casual on tips and waste ground near oil mills, and as a bird-seed alien, in Britain.
Properties
Edibility Rating |    |
Medicinal Rating |  |
Habit | Annual |
Height | 1.80 m |
Pollinators | Insects |
Self-fertile | No |
Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
An easily grown plant, it succeeds in any rich soil[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
]. The plant is adapted to a wide range of soils, from sandy to heavy, growth being poor on light sandy or gravelly soils[
269- Title
- Handbook of Energy Crops
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J.
- Publisher
- -
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of both temperate and tropical plants.
]. Niger is often cultivated on very poor acid soils, on hilly slopes, where fertility is low due to leaching and washing away of the plant nutrients by erosion[
269- Title
- Handbook of Energy Crops
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J.
- Publisher
- -
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of both temperate and tropical plants.
]. Niger seed is reported to tolerate an annual precipitation of 66 to 179cm, an annual temperature range of 13.6 to 27.5°C and a pH in the range of 5.5 to 7.5[
269- Title
- Handbook of Energy Crops
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J.
- Publisher
- -
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of both temperate and tropical plants.
].
Niger is often cultivated, especially in Africa, as an oil seed crop[
2- Title
- Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hedrick. U. P.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- 0-486-20459-6
- Description
- Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
,
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
51- Title
- Flowers of the Himalayas.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Polunin. O. and Stainton. A.
- Publisher
- Oxford Universtiy Press
- Year
- 1984
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A very readable and good pocket guide (if you have a very large pocket!) to many of the wild plants in the Himalayas. Gives many examples of plant uses.
,
269- Title
- Handbook of Energy Crops
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J.
- Publisher
- -
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of both temperate and tropical plants.
], it has also been cultivated in Germany[
61- Title
- A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Usher. G.
- Publisher
- Constable
- Year
- 1974
- ISBN
- 0094579202
- Description
- Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
].
The flowers are very attractive to bees[
269- Title
- Handbook of Energy Crops
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J.
- Publisher
- -
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of both temperate and tropical plants.
].
Several factors lend credence to fears that niger might become a pest if introduced into warm temperate areas - grazing animals do not relish it, the plant tolerates poor soil and drought, it has few serious pests or diseases especially outside its native range, the seeds store for a year or more without deterioration, and the seeds mature 3 - 4.5 months after planting[
269- Title
- Handbook of Energy Crops
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J.
- Publisher
- -
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of both temperate and tropical plants.
]. Arguing against its weed potential are the facts that it is a short day plant and therefore does not flower or set seed until daylight hours average 13 hours or less, it is self-sterile, and requires bees for pollination[
269- Title
- Handbook of Energy Crops
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J.
- Publisher
- -
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of both temperate and tropical plants.
].
Edible Uses
The seed is eaten fried, used as a condiment or dried then ground into a powder and mixed with flour etc to make sweet cakes[
22- Title
- Alternative Foods.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Sholto-Douglas. J.
- Publisher
-
- Year
-
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Not very comprehensive, it seems more or less like a copy of earlier writings with little added.
,
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
177- Title
- Plants for Human Consumption.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Kunkel. G.
- Publisher
- Koeltz Scientific Books
- Year
- 1984
- ISBN
- 3874292169
- Description
- An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
,
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
]. Average seed yields in India range from 100 - 200 kg/ha when grown with ragi, and 300 - 400 kg/ha when grown in pure stands[
269- Title
- Handbook of Energy Crops
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J.
- Publisher
- -
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of both temperate and tropical plants.
]. In Kenya, monocultural yields average 600 kg/ha[
269- Title
- Handbook of Energy Crops
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J.
- Publisher
- -
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of both temperate and tropical plants.
]. Seed yields of 1,000 to 1,200 kg/ha have been obtained on fertile Himalayan soils[
269- Title
- Handbook of Energy Crops
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J.
- Publisher
- -
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of both temperate and tropical plants.
]. Oil yields range about 235 kg/ha[
269- Title
- Handbook of Energy Crops
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J.
- Publisher
- -
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of both temperate and tropical plants.
].
The seeds yield about 30% of a clear, excellent, slow-drying edible oil[
269- Title
- Handbook of Energy Crops
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J.
- Publisher
- -
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of both temperate and tropical plants.
]. It is used as a substitute for olive oil, can be mixed with linseed oil, and is used as an adulterant for rape oil, sesame oil etc[
269- Title
- Handbook of Energy Crops
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J.
- Publisher
- -
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of both temperate and tropical plants.
]. The oil is used in cooking as a ghee substitute and can be used in salad dressings etc[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
,
269- Title
- Handbook of Energy Crops
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J.
- Publisher
- -
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of both temperate and tropical plants.
]. A pleasant nutty taste[
142- Title
- Plants Consumed by Man.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Brouk. B.
- Publisher
- Academic Press
- Year
- 1975
- ISBN
- 0-12-136450-x
- Description
- Readable but not very comprehensive.
].
Medicinal
The oil from the seeds is used in the treatment of rheumatism[
240- Title
- Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
- Publisher
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
,
243- Title
- Medicinal Plants of Nepal
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Publisher
- Dept. of Medicinal Plants. Nepal.
- Year
- 1993
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Terse details of the medicinal properties of Nepalese plants, including cultivated species and a few imported herbs.
,
269- Title
- Handbook of Energy Crops
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J.
- Publisher
- -
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of both temperate and tropical plants.
]. It is also applied to treat burns[
272- Title
- Plants and People of Nepal
- Publication
-
- Author
- Manandhar. N. P.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 0-88192-527-6
- Description
- Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.
].
A paste of the seeds is applied as a poultice in the treatment of scabies[
272- Title
- Plants and People of Nepal
- Publication
-
- Author
- Manandhar. N. P.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 0-88192-527-6
- Description
- Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.
].
Other Uses
A drying oil is obtained from the seed[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
,
2- Title
- Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hedrick. U. P.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- 0-486-20459-6
- Description
- Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
,
17- Title
- Flora of the British Isles.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Clapham, Tutin and Warburg.
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Year
- 1962
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
,
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
171- Title
- Economic Botany.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hill. A. F.
- Publisher
- The Maple Press
- Year
- 1952
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some detail about the plants it does cover.
]. It is used for burning, in making soap, paints etc[
57- Title
- Plants for Man.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Schery. R. W.
- Publisher
-
- Year
-
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Fairly readable but not very comprehensive. Deals with plants from around the world.
,
132- Title
- Fruits of the Earth.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bianchini. F., Corbetta. F. and Pistoia. M.
- Publisher
-
- Year
-
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lovely pictures, a very readable book.
,
269- Title
- Handbook of Energy Crops
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J.
- Publisher
- -
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of both temperate and tropical plants.
].
The plant can be used as a green manure[
61- Title
- A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Usher. G.
- Publisher
- Constable
- Year
- 1974
- ISBN
- 0094579202
- Description
- Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
]. It is usually dug in when the plants are about to come into flower[
269- Title
- Handbook of Energy Crops
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J.
- Publisher
- -
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of both temperate and tropical plants.
].
Propagation
Seed - sow spring in situ and only just cover the seed. Make sure the soil does not dry out because this would delay germination. In warm weather, germination should take place within 3 - 4 days of sowing the seed. When sowing larger areas, the seed may be broadcast at rate of 10 kg/ha or sown in rows 40 to 50 cm apart at rate of 5 kg/ha[
269- Title
- Handbook of Energy Crops
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J.
- Publisher
- -
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of both temperate and tropical plants.
].
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