An Inventory of Wild Seed Oil Plants of Botswana: An Untapped Economic Resource

Botswana host a rich diversity of many edible wild plants. Many of this rich floral diversity have served as mainstay sources of nutrition and medicines for many years. The majority of these forest resources serve as sources of vitamins and important micronutrients. Some local trees have gained immense popularity as sources of both nutritious and medicinal oils. Quite recently, there has been intense interest in the harvesting of wild seeds for extraction of their vital oils. In Botswana the following seed plants are harvested by the local communities as important sources of edible and medicinally active oils: Tylosema esculentum; Sterculia africana; Hyphaene petersiana; Ximenia americana; Sclerocarya birrea and Croton gratissimus. The seeds of these plants represent some of the commodities sold by street vendors and local shops in Botswana. The potential economic value represents an important area of economic diversification and social upliftment in Botswana.

Keywords: Seed oil plants, economic value, Botswna