Serendipity Berry, Guinea potato

Dioscoreophyllum cumminsii

Physical Characteristics

Dioscoreophyllum cumminsii is an evergreen Climber growing to 1.8 m (6ft) by 0.2 m (0ft 8in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) or semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers moist soil.

Distribution

Western, central and northeastern tropical Africa.

Habitats

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit Root Edible Uses: Sweetener Fruit - raw. The intensely sweet, mucilaginous pulp of the fruit is considered to be the sweetest known naturally occurring substance - it is up to 3,000 times sweeter than sucrose[ 301 ]. It has been recommended as a non-carbohydrate sugar substitute[ 301 ]. The fruit can keep for several weeks at room temperature[ 301 ]. Roots. Small and yam-like[ 301 ].

Medicinal Uses

The fruit contains monellin, an intensely sweet protein with potential use as a sugar replacement for diabetics. For humans, monellin is 100,000 times sweeter than sucrose on a molar basis and around 3,000 times on a weight basis.

Known Hazards

None known