Traditional African vegetables: species selection, origin, use, and cultivation

This database provides a extensive list of 422 reported traditional African vegetables. We selected any vegetable mentioned in at least two of five species lists for more detailed study at regional scale, resulting in a final list of 126 species. A literature review was carried out for all the 126 vegetable crops identified exercise to summarize reported geographic areas of domestication and/or species origin, food uses and cultivation status (Supporting information or originated from Africa were classed as indigenous vegetables. Species introduced from other countries were classed naturalized vegetables. We assume domestication or species origin harbor high levels of genetic resources and traditional knowledge.