Food insecurity is a chronic problem in Africa and is likely to worsen with climate change and population growth. It is largely due to poor yields of the cereal crops caused by factors including stemborer pests, striga weeds and degraded soils. A platform technology, 'push-pull', based on locally available companion plants, effectively addresses these constraints resulting in substantial grain ...

Extracts of Desmodium adscendens (Sw) DC are used for the treatment of various diseases but limited toxicological evaluations have been done on the medicinal plant. This study investigates toxicity effects of the leave extract of D adscendens, and the possibility of drug-drug interaction of the plant extract when co-administered with other drugs. Oral administrations of leaf extract of D adscen...

a day, or every four hours, as the case demands, in doses varying from 30 to 40 grains each time, in adults. It does not produce nausea or any unpleasant sensation on the system. Under its use the motions become feculent, blood and slime disappear, tormina and tenesmus subside, and the patient is gradually restored to health. It is perfectly innocuous, and can be safely given at all ages. In po...

Seed extracts of Desmodium canadense (L.) DC., a native Canadian legume, were examined by HPLC and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC/MS) for the presence of triterpenoid saponins of the oleanene type. An aqueous methanol extract, fractionated by use of a DiaionTM HP-20 macroporous resin, was found to possess soyasaponin III (soyasaponin Bb ́) and the 2,3-dihydro-2,5-dihydroxy-6-methy...

Dioecious plants (with separate male and female individuals) more often have drab, inconspicuous flowers than related bisexual plants. Models indicate, however, that similar conditions favour the evolution of showy floral displays in dioecious and bisexual plants. One difference, however, is that dioecious plants may evolve floral displays that are sexually dimorphic. We show that males are mor...