White Paintbrush (Haemanthus albiflos)

Family Amaryllidaceae

It is a very variable plant. The oblong leaves vary in colour from pale to dark green or greyish-green and are usually smooth and sometimes shiny. They may occasionally be covered with short, soft hairs, or have yellowish spots on the upper surface. Unlike most other Haemanthus species, which prefer full sun, H. albiflos almost always occurs in shady habitat in forest and bushveld vegetation. The upper half of the bulb is usually exposed above ground and is bright green.

This plant is reported to be used in traditional medicine to treat chronic coughs and as a charm to ward off lightning.

Haemanthus albiflos grows up to about 250 mm high when in flower, and it has a wide, mainly coastal distribution stretching from the southern Cape through many parts of the Eastern Cape, right up to the northern parts of KwaZulu-Natal.

H. albiflos has a long flowering period extending from early April to as late as July (autumn and winter) in the wild, but sporadic blooms may also appear at any time of the year under cultivation. The flower head (known as an umbel in botanical terms) is compact, usually about 30-50 mm wide, and consists of numerous erect, narrow white flowers, enclosed by several broad, greenish-white bracts. The erect stamens protrude conspicuously beyond the tips of the flowers and their anthers turn bright yellow or orange when ripe. Bees and butterflies visit the flowers and are probably the pollinators, but this has not been confirmed. The ripe fruit is a most attractive bright orange or red fleshy berry producing a distinctive musty odour.

http://www.plantzafrica.com/

Commicarpus plumbagineus

Family Nyctaginaceae

(This has no common name)

Commicarpus plumbagineus is widespread from southern Spain throughout Africa to South Africa and Madagascar, extending in the east to Palestine, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

 Botany

Scrambling herb with long branched stems, up to several metres, growing from a woody root-stock. Stems may be woody near the base. The leaves are ovate, slightly fleshy, more or less pubescent on both surfaces; inflorescences in irregular umbels of white trumpet-shaped flowers with long exserted stamens; fruits up to 1.3 cm with wart-like sticky glands scattered along the sides and concentrated around the apex.

Ecology
Commicarpus plumbagineus occurs in forest and grassland, often along water courses on a variety of soils up to 1800 m altitude.

Genetic resources and breeding

Commicarpus plumbagineus is widespread and hence not threatened with genetic erosion.

Prospects

In view of the many medicinal uses and the complete lack of chemical and pharmacological data, research into the properties of Commicarpus plumbagineus may prove worthwhile.

 Uses

The roots and leaves of Commicarpus plumbagineus are expectorant and in large doses emetic, and are widely used to treat asthma. In West Africa the leaves are boiled and made into poultices for application to ulcers and Guinea worm sores. In Ghana the crushed roots are applied to treat yaws, whereas in Nigeria a poultice from the roots is used by Hausa people to treat leprosy. In Ethiopia a decoction of the leaves is taken to treat jaundice. A leaf decoction and the ash of burned stems are applied to wounds. In Ethiopia and Kenya ground leaves are applied to burns. In Kenya crushed leaves are rubbed on swollen glands. In Madagascar a decoction of the whole plant is used as laxative. In Ethiopia Commicarpus plumbagineus is used in veterinary medicine to treat skin diseases of cattle. In Kenya an infusion of the whole plant is used as an insecticide, e.g. against lice in humans and against other insects on camels. In DR Congo a decoction of the leaves is given as a laxative to cattle.

In northern Nigeria Commicarpus plumbagineus is sometimes grazed by livestock. In Kenya the plant is used as forage for all livestock, but is said to make the milk taste bitter.

In Namibia a root decoction of Commicarpus pentandrus (Burch.) Heimerl mixed with Thesium lineatum L.f. is taken orally to treat gonorrhoea. Also in Namibia, a hot water extract of leaves and roots of Commicarpus fallacissimus (Heimerl) Pohnert is taken orally or as an enema to treat pain moving from the back to the legs.

Info:
http://database.prota.org/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?ac=qbe_query&bu=http://database.prota.org/search.htm&tn=protab~1&qb0=and&qf0=Species+Code&qi0=Commicarpus+plumbagineus&rf=Webdisplay

Buckweed (Isoglossa woodii)

Family Acanthaceae

 Isoglossa woodii is commonly known as Buckweed. It is a monocarpic shrub of the family Acanthaceae, growing up to 4m tall. It grows in colonies in coastal forest areas of KwaZulu-Natal and marginally into the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.

 The stem is often multi-branched and sparsely hairy, with lower stems becoming woody. The leaves are between 75mm and 120 mm long, are soft and often droop during dry conditions. The leaves have a velvety texture due to fine, dense hairs on the surface. These plants have a life cycle of about 7 to 10 years, after which they flower en masse and then die off. The flowers are produced in inflorescences and individual flowers are whitish in colour and about 8mm in length.

These plants form dense colonies in the understory of forests where they provide food and shelter to many animals. Blue Duiker and Bushbuck feed on the leaves and shoots. The flowers attract many species of insects, and honey is said to be plentiful in years when these plants flower. Buckweed is excluded from areas of forest with dense tree cover and in turn plays a role in limiting forest regeneration as the tree seedling community beneath Isoglossa woodii shows reduced density and species richness from areas where I. woodii is absent. Butterfly larvae of Protogoniomorpha parhassus and Celaenorrhinus mokeezi are known to feed on the leaves of Isoglossa.

Info: http://www.plantzafrica.com/

Lemon Bush (Lippia javanica)

Family Verbenaceae

For the avid herb gardener with an interest in medicinal plants Lippia javanica with its dense creamy white, flower heads and aromatic leaves is a perfect candidate.

 Description

This 1 to 2m high woody shrub stands erect and is multi-stemmed. The stems have a square appearance when looked at in cross-section. The leaves are hairy with noticeable veins and when crushed gives off a strong lemon-like smell. It is said to be one of the most aromatic of South Africa's indigenous shrubs. The small cream flowers can be found on the shrub from summer to autumn in some areas and in others are produced all year. These flowers are arranged in dense, rounded flower heads. The fruit are rather inconspicuous, small and dry.

 Distribution

These plants are widespread throughout large parts of South Africa, with the exception of the Western Cape. L.javanica grows from the Eastern Cape northwards extending into tropical Africa including Botswana, Swaziland, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, Tanzania, and Kenya.

It grows in open veld, in the bush, as well as on forest margins.

 Derivation of name and historical aspects

The family Verbenaceae is a family of herbs and shrubs or small trees often with aromatic leaves. There are 36 genera and approximately 1035 species in tropical and subtropical regions, with just a few representatives in temperate areas. There are 8 genera and approximately 40 species in Southern Africa. There are 6 indigenous species of Lippia in South Africa.

Lippia was named after Augustin Lippi 1678- 1701, an Italian traveller and natural historian who was killed in Abysinnia. This plant also occurs in Java, hence the epiphet "javanica".

 Ecology

It is possible that its aromatic leaves protect this plant as animals do not usually browse it, except in exceptional circumstances.

Uses and cultural aspects

This plant is well known medicinally to many African tribes and to many avid herbalists and herb gardeners.

Different parts (the leaves, twigs and occasionally the roots) of the plant are used for different reasons. The Xhosa people are known to drink at as a weak infusion as a tea substitute and in a stronger infusion for the treatment of coughs, colds and bronchial problems in general. They use the leaves and stem and drink it with milk or water. In addition the Xhosa people also use Lippia javanica for the disinfection of meat that has been infected with anthrax.

This herb is also said to be affective against fever, especially in cases of malaria, influenza, measles, and as a prophylactic against lung infections. In these cases Lippia javanica is often mixed with another herb Artemisia afra.

The smoke from the herb has proven to be affective, if inhaled, against asthma, chronic coughs and pleurisy. The leaves and stems are burned.

Skin disorders, such as heat rash and other rashes, as well as scratches, stings and bites can also be treated. Here the tea is usually cooled and then applied like a lotion. Even lice and scabies can be treated with it.

Apart from its medicinal uses Lippia javanica is also used ritually in a cleansing ceremony when someone has been in contact with a corpse and apparently for protection against dogs, crocodiles and lightning. The Masai make a red ointment from it, which is used to decorate their bodies.

For those gardeners who are pot-pourri lovers and are looking for a good cupboard freshener then Lemon bush is the perfect addition to your bouquet. Some people even use it to make perfume.

There may be a commercial purpose for a volatile oil that is produced by Lippia javanica. Apparently it repels and controls Bark Beetles from the genus Ips who can become a plant pest.

Info: http://www.plantzafrica.com/

Moonflower (Ipomoea alba)

Family Convolvulaceae

This a creeper which is not indigenous to South Africa and comes from South America.

It has the largest flowers (8-14cm diameter), being almost four times the size of other Morning Glories.

The name comes from the fact that it only opens at night and closes with the first rays of sunlight.

The ancient Mesoamerican civilizations used the Ipomoea alba morning glory to convert the latex from the Castilla elastica tree and the guayule plant to produce bouncing rubber balls.

The sulfur in this morning glory served to vulcanize the rubber, a process predating Charles Goodyear's discovery by at least 3,000 years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipomoea_alba

Matumi (Breonadia salicina)

Family Rubiaceae

The species grows from 9-27 m tall with a trunk diameter of up to 15 m.

The leaves are very attractive, being evergreen, pointed and glossy. They are usually borne in whorls of four. The leaf veins are prominent, branching from the main vein at about 90º. Small, pointed stipules can be seen between the leaf bases.


The flowers are small, white-pale mauve (later turning brown) and scented. They are borne in panicles about 20 mm in diameter and are carried on long stalks with conspicuous bracts.


The fruits are small and split open along seams, distributing many tiny, winged seeds.

 Name derivation: “salicina” means with willow like leaves (from the genus name Salix = willow), unfortunately the meaning of the genus name seems obscure.
Cultivation: It is grown from seed (which does not always germinate well) and is fast-growing, up to 1 metre a year in the right conditions. It makes a superb specimen in gardens that experience no frost, it must be noted however that this tree will not withstand dry conditions, but will also not grow in permanently waterlogged conditions.

 Ecology and uses: The seeds form part of the diet of the rameron pigeon (Columba arquatrix). The species has hard, durable, heavy and oily wood that is termite-resistant and has been used for dugout canoes, building kraals and for flooring and furniture.

Info: http://web.up.ac.za/default.asp?ipkCategoryID=19369&language=0

Wild Daisy (Callilepis leptophylla)

Family Asteraceae

Not endemic to South Africa

Distribution: Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga. Widespread in eastern half of South Africa. Also in Swaziland.

Prefers grassland and savanna.

A widespread species that is declining as a result of overexploitation for the medicinal plant trade. The extent of the decline is currently unknown.


Reported to be used by the Manyika as a remedy for cough, fever, "bad blood" and as a tonic.

http://redlist.sanbi.org/species.php?species=2999-6