Operation Wildflower
  • Home
  • Albums
  • Links
    • Botanical Gardens
    • OWF Sites
    • Public Parks, Gardens and Reserves
    • Reference Sites
    • Private Parks, Gardens and Reserves
  • Information
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Articles
    • Plant Records
      • Aloes
      • Bulbs
      • Climbers
      • Cycads
      • Euphorbias
      • Ferns
      • Grasses
      • Herbs
      • Orchids
      • Parasites
      • Shrubs
      • Succulents
      • Trees
    • Sources of Information
    • Disclaimer
    • Subject Index
Home Home » TYPES » Herbs » Dicoma capensis or karmedik
Back to Category Overview
Total images in all categories: 11,662
Total number of hits on all images: 6,774,760

Dicoma capensis or karmedik

Dicoma capensis or karmedik
Start View full size
[Please activate JavaScript in order to see the slideshow]
Previous Previous
Image 151 of 390  
Next Next
Image 153 of 390  
  • Cyperus obtusiflorus var. obtusiflorus
  • Cyperus obtusiflorus var. obtusiflorus inflorescence
  • Dasispermum suffruticosum
  • Dasispermum suffruticosum
  • Delphinium dasycaulon, a flower of tropical Africa
  • Dianthus bolusii
  • Dianthus bolusii flower
  • Dicliptera clinopodia flower
  • Dicoma capensis or karmedik
  • Dilatris pillansii
  • Dilatris pillansii
  • Dilatris pillansii
  • Dilatris pillansii flowers
  • Dymondia margaretae
  • Dymondia margaretae leaves
  • Dyschoriste setigera
  • Dyschoriste setigera leaves

Image information

Description

Dicoma capensis is a small perennial herb with trailing branches growing from a woody rootstock. The leaves are variable in shape, narrow, oblong to obovate and whitish from their hairy covering. The leaves in picture are grey, folded in along the midrib, the tips rounded.

The flowerheads are thistle-like, purplish in colour on the disc, surrounded by several rows of narrow, hairy, spine-tipped bracts that curve outwards.

The plant is but one of several Dicoma species used extensively in traditional medicine.  It is commonly known as karmedik (Scottish thistle) or in Afrikaans as koorsbos (fever bush) or ver-pis (urinate far). 

The medicinal uses include the concocting of tea-like remedies for various types of fever and bladder conditions. The last common name might imply that one can urinate far if the medicine works (Van Wyk and Gericke, 2000; Manning, 2009; Pienaar, 2008; www.faithdrops.mu).

Hits
1533
Photographer
Judd Kirkel
Author
Ivan Latti
 
Back to Category Overview
Powered by JoomGallery