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Botanical name |
Euphorbia schinzii |
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Other names |
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Family |
Euphorbiaceae |
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Dimensions |
A very spiny, branched, succulent with numerous erect branches growing to similar height of about 15 cm |
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Description of stem |
Thickened central stem from which the densely stacked branches emanate to form a continually broadening cluster of green spiny stems; each stem curves upward in close proximity to the others, giving a compact, 'hard to handle' appearance, given the profusion of sharp spines; the green stems are four-sided with regular sections seemingly stacked with the broadest part towards the upper end where the spines emanate |
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Description of leaves |
The rudimentary leaves drop off early and are not often seen |
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Description of flowers |
Small bright yellow cyathia occur in threes on short cymes towards the upper end of branches during winter and into spring |
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Description of seed/fruit |
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Description of roots |
The central root is very much thickened in its upper region, giving the plant a fleshy, solid base with limited secondary roots |
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Variation |
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Propagation and cultivation |
Transplants readily |
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Tolerances |
Drought resistant, reasonably cold resistant |
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Uses |
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Ecological rarity |
Common |
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Pests and diseases |
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Other |
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Location |
Rocky outcrops in bushveld |
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Distribution (SA provinces) |
North West; Limpopo; Mpumalanga; Kwazulu-Natal |
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Country |
South Africa; Botswana; Swaziland; Zimbabwe |
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Botanical name |
Dicoma anomala subsp. cirsioides |
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Other names |
Maagwortel or maagbitterwortel (Afrikaans) |
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Family |
Asteraceae |
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Dimensions |
Perennial low-growing herb with several erect stems from a woody rootstock |
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Description of stem |
Several erect stems emanate from the central rootstock; the stems are ribbed; |
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Description of leaves |
Narrowly linear to lanceolate leaves, recurving, approximately 2 cm wide, dark green upper surface, whitish and woolly below |
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Description of flowers |
Flowers cup to cone-shaped, cream to pinkish with a woolly appearance of the disc-florets; the pinkish bracts surrounding each composite flower are prickly, sharp points, not spreading at the tips |
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Description of seed/fruit |
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Description of roots |
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Variation |
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Propagation and cultivation |
Rarely cultivated? |
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Tolerances |
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Uses |
The root is widely used medicinally; decoctions are used to treat various stomach and chest complaints, as well venereal diseases; it also serve in the treatment of toothache, ringworm and fever conditions; the stems have been used by bushmen in bowmaking for hunting and as firewood |
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Ecological rarity |
Common |
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Pests and diseases |
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Other |
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Location |
Stony, open grassland, also in harshly exposed conditions |
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Distribution (SA provinces) |
North West; Gauteng; Limpopo; Mpumalanga; Free State; Kwazulu-Natal |
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Country |
South Africa; Botswana; Mozambique; Zimbabwe; Zambia and further north in Sub-Sahara Africa |