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forager’s tips

edible plants - Carpobrotus edulis

Carpobrotus edulis, Sour fig, is a ground-creeping plant
with succulent leaves native to South Africa. Fruit is fleshy and
edible, becoming yellow and fragrant when ripe. The fruits can be
eaten fresh and have a salty, sour taste. The sour fig is frequently
cultivated as a groundcover and embankment stabilizer. It also is
a superb water-wise plant. It has multiple medicinal uses, the leaf
juice is a soothing cure for many ailments. In Australia, the similar
C. glaucescens, or pigface is edible and frequently mentioned on cooking
shows.

medicinal plants - Crinum macowanii

Crinum macowanii, River lily, is a deciduous summer-
growing bulb. It grows in many habitats, such as vleis, seasonally flooded
grassland, savanna, beside rivers and in various soils. Its leaves are used in
traditional medicine in many parts of Africa. Bulbs are used to treat
kidney and bladder infections, as well as numerous other ailments. Leaves
are used as poultices and bandages but wild harvesting is leading to a
decline in plant numbers so do grow your own from seed. The bulbs
contain toxic alkaloids, and should be used with caution.

poisonous plants - Abrus precatorius

Abrus precatorius, Rosary pea, is an attractive, slender,
perennial climber that twines around trees, shrubs, and hedges,
and can be seen in the Okavango Delta and other regions around
the country. Its leaves are consumed as a vegetable in central and
east Africa. However, its seeds which resemble those of the ‘lucky
bean’, are very poisonous and can be dangerous if consumed. The
plant secretes a toxin called abrin which is closely related to ricin.
The symptoms of these toxins are severe stomach pains, diarrhoea,
nausea, cold sweats, drowsiness, colic, and weak and fast pulse.
invasive plants - Senna occidentalis

Senna occidentalis, Coffee Senna, is a small annual to
biennial shrub from South America that grows by roadsides and
other disturbed places. It is reputedly poisonous to livestock and
is a greater problem in heavily grazed pastures where its numbers
outcompete indigenous vegetation. It is commonly seen along the
roadside from Letlhakeng to Kang. It has been used as a medicinal
herb and is consumed in India and the Maldives, and the seeds are
also roasted as a coffee substitute, however it can be toxic and should be
treated with caution. Manual removal helps to halt its spread.
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