Posted March 31, 2017 in All
The second plant in our threatened flora series is the Star Flower, another species of plant which we work hard to identify on the reserve so that we can help it to thrive in the area.
Star Flower (Hypoxis hemerocallidea)
This plant is widespread throughout eastern South Africa, and is common on UmPhafa. This plant is currently listed as Declining by SANBI due to heavy pressure on the species from bulb harvesting by medicinal plant traders. Decoctions of the bulb are used to treat headaches and dizziness, while extracts from the bulb are used in Western medicine in HIV and cancer medication.
Find out more about the plants in this series here:
– Bushman’s Poison Bulb (Boophone disticha).
