M.A.C in Africa: Wild flowers

It's 7.30pm, we're back from afternoon game drive and from the balcony of Rock Lodge we watch lightening flash across the sky. The rainy season. We know what this means... mud, lots of it, uncrossable rivers, wet game drives and bush so thick spotting animals seems almost impossible. And yet we're relieved, the land desperately needs the water, and finally there will be more vegetation and food available for the game. Of the game itself, an exciting period begins, first with the Impala's dropping their lambs and within days of the first rains the bush erupts with life.

Lion's eye

One of the most interesting changes is the arrival of the wild flowers. Its not just the animals you can tick off your "seen" lists now, but their flower counterparts, too...cue Lion's eye, Leopard Orchid and Impala Lily. Although the Fynbos region at the southern tip of Africa is far better known than the Savanna for flowers, we certainly have our fair share of beautiful specimens here, a few that would impress even those uninterested in such things.

Impala Lily
(Adenium multiflorum)

The colours alone will catch your eye, they stand out vibrantly from the sea of green around them. As with tree's and shrubs, each specie requires certain conditions for growth and are hence found in different areas, explaining why, in turning the corner, you could suddenly find yourself driving through a field of flowers. Some grow more like weeds, others are rare and hard to see, a bit like the animals here too. The Wild foxglove (Ceratotheca triloba), for example, is a pioneer plant in disturbed soils, in contrast with the Red star zinnia (Zinnia peruviana) which is found mostly in river beds.

Madagascar periwinkle
(Catharanthus roseus)

Aside from their beauty, their usefulness is worth a mention as well. The Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), for example, is traditionally used in South Africa as a remedy for diabetes and to treat rheumatism. You can use the leaves of the Devils thorn (Harpagophytum Procumbens) to make soap when mixed with water, and the Blue water-lily (Nymphae nouchali) is used by the local zulu people in a love charm ritual, in which a partner can be attracted and a permanent bond established by consuming the roots of the water-lily early in the morning.

It must be said though, you need to know what your doing. Eating a Flame lily (Gloriosa superba) would cause severe gastro-enteristis followed swiftly by death, but if you use it correctly, it has anti-inflammatory properties and can be used to treat arthritis. Similarly, consuming the fruit of a Poison Apple (Solanum panduriforme) will induce convulsions and a coma, and yet in the right doses, it can be used to treat boils and coughs!

So next time your on game drive, bouncing from one big-5 sighting to the next, keep your eyes open for the wild flowers, there is more to them than meets the eye!