Satyrium macrophyllum

Zulu names: unoklamu, unokleshe, uklamkleshe According to Elsa Pooley’s Wildflowers of KwaZulu Natal, the underground tuber of this orchid is edible.  Many of the Satyrium genus are used in traditional medicine – usually mixed with other plants and particularly for illnesses that are difficult to cure.  33 species occur in South Africa, some are used in…

Spring Grassland Flowers

While Namaqualand gets all the publicity, the spring flowers of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands grasslands are an absolute delight for those who don’t follow the crowds. Only one in six plant species in grassland is actually a grass, with most of the perennial plants living for many years – re-sprouting annually, rather than seeding.  This means…