HA

RVES

TIN

G M

ETH

OD

S

The

pla

nts

are

harv

este

d in

Oct

ober

and

the

plan

t m

ater

ials

are

cru

shed

bet

wee

n

two

rock

s.

USES

The

pl

ants

ar

e us

ed

for

med

icin

al

pur-

pose

s fo

r th

e tr

eatm

ent

of c

olic

in in

fant

s.

Add

ed to

a te

aspo

on o

f bre

astm

ilk, i

t upl

ifts

the

moo

d, d

epre

ssio

n, d

ecre

ases

anx

iety

,

stre

ss a

nd te

nsio

n. It

is a

lso

used

as

an a

n-

alge

sic

for

toot

hach

e an

d st

omac

h pa

ins,

as r

epla

cem

ent

ther

apy

for

alco

holic

s an

d

it gi

ves

ener

gy.

It ca

n be

use

d as

a r

elie

f

of h

unge

r an

d a

thirs

t su

ppre

ssan

t. It

can

also

be

used

as

a sn

uff

and

as a

sed

ativ

e

in t

he f

orm

of

a te

a or

a t

inct

ure.

Drin

king

the

plan

t as

tea

hel

ps r

ecov

erin

g al

coho

l-

ics

avoi

d w

ithdr

awal

sym

ptom

s. I

t ca

n be

chew

ed b

y th

e lo

cal p

eopl

e fo

r m

ood

ele-

vatio

n. It

has

als

o

beco

me

com

-

mon

ly

know

n

for

its

ener

gy-

boos

ting

effe

cts

and

its a

bilit

y to

supp

ress

the

ap-

petit

es

of

thos

e

who

take

it.

agric

ultu

re,

fore

stry

& fi

sher

ies

Dep

artm

ent:

Agr

icul

ture

, For

estr

y an

d F

ishe

ries

RE

PU

BL

ICO

FS

OU

TH

AF

RIC

A

REFE

REN

CES

Van

Wyk

, B-E

, Van

Oud

tsho

orn,

B. &

Ger

icke

, N. 1

997.

M

edic

inal

pla

nts

of S

outh

Afr

ica,

Pre

toria

: Briz

a P

ublic

atio

ns.

Van

Wyk

, B-E

and

Win

k M

. 200

4. M

edic

inal

pla

nts

of th

e w

orld

, Pre

toria

: Briz

a P

ublic

atio

ns.

ww

w.s

cele

tium

.org

ww

w.p

lant

zafr

ica.

com

FURT

HER

INFO

RMAT

ION

CA

N B

E O

BTA

INED

FRO

M:

Dire

ctor

ate:

P

lant

Pro

duct

ion

Div

isio

n:

Indu

stria

l Cro

ps

P

rivat

e B

ag X

250

P

reto

ria

00

01

Tel

: +

2712

319

607

2/60

79

Fax

: +

2712

319

637

2

E-m

ail:

DP

P@

daff.

gov.

za

Sci

enti

fi c

nam

e:

Sce

letiu

m to

rtuo

sum

Co

mm

on

nam

es:

Kan

na

or

Kau

wgo

ed,

Kou

goed

(A

frik

aans

),

‘Tor

tuos

e fi g

mar

igol

d’

and

Can

na (

Eng

lish)

BAC

KGRO

UND

Sce

letiu

m to

rtuo

sum

is a

sm

all g

roun

dcov

-

er, i

nsec

t pol

linat

ed p

lant

and

it is

clim

bing

or c

reep

ing.

It

is a

lso

a lo

w-g

row

ing

plan

t.

The

leav

es a

re o

blon

g in

sha

pe,

abou

t 50

mm

long

and

20

mm

wid

e. T

he fl

ower

s ar

e

very

sh

ortly

pe

dice

llate

(a

lmos

t se

ssile

)

and

of m

ediu

m s

ize.

The

Afr

ikaa

ns c

om-

mon

nam

e ko

ugoe

d m

eans

som

ethi

ng t

o

chew

. S

cele

tium

tor

tuos

um b

elon

gs t

o th

e

fam

ily A

izoa

ceae

. T

he p

lant

is

a sh

rub

or

smal

l m

ulti-

bran

ched

tre

e, u

sual

ly a

roun

d

5 m

in

heig

ht.

The

pla

nt o

rigin

ates

in

Sou

th A

fric

a (S

outh

wes

tern

par

ts o

f th

e

Cap

e an

d N

amaq

uala

nd)

and

it oc

curs

in

quar

tz a

rea

and

is

usua

lly

foun

d

grow

ing

unde

r

shru

bs i

n pa

rtia

l

shad

e. T

he p

lant

is w

ides

prea

d to

the

Kar

oo a

reas

of

the

Wes

tern

,

Eas

tern

and

Nor

ther

n C

ape

Pro

vinc

es i

n S

outh

Afr

ica.

It

is a

n op

port

unis

tic s

peci

es w

ith a

life

s-

pan

of a

ppro

xim

atel

y 3

to 5

yea

rs.

CLI

MAT

IC A

ND

SO

IL R

EQUI

REM

ENTS

Sce

letiu

m t

ortu

osum

req

uire

s a

min

imum

tem

-

pera

ture

of

160 C

and

is

tole

rant

to

mild

fro

st

and

cool

er c

ondi

tions

. T

he p

lant

thr

ives

bes

t in

perm

eabl

e, l

oam

y so

il. I

t pr

efer

s a

wel

l-dra

ined

,

sand

y so

il, w

hich

sho

uld

be w

ater

ed w

hen

it ha

s

drie

d ou

t.

PRO

DUC

TIO

N P

RAC

TIC

E

Pro

paga

tion

Pro

paga

tion

is b

y cu

tting

s an

d se

ed.

Cut

tings

germ

inat

e re

adily

in s

and

whe

reas

see

ds d

o no

t

alw

ays

germ

inat

e ea

sily

.

Pla

ntin

g

Sce

letiu

m t

ortu

osum

can

be

plan

ted

in a

utum

n,

win

ter

and

sprin

g, w

ith a

res

t pe

riod

durin

g su

m-

mer

whe

n th

e pl

ants

sho

uld

not b

e w

ater

ed.

Irrig

atio

n

Pla

nts

shou

ld o

nly

be i

rrig

ated

spa

ringl

y in

the

ir

initi

al s

tage

s, u

ntil

shoo

t and

roo

t gro

wth

are

wel

l

esta

blis

hed.

Irr

igat

ion

can

be i

ncre

ased

the

reaf

-

ter,

and

sho

uld

only

be

repe

ated

onc

e th

e so

il

has

drie

d. P

lant

s w

ill r

equi

re l

ittle

irr

igat

ion

and

atte

ntio

n du

ring

thei

r 9-

mon

th p

erio

d of

inac

tivity

each

yea

r. O

ver-

irrig

atio

n re

sults

in r

ottin

g.

Fer

tiliz

atio

n

The

pla

nts

can

be f

ertil

ised

occ

asio

nally

usin

g a

cact

us s

oil

or a

mix

ture

of

com

-

post

, bu

t do

es n

ot p

artic

ular

ly r

equi

re i

t.

Nat

ural

ly it

is c

ultiv

ated

with

out

the

use

of

any

fert

ilise

rs.

Pes

t con

trol

The

maj

or i

nsec

ts i

dent

ifi ed

in

Sce

letiu

m

tort

uosu

m a

re a

phid

s, s

lugs

, sn

ails

and

red

spid

er m

ites.

In

spr

ing,

new

ly e

mer

g-

ing

shoo

ts s

houl

d be

spr

ayed

for

aph

ids,

thou

gh a

phid

s ar

e no

t ofte

n a

prob

lem

with

grow

n pl

ants

. You

ng p

lant

s sh

ould

be

pro-

tect

ed f

rom

slu

gs a

nd s

nails

. S

lugs

and

snai

ls c

ause

dam

age

rese

mbl

ing

a ro

w o

f

hole

s. R

ed s

pide

r mite

can

occ

asio

nally

in-

fest

indo

or p

lant

s. T

he s

ympt

oms

are

dry-

look

ing

leav

es w

hich

turn

uni

form

ly b

row

n.

Reg

iste

red

inse

ctic

ides

can

be

used

.

Dis

ease

s co

ntro

l

Sce

letiu

m

tort

uosu

m

viru

s di

seas

e is

reco

gnis

ed

by

pale

co

lour

ed

spot

s an

d

stre

aks

on t

he le

aves

, an

d by

dis

tort

ed o

r

“crin

kly”

leav

es. B

adly

affe

cted

pla

nts

show

dead

rus

t-co

lour

ed s

trea

ks o

n th

e le

aves

,

thro

ugho

ut t

he p

lant

, an

d th

e gr

owth

is

high

ly s

tunt

ed.

The

fl o

wer

s m

ay h

ave

a

dist

orte

d sh

ape

with

whi

te p

atch

es.

The

re

is n

o cu

re fo

r vi

rus

dise

ase

and

plan

ts th

at

are

obvi

ousl

y di

seas

ed s

houl

d be

dug

up

and

dest

roye

d.