Great Karoo Plant Field Guide

Region AT A Glance

Drought-adapted trees, edible succulents, livestock-toxic plants and documented Karoo traditional-use species.

Filming region: Great Karoo semi-arid interior, South Africa Alone season(s): 12 Ecology: Nama-Karoo and adjacent semi-arid shrubland, rocky koppies, dry watercourses, farm disturbance and succulent thicket transition

The Great Karoo is a semi-arid landscape where plant distribution follows water, soil depth, rock type and grazing history. Woody trees cluster along drainage lines and farm water points, while low shrubs, grasses and succulents dominate open ground. Many species survive drought by storing water or producing potent defensive chemicals. Several of the region's most dangerous plants are well known because they poison livestock.

Field Priorities

• Do not equate succulent with safe; several Karoo succulents cause serious poisoning. • Use thorns, leaf arrangement, bark and pods together to identify thorn trees. • Avoid harvesting protected or slow-growing succulents, bulbs and medicinal roots. • Treat all milky sap, tobacco-like leaves and iris-like bulbs as hazardous until identified. • Water stress concentrates salts, oxalates and plant toxins; published edibility does not guarantee safe emergency use.

Non-negotiable Plant Safety

Never consume a plant from one photo, one common name or one guide. Positive identification requires multiple traits and a reliable regional source. Do not experiment with medicinal dosing. For suspected poisoning, remove plant material from the mouth, preserve a sample or photo, contact emergency services or a poison centre, and do not induce vomiting unless directed.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Great Karoo Plant Field Guide | 2

Positive Identification Protocol

Use a repeatable process. Confidence is built from independent features, not intuition.

1 1. Place

Record habitat, moisture, slope, elevation and nearby dominant plants.

2 2. Form

Decide tree, shrub, vine, herb, grass-like plant, fern or succulent.

3 3. Leaves

Check arrangement, shape, edge, veins, hairs, odor and underside.

4 4. Stem & Bark

Look for thorns, sap, pith, lenticels, buds, twig color and texture.

5 5. Flower / Fruit

Count petals, inspect clusters, seed structures and fruit attachment.

6 6. Cross-check

Match at least three reliable sources and rule out every dangerous look-alike.

AUTOMATIC STOP LIST DOCUMENTATION KIT

No tasting to identify. Photograph whole plant, leaf top and bottom, stem, bark, No wetland roots. flowers, fruit and habitat. Add a scale object. Record date, No unknown white umbels. location and confidence. Never let an AI label overrule a No unknown bulbs. regional botanist. No unknown milky sap. No medicinal experiments.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Great Karoo Plant Field Guide | 3

Trees and Woody Plants

Identification, practical material properties and conservation cautions.

SWEET THORN TREE / WOODY

Vachellia karroo

Identify

Thorn tree with paired straight white spines, feathery twice-compound leaves, round golden flower heads and dark curved pods; bark becomes rough and dark. HABITAT & SEASON Dry riverbeds, drainage lines, old fields and water points. Season: Year-round wood; flowers spring-summer DOCUMENTED USE Hard wood for durable stakes, tool handles and excellent fuel. Gum has documented food and traditional uses when correctly sourced. CAUTION Thorns cause deep punctures. Do not eat pods or browse without local knowledge; cyanogenic risk and livestock effects vary. LOOK-ALIKES Other Vachellia species differ in spine form, pod shape and gland placement.

KAREE TREE / WOODY

Searsia lancea

Identify

Evergreen tree with narrow leathery three-part leaves, gray-brown bark and small yellow-brown fruits in clusters. HABITAT & SEASON Dry watercourses, rocky slopes and farm margins. Season: Year-round DOCUMENTED USE Tough wood for handles, pegs and fuel; dense foliage can provide shade and wind reduction. CAUTION Searsia sap may irritate sensitive skin. Fruit edibility varies among species; this guide does not recommend casual consumption. LOOK-ALIKES Pepper trees and other three-leaved shrubs may resemble karee; leaf texture and fruit structure matter.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Great Karoo Plant Field Guide | 4

Trees and Woody Plants

Identification, practical material properties and conservation cautions.

WILD OLIVE TREE / WOODY

Olea europaea subsp. africana

Identify

Small evergreen tree with opposite narrow gray-green leaves, silvery scales beneath, tiny white flowers and small purple-black drupes. HABITAT & SEASON Rocky slopes, kloofs and sheltered drainage lines. Season: Year-round leaves; fruit variable DOCUMENTED USE Dense hard wood for pegs, handles and small durable implements. Foliage is browsed by wildlife. CAUTION Fruit is bitter and not equivalent to cultivated table olives without processing. Do not ingest leaves as medicine without guidance. LOOK-ALIKES Karee has three leaflets; wild olive leaves are single and opposite.

BUFFALO THORN TREE / WOODY

Ziziphus mucronata

Identify

Zigzag twigs with paired thorns, one straight and one hooked; glossy three-veined leaves; small yellow-green flowers and reddish-brown fruits. HABITAT & SEASON Dry river courses, thickets and rocky slopes. Season: Fruit summer to autumn DOCUMENTED USE Hard flexible wood for handles and strong pegs. Ripe fruit has documented food and cultural uses. CAUTION Hooked thorns snag eyes, skin and fabric. Seeds are hard; fruit quality varies and must be positively identified. LOOK-ALIKES Other Ziziphus species differ in fruit size and leaf hairiness.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Great Karoo Plant Field Guide | 5

Trees and Woody Plants

Identification, practical material properties and conservation cautions.

SHEPHERD'S TREE TREE / WOODY

Boscia albitrunca

Identify

Evergreen tree with pale trunk, small leathery leaves often clustered on short shoots, greenish flowers and yellow-brown fruits. HABITAT & SEASON Open plains, dry savanna margins and deep sandy soils in the broader Karoo region. Season: Year-round DOCUMENTED USE Dense shade, hard wood and documented traditional food use of roots or fruit in some regions. CAUTION Root harvest can kill the tree and may be illegal or culturally inappropriate. Do not dig without local authority and expert preparation knowledge. LOOK-ALIKES Young karee and other evergreen shrubs lack the characteristic pale trunk and clustered leaves.

SPEKBOOM TREE / WOODY

Portulacaria afra

Identify

Succulent shrub or small tree with reddish stems and small opposite round fleshy leaves; tiny pink flowers after favorable rain. HABITAT & SEASON Rocky slopes and succulent thicket, especially toward the eastern Great Karoo. Season: Year-round DOCUMENTED USE Leaves are documented edible with a tart flavor and can add moisture and acidity in small amounts. Flexible branches are useful for light screens. CAUTION Do not confuse with jade plants or toxic Tylecodon species. Large quantities may cause stomach upset; habitat and legal status vary. LOOK-ALIKES Jade plant has larger thicker leaves; Tylecodon often has alternate leaves and thick peeling stems.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Great Karoo Plant Field Guide | 6

Documented Edible Plants

Documented foods only. Positive identification and safe preparation remain essential.

SOUR FIG DOCUMENTED EDIBLE

Carpobrotus edulis

Identify

Ground-hugging succulent with large triangular cross-section leaves, bright yellow to pink daisy-like flowers and fleshy fig-like fruits. HABITAT & SEASON Sandy or rocky disturbed ground, roadsides and some Karoo settlements; more common toward coastal and southern margins. Season: Fruit summer to autumn DOCUMENTED USE Ripe fruit and leaf preparations have documented food and traditional uses. CAUTION Location matters: several Carpobrotus species hybridize. Avoid plants exposed to road salt, herbicide or livestock waste. Leaves are very salty. LOOK-ALIKES Mesembryanthemum species are smaller and may have bladder-like leaf cells.

PRICKLY PEAR DOCUMENTED EDIBLE

Opuntia ficus-indica

Identify

Large flattened pads with clusters of fine glochids and sometimes spines; showy flowers; oval red, orange or yellow fruits. HABITAT & SEASON Farm edges, roadsides, abandoned homesteads and dry slopes; invasive in parts of South Africa. Season: Fruit summer to autumn; pads year-round DOCUMENTED USE Ripe fruit and properly prepared young pads are documented food. Fruits can provide moisture. CAUTION Invisible glochids embed in skin, eyes and mouth. Remove them with proper tools and never handle bare-handed. Check local invasive-species rules. LOOK-ALIKES Other Opuntia species vary in spine density and fruit quality.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Great Karoo Plant Field Guide | 7

Documented Edible Plants

Documented foods only. Positive identification and safe preparation remain essential.

COMMON PURSLANE DOCUMENTED EDIBLE

Portulaca oleracea

Identify

Low spreading herb with smooth reddish stems, small opposite or clustered succulent leaves and tiny yellow flowers. HABITAT & SEASON Disturbed soil, gardens, livestock areas and seasonally moist flats. Season: Warm season after rain DOCUMENTED USE Young leaves and stems are widely documented food, usually cooked or eaten in modest amounts. CAUTION High oxalate content; avoid large quantities with kidney disease. Do not collect from contaminated kraals, roads or chemical-treated ground. LOOK-ALIKES Spurges may be low and succulent but exude milky sap; purslane sap is clear.

OLD MAN SALTBUSH DOCUMENTED EDIBLE

Atriplex nummularia

Identify

Gray-green shrub with broad triangular to oval mealy leaves, inconspicuous flowers and salt-tolerant growth. HABITAT & SEASON Farm plantings, saline flats and disturbed dry ground; introduced in South Africa. Season: Year-round leaves DOCUMENTED USE Leaves are documented forage and have limited food use after correct identification and preparation. CAUTION High salt and oxalate levels make this a small-portion food only. Avoid if dehydrated, kidney-impaired or collecting from saline wastewater areas. LOOK-ALIKES Native Atriplex and other gray shrubs require flowers/fruits for confident species identification.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Great Karoo Plant Field Guide | 8

Documented Edible Plants

Documented foods only. Positive identification and safe preparation remain essential.

KAROO CROSSBERRY DOCUMENTED EDIBLE

Grewia robusta

Identify

Shrub with rough toothed leaves, pink to mauve star-like flowers and small lobed reddish-brown fruits. HABITAT & SEASON Rocky slopes, dry thicket and Karoo scrub. Season: Fruit summer to autumn after rain DOCUMENTED USE Ripe fruits are documented edible in southern African ethnobotanical sources. CAUTION Positive species identification is essential; fruit yield is irregular and wildlife depends on it. LOOK-ALIKES Other Grewia species differ in leaf hair and fruit lobing.

BLUEBUSH DOCUMENTED EDIBLE

Diospyros lycioides

Identify

Many-stemmed shrub or small tree with narrow blue-green leaves, small cream bell-shaped flowers and rounded reddish to dark fruits. HABITAT & SEASON Dry watercourses, rocky scrub and open woodland in the broader Karoo. Season: Fruit late summer to autumn DOCUMENTED USE Fully ripe fruit is documented food in parts of southern Africa; hard wood can serve small implements. CAUTION Unripe fruits are strongly astringent. Several Diospyros species are similar; confirm leaf, flower and fruit traits. LOOK-ALIKES Lycium shrubs often have spines and tubular purple flowers; bluebush lacks paired acacia thorns.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Great Karoo Plant Field Guide | 9

Toxic Plants - Avoid

High-consequence species to recognize before any gathering begins.

YELLOW TULP TOXIC - AVOID

Moraea pallida

Identify

Iris-like plant with narrow sword leaves, underground corm and yellow to cream three-part flowers with patterned inner segments. HABITAT & SEASON Open veld, overgrazed ground and seasonally moist flats. Season: Flowers spring after rain DOCUMENTED USE No food use. Learn before digging any corm or collecting onion-like leaves. CAUTION Highly poisonous to livestock and people; cooking does not make corms safe. Symptoms can include severe digestive and cardiovascular effects. LOOK-ALIKES Edible bulbs and wild onions differ in flower structure and odor; expert identification is mandatory.

KRIMPSIEKTE PLANT TOXIC - AVOID

Tylecodon wallichii

Identify

Succulent shrub with thick knobbly stems, peeling bark, seasonal fleshy leaves and tall flower stalks. HABITAT & SEASON Rocky Karoo slopes and dry shrubland. Season: Leaves mainly cool/wet season DOCUMENTED USE No food or medicinal use. CAUTION Contains cumulative bufadienolide toxins that cause krimpsiekte in livestock and serious heart effects. Dried plant material remains dangerous. LOOK-ALIKES Some Cotyledon and Crassula species are similar; all unknown thick-leaved succulents should be treated as unsafe.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Great Karoo Plant Field Guide | 10

Toxic Plants - Avoid

High-consequence species to recognize before any gathering begins.

PIG'S EAR / PLAKKIE TOXIC - AVOID

Cotyledon orbiculata

Identify

Succulent shrub with opposite thick rounded gray-green leaves often edged red and hanging orange-red tubular flowers. HABITAT & SEASON Rocky slopes and dry thicket, including parts of the Karoo. Season: Year-round leaves DOCUMENTED USE No food use. Although it has published traditional external uses, this guide treats it as toxic. CAUTION Contains bufadienolides and can poison livestock and people. Do not ingest or use as improvised medicine. LOOK-ALIKES Spekboom leaves are much smaller and stems red; Cotyledon leaves are large, thick and opposite.

TREE TOBACCO TOXIC - AVOID

Nicotiana glauca

Identify

Tall shrub or small tree with smooth blue-green leaves and clusters of long yellow tubular flowers. HABITAT & SEASON Roadsides, dry riverbeds, disturbed farms and waste ground; invasive. Season: Most of year in warm sites DOCUMENTED USE No use. Removal should follow invasive-species guidance and use gloves. CAUTION All parts contain toxic anabasine-type alkaloids. Leaves have caused fatal poisonings when mistaken for edible greens. LOOK-ALIKES Wild tobacco relatives may have sticky hairy leaves and different flowers; none should be eaten.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Great Karoo Plant Field Guide | 11

Traditional-use Plants

Published cultural or historical uses - not prescriptions or dosing advice.

BITTER ALOE TRADITIONAL-USE

Aloe ferox

Identify

Large single rosette of thick spiny-edged leaves on a trunk, with tall branched spikes of red-orange flowers. HABITAT & SEASON Rocky slopes and dry hills, especially southern and eastern Karoo margins. Season: Flowers winter DOCUMENTED USE A documented South African medicinal and commercial species; leaf gel and bitter latex have very different properties. CAUTION Do not self-administer latex as a laxative; it can cause severe cramping, dehydration and drug interactions. Harvest may be regulated. LOOK-ALIKES Other aloes differ in leaf arrangement, spotting and flower branching.

CANCER BUSH TRADITIONAL-USE

Lessertia frutescens

Identify

Soft gray-green shrub with compound leaves, bright red-orange pea flowers and inflated papery pods. HABITAT & SEASON Dry Karoo scrub, roadsides and disturbed veld. Season: Flowers mainly spring to summer DOCUMENTED USE Widely documented in Khoi, San and South African herbal traditions and sold commercially. CAUTION It is not a proven cure for cancer. Internal use may interact with medicines and chronic disease; no dosing is provided. LOOK-ALIKES Other pea-family shrubs share red flowers; the inflated pods and silky gray leaves are key.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Great Karoo Plant Field Guide | 12

Traditional-use Plants

Published cultural or historical uses - not prescriptions or dosing advice.

KATTEKRUIE TRADITIONAL-USE

Ballota africana

Identify

Aromatic gray woolly shrub with opposite scalloped leaves and small pink-purple flowers in rings around the stems. HABITAT & SEASON Rocky slopes, disturbed ground and dry shrubland. Season: Spring through autumn DOCUMENTED USE Documented South African traditional uses include cough, cold and external preparations. CAUTION Avoid internal use during pregnancy or with medications. Strong aromatic herbs can irritate stomach and skin. LOOK-ALIKES Other mint-family shrubs have square stems and opposite leaves; flower rings and woolly texture help separate this species.

WILD ROSEMARY TRADITIONAL-USE

Eriocephalus africanus

Identify

Rounded aromatic shrub with narrow gray leaves, small white daisy-like flowers and cottony seed heads. HABITAT & SEASON Dry rocky slopes and open Karoo shrubland. Season: Flowers winter to spring DOCUMENTED USE Published traditional uses include aromatic cooking, bedding, washes and cold remedies. CAUTION Essential oils and concentrated teas can cause irritation or interact with medicines. Do not confuse with true culinary rosemary. LOOK-ALIKES Several Eriocephalus species occur; flower heads and leaf hair require close inspection.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Great Karoo Plant Field Guide | 13

Seasonal and Habitat Planning

Availability is local and variable. Use these patterns to plan observation, not to assume harvest.

PHASE WHAT TO EXPECT FIELD EMPHASIS

SPRING / EARLY RAINS New shoots, flowers, catkins and wetland hazards become Learn leaves and flowers before fruit; avoid roots visible. and bulbs.

SUMMER / PEAK Maximum foliage; most edible greens and traditional-use Photograph multiple traits; note habitat and GROWTH herbs are identifiable. abundance.

AUTUMN / FRUIT Most berries, hips, cones and seed structures mature. Confirm entire plant; leave food for wildlife and regeneration.

WINTER / DORMANT Evergreen shrubs, bark, twigs, cones and persistent fruit Rely on woody traits; snow and frost obscure herb remain. identification.

HABITAT FORECAST HABITAT LIKELY PLANTS PRIMARY RISK

Dry ridge / exposed slope Sweet thorn, Karee, Wild olive Windthrow, fire, protected slow-growing plants

Moist forest / sheltered Buffalo thorn, Shepherd's tree, Spekboom Look-alikes, falling timber, poor visibility valley

Wetland / peat / stream edge Yellow tulp, Krimpsiekte plant Water hemlock or toxic bog shrubs; unstable ground

Open disturbance / camp Sour fig, Prickly pear, Common purslane, Old man saltbush Contamination, invasive species, human edge chemicals

Seasonal Reality

A late frost, drought, fire, flood, browsing pressure or poor flowering year can remove an expected food source. Build plans around several independent resources and assume that every crop may fail.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Great Karoo Plant Field Guide | 14

Look-alike and Hazard Matrix

The most important plant knowledge is often knowing what not to touch, taste or dig.

HAZARD FIELD CUE RULE

Yellow tulp Iris-like plant with narrow sword leaves, underground Highly poisonous to livestock and people; cooking corm and yellow to cream three-part flowers with does not make corms safe. Symptoms can include patterned inner segments. severe digestive and cardiovascular effects.

Krimpsiekte plant Succulent shrub with thick knobbly stems, peeling bark, Contains cumulative bufadienolide toxins that cause seasonal fleshy leaves and tall flower stalks. krimpsiekte in livestock and serious heart effects. Dried plant material remains dangerous.

Pig's ear / plakkie Succulent shrub with opposite thick rounded gray-green Contains bufadienolides and can poison livestock leaves often edged red and hanging orange-red tubular and people. Do not ingest or use as improvised flowers. medicine.

Tree tobacco Tall shrub or small tree with smooth blue-green leaves All parts contain toxic anabasine-type alkaloids. and clusters of long yellow tubular flowers. Leaves have caused fatal poisonings when mistaken for edible greens.

Suspected Poisoning Harvest Ethics

• Stop exposure. Take the common, leave the rare.
• Remove material from mouth; rinse. Never girdle a tree.
• Do not induce vomiting. Avoid roots and whole plants.
• Save a sample/photo. Leave wildlife food.
• Call emergency services or poison control. Follow Indigenous and protected-area rules.
• Monitor breathing and consciousness. Restore disturbed ground.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Great Karoo Plant Field Guide | 15

Sources, Scope and Limitations

Taxonomy and regional occurrence change. Verify the current name, distribution and legal status before publication or field use.

1. PlantZAfrica South African National Biodiversity Institute - regional species profiles

https://pza.sanbi.org/

2. Red List of South African Plants South African National Biodiversity Institute - distribution and conservation

http://redlist.sanbi.org/

3. Plants of the World Online Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew - taxonomy and distribution

https://powo.science.kew.org/

4. People's Plants: A Guide to Useful Plants of Southern Africa Ben-Erik van Wyk and Nigel Gericke; Briza Publications - ethnobotany

5. Plant Poisonings and Mycotoxicoses of Livestock in Southern Africa Kellerman, Coetzer, Naude and Botha; agricultural toxicology literature - toxicology

https://www.arc.agric.za/

6. South African invasive species resources Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment - invasive species

https://www.dffe.gov.za/

7. Agricultural Research Council plant and forage resources Agricultural Research Council, South Africa - agriculture and forage

https://www.arc.agric.za/

Independent Publication Notice

This guide is an independent educational reference and is not affiliated with HISTORY, the Alone television series, local Indigenous governments or protected-area authorities. Traditional-use notes summarize published sources and do not transfer cultural authority. Local knowledge holders, current regulations and qualified medical or botanical professionals take precedence.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Great Karoo Plant Field Guide | 16