Melianthus comosus

What to Eat

Edible parts: Nectar

The nectar is eaten as a snack.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

It is a subtropical plant.

Africa, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa,

How to Identify

A shrub. It grows 1.5 m tall. The leaves are 6-16 cm long and divided in the top section. The leaflets in a pairs are 3-5 cm long and 0.5-2 cm wide. The flowering shoots hang down with flowers along them. The flowers are dark red. The fruit capsules are 3-5 cm long and have 4 wings. The seeds are 3-4 mm across. They are black and shining.

How to Grow

A plant of drier areas, mainly in the subtropics, but extending into the tropical zone. Prefers a light, well-drained, fertile soil. The bruised leaves have a disagreeable smell.

Propagation: Seed - Easily propagated from seed, which is large, black and easy to handle. Sow the seed when it is ripe in deep seed trays in a medium of compost only. When sowing seed in the colder months, germination may take about four weeks. Cover the seeds, keep them moist, leave the seedlings in the trays until the fourth leaf stage. Transplant into a medium of 2 parts compost and 2 parts loam.

Medicinal Uses

A common traditional medicine in S. Africa, where it is normally only used externally since it is believed to be toxic. The plant has been shown to contain saponins and tannins. The root is used both prophylactically and therapeutically in the treatment of snakebite - for this purpose the root is chewed and a root bark tincture applied locally to the wound. A leaf paste or decoction is also utilised for snakebite Leaf poultices and leaf decoctions are widely used to treat septic wounds, sores, bruises, backache and rheumatic joints. Warm aqueous leaf infusions may be applied as a lotion to sores, ulcers, bruises, swellings or wounds that are slow to heal, including venereal sores. A leaf paste may be applied as a local dressing to the affected area. An ointment of the bark, leaf and flower is used in combination with Melianthus major, Lobostemon fruticosus and Galenia africana to treat wounds. A decoction is used as an antiseptic wash for skin diseases. A watery lotion of similar composition is used to treat syphilis and as a gargle for sore throat. A bath medicated with the herb is said to induce sweating and to relieve joint pains.

Melianthus comosus, the honey flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Francoaceae. It is native to the mostly dry regions of southern Africa. The attractive multi-stemmed shrubs are popular garden subjects. The Afrikaans name kruidjie-roer-my-nie (herb-touch-me-not) alludes to the unpleasant smell that results from bruising of any part of the plant. The vegetative parts are very toxic, as with other Melianthus species, and extracts of the leaves and stem have anti-bacterial properties.

More from Melianthaceae

Bersama abyssinica

Winged bersama

Greyia sutherlandii

Natal bottle brush, South African bottlebrush, Beaconwood

Melianthus elongatus

Dwarf honey-flower

Melianthus major

Honey-flower

Melianthus minor

Honey Flower