11 Hypoxidaceae (Star Lilies) Used As Muthi Plants

A condensed materia medica of the 11 members of the Hypoxidaceae family used as muthi plants in southern Africa. – The Muthi Flora of southern Africa

The Hypoxidaceae family is relatively small with six of its nine genera occurring in southern Africa – the area south of the Kunene, Okavango and Limpopo Rivers, and includes Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, South Africa and Lesotho.

Hypoxis is by far the largest genus. They are usually among the first to flower and the bright yellow starlike flowers are always a delight to see in a burnt veld after the winter. They flower for quite a long period and contribute to flower displays throughout the season.

Although the Hypoxidaceae family is widespread in South America, Australia and tropical Asia, it is most diverse in southern Africa where 5 of the 6 genera are endemic. Locally Hypoxidaceae occur in Namaqualand and Western Cape as well as in the eastern part of the country; usually associated with grassland and often with moist or seasonally moist areas.

General Hypoxidaceae Family Information

The number of genera/species in the world: 9/130.
The number of genera/species in Southern Africa (FSA): 6/87.
The number of medicinal and magical genera/species in Southern Africa (FSA): 2/11
South African genera: Empodium, Hypoxis, Pauridia, Rhodohypoxis, Saniella, Spiloxene.
Growth forms: Geophytes – herbs with tuberous rhizomes or corms.
Habitats: Rocky habitats, open grassland, often around water or moist areas.
Distribution: Centre of diversity, found in all countries and provinces except Botswana and Northern Cape.
Constituents: According to Hutchings et.al. chelidonic acid occurs in the family. A novel group of biogenetically related Ph-C5-Ph glycosides are typical, and apparently restricted to, the family.

Related: The Muthi Flora of southern Africa Facebook Group

Medicinal, Magical and Edible Hypoxidaceae

Two genera and 11 species are used medicinally and magically in Southern Africa.

Empodium plicatum

Synonyms: Forbesia plicata var. plicata
Common names: golden star, ploegtydblommetjie, sterretjie, isidwa esincane senkangala (Zulu)
Traditional Medicine Usage: Administered to people only. Applied in a magical sense. Pounded corm decoctions are taken for chest trouble thought to be caused by evil charms or poison. The corm is edible.
Life Cycle: Perennial
Morphology: Geophyte. Ht 100–400 mm. Cormous geophyte, 10-30 cm, basal sheaths membranous. Leaves 1-4, occasionally shortly emergent at flowering, lanceolate, deeply pleated with hispid ribs. Flowers yellow, ovary subterranean, with a hispid beak 50 – 100 mm long.
Habitat: Clay or loamy flats, often near rocks.
Distribution: Alt 5–800 m. EC, NC, WC. Kamiesberg Mountains to Roggeveld Escarpment and SW Cape.

Hypoxis angustifolia

Specific name no longer in current use, having been split into two infraspecific taxa: Hypoxis angustifolia var. angustifolia and Hypoxis angustifolia var. buchananii
Application: Administered to people only. Applied in a magical sense.
Life Cycle: Perennial.
Life Form and Height: Geophyte. Ht 70–250 mm.
Distribution: Alt 15–1700 m. LIM, NW, G, M, S, FS, KZN, L, WC, EC

Hypoxis argentea var. argentea (Blue List)

Application: Administered to both people and animals.
Life Cycle: Perennial.
Life Form and Height: Geophyte. Ht 75–250 mm.
Distribution: Alt 50–2100 m. LIM, NW, G, M, S, FS, KZN, L, WC, EC

Hypoxis argentea var. sericea

Application: Administered to both people and animals.
Life Cycle: Perennial.
Life Form and Height: Geophyte. Ht 100–250 mm.
Distribution: Alt 50–1500 m. NW, M, FS, KZN, L, EC

Hypoxis colchicifolia (Blue List)

Synonyms: Hypoxis latifolia Hook., H. oligotricha Baker
Common Names: igudu, ilabatheka, ilabatheka-elimnyama, ingcobo (Zulu).
Trade: Traded as traditional medicine at muti markets.
Application: Administered to people only. Applied in a magical sense. Harmful to people or to animals.
Traditional Medicinal Usage: Corms are used for impotence and barrenness. Hot corm infusions are taken as emetics against bad dreams caused by a weak heart. Infusions are also taken as love charm emetics and are administered for hysterical fits. Ground corms are placed in food to kill small vermin and whole corms are put into snake holes as traps. Corms are reputed by the Zulu to be very poisonous and to cause temporary insanity.
Life Cycle: Perennial.
Life Form and Height: Geophyte. Ht 250–600 mm.
Distribution: Alt 30–2100 m. KZN, EC

Hypoxis gerrardii

Common Names: inkomfe (Zulu)
Application: Administered to people only.
Zulu Medicinal Usage: Pounded corm decoctions are taken for stomach ailments and dysentery.
Life Cycle: Perennial.
Life Form and Height: Geophyte. Ht 80–200 mm.
Distribution: Alt 500–2300 m. LIM, M, S, FS, KZN, L

Hypoxis hemerocallidea (Red List)

Synonyms: Hypoxis rooperi S.Moore
Common Names: star flower, yellow star (Eng.); sterblom, geelsterretjie, gifbol (Afr.); moli kharatsa, lotsane (S Sotho); inkomfe, inkomfe enkulu (Zulu), inongwe, ilabatheka, ixhalanxa, ikhubalo lezithunzela (Xhosa), tshuka (Tsw.). Wrongly called African potato.
Trade: In various studies on the plants sold at muti markets, Hypoxis hemerocallidea was one of the most-traded plants.
Application: Administered to people only. Applied in a magical sense.
Traditional Medicinal Usage: Corm infusions are administered as emetics for dizziness and mental disorders. Hot aqueous extracts of fresh and dried corms have been used to treat symptoms of benign prostate hypertrophy. Ground corm decoctions, administered orally or as enemas, are used in Transkei for patients who cannot speak, possibly as a result of shock. Plant decoctions are given to weakly children by the Tswana and Kwena. Juice from the rootstock is applied to burns. Corms are traditionally used for headaches in Lesotho.
Life Cycle: Perennial.
Life Form and Height: Geophyte. Ht 100–500 mm.
Distribution: Alt 50–1800 m. B, LIM, NW, G, M, S, FS, KZN, L, EC

Hypoxis iridifolia (Blue List)

Synonyms: Hypoxis nitida I.Verd., H. obtusa Burch, ex Edwards
Trade: Traded as traditional medicine at muti markets.
Application: Administered to people only.
Life Cycle: Perennial.
Life Form and Height: Geophyte. Ht 20–45 mm.
Distribution: Alt 320–2100 m. N, B, LIM, NW, G, M, S, FS, KZN, L, EC

Hypoxis multiceps

Application: Applied in a magical sense.
Life Cycle: Perennial.
Life Form and Height: Geophyte. Ht 20–150 mm.
Distribution: Alt 20–2100 m. LIM, G, M, S, FS, KZN, L, EC

Hypoxis rigidula var. rigidula

Synonyms: H. cordata Nel, H. elliptica Nel
Application: Administered to both people and animals.
Life Cycle: Perennial.
Life Form and Height: Geophyte. Ht 150–900 mm.
Distribution: Alt 30–2000 m. N, LIM, NW, G, M, S, FS, KZN, L, NC, EC

Hypoxis villosa

Application: Administered to people only. Applied in a magical sense. Harmful to people or to animals.
Life Cycle: Perennial.
Life Form and Height: Geophyte. Ht 100–250 mm.
Distribution: Alt 10–2300 m. S, KZN, L, WC, EC

Related: The Muthi Flora of southern Africa Facebook Group

Propagation

The best way of propagating Hypoxidaceae is from seed. Tissue culture has been successful in increasing numbers, but this is an expensive and impractical method for general propagation, except in the case where a certain clone is selected.

High-altitude species may have to undergo a period of cool storage, but these plants flower so early in the season that seed may have time to germinate before the winter resting time. Store seed in a cool, dry place. Once the last frost has passed and spring arrives, sow the seeds in a seedling mix.

The winter rainfall genera of Spiloxene and Empodium need to be sown during autumn and treated like any other winter rainfall bulb.

For more propagation information, visit PlantzAfrica and also see Du, Plessis N. & Duncan, G. 1989. Bulbous plants of southern Africa. Tafelberg, and Hawker et al. 1999. Growing a hot potato—notes on the cultivation of Hypoxis hemerocallis. Plantlife 21: 34–36.

Distribution Key

Countries and current RSA provinces referred to: Namibia (N), Botswana (B), Limpopo Province (LIM), North-West Province (NW), Gauteng Province (G), Mpumalanga Province (M), Swaziland (S), Free State Province (FS), KwaZulu-Natal Province (KZN), Lesotho (L), Northern Cape Province (NC), Western Cape Province (WC), Eastern Cape Province (EC).

References

General Information
Koekemoer, M., Steyn, H.M. & Bester, S.P. (2014). Guide to plant families of southern Africa, edition 2. Strelitzia 31. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.

Taxonomy
Arnold. T.H.. Prentice, C.A., Hawker, L.C., Snyman, E.E., Tomalin, M., Crouch, N.R. and Pottas-Bircher, C. (2002). Medicinal and magical plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 13. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.

Traditional Medicine Usage

Arnold. T.H.. Prentice, C.A., Hawker, L.C., Snyman, E.E., Tomalin, M., Crouch, N.R. and Pottas-Bircher, C. (2002). Medicinal and magical plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 13. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.

Hutchings, A., Scott, A.H., Lewis, G., Cunnigham, A.B., (1996). Zulu Medicinal Plants: an inventory. University of Natal

Life Cycle, Morphology, Habitat, and Distribution information.
Germizhuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds) 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.

e-Flora of South Africa. v1.21. 2018. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. http://ipt.sanbi.org.za/iptsanbi/resource?r=flora_descriptions&v=1.21

Propagation

Nichols, G. 2005. Growing rare plants: a practical handbook on propagating the threatened plants of southern Africa. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 36. SABONET, Pretoria.

Additional Reading

Key to Hypoxidaceae Genera – South African National Biodiversity Institute

National Vegetation Map – South African National Biodiversity Institute