Zantedeschia Aethiopica is a flower we all know. Arum lilys are beautiful and warm the heart. In our last installment of the medicinal plants before we welcome back Rob to more regular fynbos from the farm itself (he is always working on introducing new fynbos to Haut Espoir) we wanted to do something gorgeous. The weather lately has us totally in awe of the amazing places we are lucky enough to live in and the Arum Lily is a reminder of just how beautiful nature is.
Often you`ll see Arum Lilys being sold next to the side of the road and today we are going to give you a few more uses than just leaving them in a bowl in your kitchen to look beautiful.
Common name: arum lily, varkblom
A tuberous perennial plant up to one meter tall with its familiar, spathe-like flowerheads and central, flower-bearing, yellow column. This species is common in damp places. It is frequently seen growing along roadsides and is cultivated worldwide.
The large leaves of the plant are heated and applied as plasters to wounds, sores and boils and also to parts affected by rheumatism and gout (do not crush the leaves, as the juice is an irritant). Boiled rhizomes were sometimes minced with honey or syrup and taken to treat bronchitis, asthma, heartburn and rheumatism or gargled for a sore throat.
The plants should not be eaten fresh as this results in swelling of the tongue and throat due to needle-shaped calcium oxylate crystals. As with other Araceae, cooking destroys the toxins and many indigenous people are reported to eat the stems, leaves and even the flowers as a vegetable.
The Khoi made a dish called Hottentot bread from the root by boiling the starchy rhizomes (roots) in several waters to remove the acrid principle, then drying them in the sun and roasting in embers, according to Kolbe, a traveller in the Cape in the early 18th century.
Have a great weekend and we look forward to more news next week. The site is going to be growing and we are adding some fantastic images, stories and features which we hope you will love.
