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Hypoxis hemerocallidea corms displayed (red arrow at middle bottom of the picture) at an informal market in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, with other medicinal plants.
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Africa has the largest diversity of the genus Hypoxis, accounting for 61% of the current globally accepted taxa within the genus, including some endemic species. Using Hypoxis hemerocallidea as a case study, this review addresses the conservation concerns arising from the unsustainable, wild harvesting of a number of Hypoxis species. Hypoxis hemero...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... Maputo, Mozambique, H. hemerocallidea topped the list of medicinal plant species mentioned by 71% of traders interviewed [78]. Figure 3 shows H. hemerocallidea corms displayed at an informal market in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. ...
Context 2
... Maputo, Mozambique, H. hemerocallidea topped the list of medicinal plant species mentioned by 71% of traders interviewed [78]. Figure 3 shows H. hemerocallidea corms displayed at an informal market in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. ...
Citations
... The ability of compost tea to minimise plant diseases when applied as foliar sprays or soil drenches is of great interest in commercial farming (Seddigh & Kiani 2017). Compost tea extract may be used to improve the vegetative propagation and medicinal efficacy of corms of H. hemerocallidea, which are declining in South Africa because of overharvesting of the miraculous potato for its highly valued therapeutic properties (Mofokeng et al. 2020). Compost tea may also provide nutrients to both native and alien microbial populations. ...
... The continued exploitation of naturally occurring populations is exacerbated by South African traditional healers' unwillingness to use cultivated stocks of medicinal plants (Lubbe & Verpoorte 2011;Mofokeng et al. 2020). The scenario has necessitated the development of organic and sustainable cultivation protocols for overexploited species such as H. hemerocallidea in order to promote conservation and support potential commercial growers. ...
Background: The wild population of Hypoxis hemerocallidea continues to decline rapidly
because of overharvesting for medicinal use. This has necessitated the development of
sustainable cultivation protocols for the species to promote its conservation.
Aim: The impact of varying concentrations of compost tea extract on the growth, nutrient,
antioxidant, and phytochemical contents of slow-growing corms H. hemerocallidea were
investigated.
Setting: Corms of H. hemerocallidea were irrigated with municipal water and graded
concentrations (0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1) of compost tea.
Methods: The nutrient content of the treated plant materials was analysed using the atomic
absorption spectrophotometer while phytochemical and antioxidant contents were analysed
following referenced methods.
Results: The highest growth parameters were recorded in corms treated with 0.5 of compost
tea. The extracted compost tea did not have a significant influence on the phenolic content and
antioxidant capacity of the plant; however, significant variability was observed in the flavonols
and FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) values at P < 0.05. Similarly, the concentration
of certain mineral elements such as N, P, K, Ca and Mg varied significantly in the leaves
whereas elemental compositions of the treated roots of H. hemerocallidea.
Conclusion: The compost tea did not have a significant effect on the phenolic content, oxygen
radical absorbance capacity and ABTS (2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic) acid)
antioxidant properties and nutrients in the plant although significant differences were
observed in the flavonols and FRAP content of leaves, corms and roots.
Contribution: The study contributes to the development of an organic cultivation protocol to
conserve wild relatives of H. hemerocallidea.
Keywords: African potato; Hypoxidaceae; hypoxoside; inkomfe; organic cultivation.
... Hypoxis species, on the other hand, are generally geophytic herbs recognized by their bright yellow, star-shaped flowers and strap-like leaves arising directly from the underground rootstock (corm). About 41 species are concentrated in southern Africa, with a good number occurring in the eastern part of South Africa (Mofokeng et al., 2020). ...
The roots of Dianthus thunbergii and corms of Hypoxis argentea are commonly used in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa for various medicinal purposes, although their effectiveness as fresh or dried forms is often a subject of debate. The compositions of the volatile oils from the underground parts of these plants were analyzed for the first time by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The yields of the essential oil fractions from fresh and oven-dried plant parts varied from 0.42-0.72%. The terpenoid composition of D. thunbergii oils were dominated by α-pinene and β-selinene, although overall terpenoid content decreased from 77.17% in fresh roots to 47.58% in the dried roots. H. argentea corm oils were dominated by alkanes, amides and amino acids, while total terpenoid content of the oils from fresh and dried corms were 10.85% and 3.45%, respectively. Generally, pre-distillation drying of the underground parts of both plants produced significant reductions in the terpenoid composition of the volatile oils, suggesting that drying may considerably reduce their medicinal potentials.
... Toprak altında bulunan yumrusu geleneksel olarak Afrika'da çeşitli hastalıkları tedavi etmek için kullanılır (49,50). (51,52) Avrupa'da tek başına veya kombine kullanım ürünleri ticari olarak satılmaktadır. Aktif madde glikozide bağlı fitosteroller içeren β-stosteroldür. ...
Prostata bağlı rahatsızlıkların en yaygın olanları prostatit, prostat kanseri ve iyi huylu prostat hipertrofisi (BPH) dir. Tedavi amacıyla kullanılan fitoterapötik bitkilerin doğal olduğu ve bu nedenle yan ektilerinin olmadığı düşüncesi, kolay ulaşılabilir olması, bu ürünler üzerine yapılan yoğun reklam faaliyetleri, online ticaret gibi sebeplerle tıbbi bitkilere olan son yıllarda yoğunlaşmıştır. Prostat sorunlarında, Amerika’da yaklaşık 2,5 milyon kişinin bitkileri kullandığı, batı ülkelerinde özellikle Almanya’da hekimlerin fitoterapiyi birinci sırada tercih ettiği rapor edilmiştir. Erkeklerin 1/3’nin bitkisel tedaviyi tek başına veya kombine tedavi olarak uyguladığı belirlenmiştir.
... The plant is endemic to southern Africa and can be gathered in the wild. It has the potential to be developed into natural products and treatments due to its many medical applications [12]. Most varieties of the genus Hypoxis can be found in Africa, and tinctures, tonics, and lotions made from the species are among the products that can be bought on the market [12]. ...
... It has the potential to be developed into natural products and treatments due to its many medical applications [12]. Most varieties of the genus Hypoxis can be found in Africa, and tinctures, tonics, and lotions made from the species are among the products that can be bought on the market [12]. H. hemerocallidea is under tremendous stress because of being used as a "cure-all" treatment, and the population of the species is rapidly declining due to unsustainable harvesting, making it a strong candidate for conservation and propagation [12]. ...
... Most varieties of the genus Hypoxis can be found in Africa, and tinctures, tonics, and lotions made from the species are among the products that can be bought on the market [12]. H. hemerocallidea is under tremendous stress because of being used as a "cure-all" treatment, and the population of the species is rapidly declining due to unsustainable harvesting, making it a strong candidate for conservation and propagation [12]. The only species of Hypoxis represented in the 51 plants of the African Herbal Pharmacopoeia is H. hemerocallidea [13]. ...
South Africa is blessed with vast plant resources and unique vegetation types. Indigenous South African medicinal plants have been well-harnessed to generate income in rural communities. Many of these plants have been processed into natural products to heal a variety of diseases, making them valuable export commodities. South Africa has one of the most effective bio-conservation policies in Africa, which has protected the South African indigenous medicinal vegetation. However, there is a strong link between government policies for biodiversity conservation, the propagation of medicinal plants as a source of livelihood, and the development of propagation techniques by research scientists. Tertiary institutions nationwide have played a crucial role in the development of effective propagation protocols for valuable South African medicinal plants. The government-restricted harvest policies have also helped to nudge natural product companies and medicinal plant marketers to embrace the cultivated plants for their medicinal uses, and thus have helped support the South African economy and biodiversity conservation. Propagation methods used for the cultivation of the relevant medicinal plants vary according to plant family and vegetation type, among others. Plants from the Cape areas, such as the Karoo, are often resuscitated after bushfires, and propagation protocols mimicking these events have been established through seed propagation protocols with controlled temperatures and other conditions, to establish seedlings of such plants. Thus, this review highlights the role of the propagation of highly utilized and traded medicinal plants in the South African traditional medicinal system. Some valuable medicinal plants that sustain livelihoods and are highly sought-after as export raw materials are discussed. The effect of South African bio-conservation registration on the propagation of these plants and the roles of the communities and other stakeholders in the development of propagation protocols for highly utilized and endangered medicinal plants are also covered. The role of various propagation methods on the bioactive compounds’ composition of medicinal plants and issues of quality assurance are addressed. The available literature, media online news, newspapers, and other resources, such as published books and manuals, were scrutinized for information.
... The African potato (Hypoxis hemerocallidea) is one of the most popular medicinal plants in South Africa, used to treat many diseases. It is widely harvested from wild populations, without intensive commercial cultivation (Kumar et al., 2016;Mofokeng et al., 2020). Only KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa has kept aside 250 ha of land to protect the African potato from overexploitation (Mofokeng et al., 2020). ...
... It is widely harvested from wild populations, without intensive commercial cultivation (Kumar et al., 2016;Mofokeng et al., 2020). Only KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa has kept aside 250 ha of land to protect the African potato from overexploitation (Mofokeng et al., 2020). Thus, the domestication of wild plants is critical for sustainable development of this industry. ...
... Irrigation was scheduled and adjusted according to the age of plants, season, and the moisture content of the growing media (Mofokeng et al., 2020). Accumulation of salts in the growth media was minimized by applying large volumes of nutrient solution (3-h irrigation) in each irrigation cycle to ensure 10% to 15% leaching (Nyakane et al., 2019). ...
Potassium (K) is an essential nutrient in plant metabolism, ionic balance, and stress resistance. In this study, the effects of K on agronomic attributes and on mineral and primary metabolite content in African potato were determined. K was administered hydroponically at four concentrations (4.00, 6.00, 8.00, and 10.00 meq·L ⁻¹ ) using Steiner’s universal nutrient solution. Chlorophyll content (CHL), leaf area (LA), fresh corm mass (FCM), number of roots (NR), root fresh weight (RFM), and root dry mass (RDM) were measured 18, 32, and 40 weeks after transplanting. Mineral analysis data were collected at 18 weeks, and primary metabolite data were collected at 32 weeks. Significant effects of K were observed after 18 weeks, and all test concentrations had a positive effect on yield. Calcium and boron significantly accumulated in the corm at 4.00 meq·L ⁻¹ K. Alanine and malic acid were the only metabolites affected by K concentrations. More minerals accumulated in the corm at 4.00 meq·L ⁻¹ K, whereas at 10.00 meq·L ⁻¹ K, more minerals clustered in the leaf. K applied at 4.00 meq·L ⁻¹ is recommended when growing African potato using a nutrient solution to improve corm mineral and metabolite accumulation.
... Hypoxis argentea is one of the numerous species of the genus Hypoxis, the largest genus of the family Hypoxidaceae [75]. H. argentea is a perennial plant that is mostly found in grassland and on rocky outcrops. ...
Cancer occurrence is rapidly increasing all over the world, including in developing countries. The current trend in cancer management requires the use of herbal remedies since the majority of anticancer drugs are known to be costly, with unwanted side effects. In the Eastern Cape province, the use of medicinal plants for cancer management has been climbing steadily over the past two decades due to their cultural belief, low cost, efficacy, and safety claims. With the aim of identifying some potential anticancer plants for probable drug development, this study was undertaken to review plants reported by ethnobotanical surveys in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa for the traditional management of cancer. Information regarding plants used for cancer management in the Eastern Cape province was obtained from multidisciplinary databases and ethnobotanical books. About 24 plant species belonging to twenty families have been reported to be used for the traditional management of cancer in the Eastern Cape province. Among the anticancer plant species, only 16 species have been explored scientifically for their anticancer activities. This review authenticated the use of anticancer plant species in the Eastern Cape province and, therefore, identified several promising unexplored species for further scientific evaluation.
... & Av e-Lall. (Hypoxidaceae), the most common of the Hypoxis species, is commonly known as African potato or starflowers (Drewes et al., 1984;Singh, 1999;Mofokeng et al., 2020a). It is widely distributed in the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces of South Africa (Mofokeng et al., 2020a). ...
... (Hypoxidaceae), the most common of the Hypoxis species, is commonly known as African potato or starflowers (Drewes et al., 1984;Singh, 1999;Mofokeng et al., 2020a). It is widely distributed in the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces of South Africa (Mofokeng et al., 2020a). Externally, its rootstock is dark-brown while the freshly sliced rootstock is bright yellow to yellowish green internally, which darkens rapidly when exposed to air and exudes a resinous yellow juice (Singh, 1999). ...
... The populations of H. hemerocallidea are declining and, although not endangered, the continuous unsustainable harvesting of the corms remains a great concern (Mofokeng et al., 2018). The first commercial interest in H. hemerocallidea started as early as 1967 and since then research interest has continued to grow (Mofokeng et al., 2020a). ...
Hypoxis hemerocallidea is a highly utilized medicinal plant, with the potential to treat testicular tumors, prostate hypertrophy and urinary infections. Although currently classified as of least concern in its conservation status, its ongoing, unsustainable harvesting and habitat loss remain threats to its natural populations. The potential of using one-half of H. hemerocallidea corms for propagation and the other half for medicinal purposes was investigated in an effort to develop sustainable utilization strategies for this plant. The corms were cut transversely into upper and lower halves, following which the upper halves were either cut into four or eight equal segments, or used without any further cutting. The segments were soaked for 30 min in 6-benzyladenine (BA) or gibberellic acid (GA3) at concentrations of 50 or 100 mg/L, while soaking in distilled water served as the control. Upper parts of the corm cut into four segments, and soaked in 50 mg/L BA resulted in a high number of cormlets. The propagation coefficient of the upper corm parts cut into four segments and soaked in 50 mg/L BA was 140%. The cutting method alone or combined with plant growth regulator treatments significantly affected the number of cormlets produced. Cutting the upper corm parts into four segments and soaking in distilled water resulted in a propagation coefficient of 90%. Cutting the upper corm parts into four segments is advantageous as the segments are not too small to compromise food reserves, while soaking allows for the leaching out of possible growth retardants. The study successfully developed a method, which can be recommended for sustainable harvesting and propagation of H. hemerocallidea.
... Hypoxis hemerocallidea Fisch., C.A.Mey. & Av e-Lall. is a long-lived perennial herbaceous geophyte widespread in mesic grassland, savanna and thicket in south-eastern, eastern, central, and northern South Africa as well as Lesotho, eSwatini, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique (Williams et al., 2019;Mofokeng et al., 2020). Hairy, sickle-shaped leaves (110À600 mm in height, 10À15 mm wide) grow in three ranks, emerging from terminal buds on an underground corm (25À70 mm diameter; up to 500 g in weight) along with long stems bearing yellow-shaped flowers (6À16 per stem) that open and close daily (Pooley, 1998;Mofokeng et al., 2018). ...
Mesic grasslands in South Africa (> 650 mm a À 1 MAP) are rich in herbaceous forbs, which outnumber grass species by more than 5 to 1. Many of these forbs are geophytes with underground storage units (USOs), such as thickened rootstocks, rhizomes, bulbs, or corms, that provide resources (non-structural carbohydrates, minerals, and water) enabling them to resprout after dry, frosty winters, and fire. However, despite their extensive biomass and reserves ostensibly protected underground, mesic grassland geophytes can be severely depleted or extirpated by chronic trampling and grazing of their aerial parts by livestock. This study examined a possible explanation for the demise of grassland geophytes in overgrazed grassland by investigating , in a pot trial, whether the growth of a geophyte and the size of its USOs are negatively affected by simulated green leaf loss. In a 2 £ 2 factorial (clipped vs. unclipped x spring regrowth in the dark vs. light), five replicate plants of Hypoxis hemerocallidea, a common mesic grassland geophyte that resprouts from a corm, were subject to six severe (clipped to 80 mm) defoliations during the growing season and regrown in spring under full or restricted light to measure stored reserve contribution to regrowth. Defoliated plants were resilient to defoliation during the growing season, matching the total biomass production of unclipped plants, though cutting reduced the number of leaves by :60% and flowers by almost 85%. Spring regrowth on stored reserves equalled that from reserves plus concurrent photosynthesis, indicating the value of USOs for regrowth. However, there was a marked carry-over effect of previous season defoliation, resulting in a one-third reduction in shoot growth and 40% fewer inflorescence in spring. Crucially, corm mass was more than halved by clipping, which resulted in lower spring biomass and inflorescence production. It was concluded that buried stored reserves are not protected from recurrent defoliation and mechanical damage to aerial plant parts and that continued diminishment of USOs under chronic disturbance by overgrazing or frequent mowing would weaken and likely eventually kill plants, reducing overall forb species richness. Lenient management by infrequent summer mowing or grazing at moderate stocking rates combined with periodic rota-tional full season resting and dormant-season burning is recommend to maintain the USOs and vigour of grassland geophytes in mesic grassland.
... & Avé-Lall. is a long-lived perennial herbaceous geophyte widespread in mesic grassland, savanna and thicket in south-eastern, eastern, central, and northern South Africa as well as Lesotho, eSwatini, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique (Williams et al., 2019;Mofokeng et al, 2020). Hairy, sickle-shaped leaves (110-600 mm in height, 10-15 mm wide) grow in three ranks, emerging from terminal buds on an underground corm (25-70 mm diameter; up to 500 g in weight) along with long stems bearing yellow-shaped flowers (6-16 per stem) that open and close daily (Pooley, 1998; . ...
Mesic grasslands in South Africa (> 650 mm a-1 MAP) are rich in herbaceous forbs, which outnumber grass species by more than 5 to 1. Many of these forbs have underground storage units (USOs), such as thickened rootstocks, rhizomes, bulbs, or corms, that provide resources (non-structural carbohydrates, minerals, and water) enabling them to resprout after dry, frosty winters, and fire. However, despite their extensive biomass and reserves ostensibly protected underground, geophytic mesic grassland forbs can be severely depleted or extirpated by chronic trampling and grazing of their aerial parts by livestock. This study examined a possible explanation for forb demise in overgrazed grassland by investigating, in a pot trial, whether the growth of forbs and the size of their USOs are negatively affected by simulated green leaf loss. In a 2x2 factorial (clipped vs. unclipped x spring regrowth in the dark vs. light), five replicate plants of Hypoxis hemerocallidea, a common mesic grassland forb that resprouts from a corm, were subject to six severe (clipped to 80 mm) defoliations during the growing season and regrown in spring under full or restricted light to measure stored reserve contribution to regrowth. Defoliated plants were resilient to defoliation during the growing season, matching the total biomass production of unclipped plants, though cutting reduced the number of leaves by ~60% and flowers by almost 85%. Spring regrowth on stored reserves equalled that from reserves plus concurrent photosynthesis, indicating the value of USOs for regrowth. However, there was a marked carry-over effect of previous season defoliation, resulting in a one-third reduction in shoot growth and 40% fewer inflorescence in spring. Crucially, corm mass was more than halved by clipping. Above-ground spring growth was linearly related to corm mass. It was concluded that buried stored reserves are not protected by recurrent disturbance to aerial plant parts and that continued diminishment of USOs under chronic disturbance by overgrazing or frequent mowing would weaken and likely eventually kill plants, reducing forb species richness. Lenient management by infrequent summer mowing or grazing at moderate stocking rates combined with periodic rotational full season resting and dormant-season burning is recommended to maintain the USOs and vigour of forbs in mesic grassland
... Aspects of species diversity and conservation are addressed, among others, by Brée et al. [9], who analyzed the process of species diversification in African rainforests for two restricted clades of Annonaceae, an important family in African forests. The subject of conservation through cultivation of widely used wild species was examined by Mofokeng et al. [10] with a case study on Hypoxis hemerocallidea. With an innovative perspective, a phylogenomic study of the Acanthaceae genus Monechma, which occurs in savanna and succulent biomes, is also included. ...
African ecosystems comprise a wealthy repository of biodiversity with a high proportion of native and endemic plant species, which makes them biologically unique and providers of a wide range of ecosystem services. A large part of African populations, in both rural and urban areas, depends on plants for their survival and welfare, but many ecosystems are being degraded, mostly due to the growing impacts of climate change and other anthropogenic actions and environmental problems. Loss of habitat and biodiversity affects livelihoods, water supply and food security, and reduces the resilience of ecosystems in the African continent. Knowledge of the huge African plant and ecosystem diversity, and on the structure, composition and processes involved in vegetation dynamics, is crucial to promote their sustainable use and to preserve one of the most understudied regions in the world. This Special Issue aimed to gather contributions that update and improve such knowledge.
