Wildflower series ~ African potato

in flowers •  6 years ago 

Hypoxis obtusa flower.jpg

I have been trying to photograph these flowers for months but they are difficult because they are early morning bloomers and close before the late afternoon, which is the only time that the harsh light is soft enough to take useable pictures and I don't do really early mornings. Luckily there was a cloudy morning on Friday and I finally managed to catch them in useable light.

Hypoxis obtusa.jpg

This particular species is Hypoxis obtusa and they are fairly common plants in grasslands although they are also important medicinal plants and some species are becoming rare due to overharvesting. The bulbs of this plant contain Hypoxoside which helps modulate the immune system and is used by HIV+ people as a supplement. It is not a cure but it is a helpful treatment

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The bulbs of this plant contain Hypoxoside which helps modulate the immune system and is used by HIV+ people as a supplement. It is not a cure but it is a helpful treatment

That is very interesting. Makes you wonder how much research has gone into it over the years/decades to discover the wonders of a plant.

The discovery of these plant's medicinal uses is lost in the mist of time. They have only been scientifically studied because they are known to have medicinal value

They are beautiful, I love the yellow

They have been a favourite of mine since I was a kid

Very undividualistic flower! Quite wild looking?

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It is a wild flower

They are so pretty. Amazing how it can be used medicinally as well.

I think the fact that so many plants here store water in underground stems means that they also contain other useful compounds

Interesting flowers. They close their buds with the onset of the day. Usually the flowers are closed at night. Indeed, Africa is a continent of wonders.

That's true

Interesting and beautiful flower!

Thank you