Medicinal Plants of Namibia

! Plant:!Acanthosicyos&horridus&! Family:!Cucurbitaceae6! ! Common(names:( !Nara22!! !Narab22!! Bolterpitte22!! Butternut47!! Nara!melon22!! Naras47!! Narra22!! Omungaraha22!! ( Range:(( This!plant!is!rare,!occurring!most! commonly!in!dune!environments!of!the! Namib!Desert13.!!The!Namib!dunes!are! relatively!unusual!because!they!are!a! coastal!fog!desert!where!water!can!be!obtained!from!the!fog!that!rolls!in!from!the! Atlantic!Ocean!along!the!Skeleton!Coast33.!!In!fact!as!a!result!of!its!uniqueness,!in! 2013,!this!Namib!Sand!Sea!became!a!United!Nations!Educational,!Scientific,!and! Cultural!Organization!(UNESCO)!World!Heritage!Site33.! ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( Diagnostic(characteristics:( This!shrub!does!not!develop!leaves;!instead!it!has!fleshy!branches!that!develop! curved!spines,!which!help!direct!water!from!rain!or!condensed!fog!towards!its! base6.!!!Nara’s!leafless!structure!is!well!suited!for!its!sand!dune!environment,!usually! sprawling!out!5!m!high!with!long!taproots!twice!its!height6.!!These!lengthy!taproots! sustain!the!!nara!shrub!by!extending!in!the!ground!in!search!of!scarce!water6,!38.!!

Medicinal Plants of Namibia | Page 10