Medicinal Plants of Namibia | Page 37

Plant:!PecheulELoeschea&leubnitziae!
Family:!Asteraceae7!!
(
Common(names:!(
Autsi!khanneb22!!
Auxan!khâb22!!
Bitter!bush7!!
Bitterbos22,!35!!
Ezimbab22!!
Grauer7!!
Omunḓumba22!!
Oshis̭ uimba22!
Oshizimba22!!
Stinkbusch7,!35!!
!
!
(
Range:((
This!shrub!is!widely!distributed!across!Namibia!in!ephemeral!riverbeds7,!13.!
!
Diagnostic(characteristics:(!
Stinkbusch!(also!known!as!bitterbos)!
gets!its!names!from!its!pungent!smell!
(and!consequent!taste)7.!!Despite!being!a!
woody!shrub,!it!can!get!as!tall!as!2!m7.!!
Leaves!are!small,!linear!and!tend!to!be!
most!abundant7,!13.!!Fruits!and!flowers!
are!present!all!year!long12.!!Flowers!are!
purple!diskSheads!and!get!white!and!
more!spherical!(like!dandelions)!with!
age7.!!!
(
Governmental(protection(status:(
There’s!no!governmental!protection!of!
this!species!even!though!it’s!the!only!
one!of!the!genera!to!take!residence!in!
Namibia7.!!
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Indigenous(medicinal(use:!!
This!plant!has!a!more!obscure!application!than!most!others!in!this!field!guide.!!The!
Ovambo!used!P.&leubnitziae!to!treat!issues!with!the!gluteus!maximus47.!!The!leaves!
should!be!crushed!and!placed!into!the!anus!to!calm!swelling47.!!Similarly!an!enema!
can!also!be!created!from!an!infusion!in!water!with!the!ground!leaves13.!!The!Ovambo!
also!use!the!vapor!of!this!plant!to!treat!headaches47.!!The!Himba!have!found!this!
plant!useful!in!clarifying!the!skin!as!well!as!for!sexually!transmitted!diseases!
including!gonorrhea47.!!To!use!the!plant!in!this!manner,!collect!the!roots!and!boil!