PLANT GLOSSARY Poem by Gabeba Baderoon

Most of the plants in the poem are indigenous to the Western Cape in South Africa.
The languages of the plant names include Afrikaans, a Creole language developed by
slaves in Dutch households in the Cape and drawn from indigenous Khoi Khoi and
San languages, Malay, Arabic, English, Dutch and Portuguese.

Asteraceae, Wild Rosemary, Kapokbos [cottonwoolbush] A medicinal plant.
Halleria lucida, Tree fuschia, Witolyf [white olive] A shrub that can grow to
12 metres. It occurs in forests among rocks on the mountain slopes, and has orange
flowers.
Gazania krebsiana, Botterblom [butter flower] A perennial groundcover, it
occurs on the flats or lower mountain slopes. Flowers range in colour from yellow to
orange and red.
Dorotheanthus bellidiformis, Ysplant [ice flower] Bokbaaivygie [deer bay
daisy] A tufted plant with flat, succulent leaves, it occurs on sandy plains. Flowers are
feathery white, pink or purple.
Leucospermum cordifolium, Speldkussing [pincushion] A shrub that grows
to 1.5 metres, it occurs on the lower to middle mountain slopes. Flowers are orange-
red and resemble a cushion punctured with bright pins.