Medicinal plant: Fact sheet.

Bulbine species (Asphodelaceae). Common name: Bulbine. Zulu name: iBhucu / iNgcelwane

 Description & diagnostic features: A number of bulbine sp. found through southern Africa are commonly used for medicinal purposes. Plants most often found in grasslands, thriving in both full sun and shade. The stems branch at the base and the leaves are green and (either) long and narrow filled with gel, or thick and fleshy with a narrow tip, and clusters of yellow or orange flowers are produced on stalks throughout the year. 

Traditional uses: The leaves are crushed and the gel used topically to treat eczema, cracked skin, ringworm, rashes, boils, burns, wounds and cuts, as well as an antidote to poison. The gel can be taken orally to treat vomiting, diarrhoea, convulsions, venereal diseases, diabetes, blood disorders, rheumatism, and urinary complaints. The plant is also used to treat livestock. 

Status: Fairly common and quick growing. Localised populations and species varieties may be threatened by harvesting pressure. 

Propagation: By seed: Seed heads are cut and as they ripen they fall out and the ripe seeds are sown into a sandy compost, and kept moist and partially shaded. Commonly about 80 percent of the seeds germinate over a three week period.

 Vegetative: In older plants fleshy leaves divide where the roots and stem merge. Plants can be lifted and separated by a sharp, clean blade, and provided each portion has roots, they can be directly replanted into the ground. This is preferable to leaf cuttings which have a tendency to rot.

 Farming method: Bulbine is most suited to cooler frost free regions with well drained soil. Watering needs to occur daily until established and can decrease as growth occurs. After establishment plants tolerate full sun and will seed within a year. Cutting dead heads will encourage flowering. 

Source: Adapted from Diederichs, N. (Ed.).2006. Commercializing MAPs. A South African Guide,