Common Name:

General Information

Buchnera hispida is an erect, annual plant with a simple or branched stem, growing up to 1 metre tall. A hemiparasitic plant, it grows best as a parasite, favouring the roots of cereal crops such as. sorghum, millet and maize, but it can also grow, although less well, without a host plant[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and dye.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Africa - widespread in tropical and southern subtropical areas; through the Arabian Peninsula to India.

Habitat

A weed of cultivated land, it is also found in well-drained grassland on sandy soils, often in open woodland, at elevations from sea-level up to 1,800 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.50 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant is a weed of cultivated land which can parasitize roots particularly of cereal crops such as sorghum, millet and maize. However, the plant is hardly ever a serious noxious weed[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The dried powdered plant is mixed with castor oil and applied externally to treat scabies and eczema[].

Other Uses

The whole plant turns blue-black if bruised and becomes black after drying. The dried powdered plant is used as source of a black dye for skin and textiles[, ].

Propagation

Seed - It requires light for germination. Although dark incubation in water before illumination is not absolutely necessary for germination, in tests it caused the seeds to respond more rapidly to light. The longer the time of the dark incubation the more responsive the seeds were to light[].

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