African Wildlife & Environment Issue 79

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

of pitch black, glossy pin heads. To collect seeds, I usually place a large homemade voile bag over the heavy seed heads at the end of a season and tie the base of the seed bag well. Beat the seed bag with a stick a few times for all the little seeds to fall into the voile bag. Gently pour the seeds out of the bag into a sieve with a bowl underneath. The dried husks will remain behind and the seeds will be clean.

The tea used as a wash is both gentle and astringent for reducing oiliness and the vitamin C with anti-oxidants replenishes the elasticity in the skin. It can be used in rinsing water after shampooing hair and the cooled tea in a spritz spray as an excellent anti-aging remedy and again an easy way of treating problem skins. This fascinating weed is invaluable to women with difficult and heavy menses at the same time replacing the loss of iron. When growing the Amaranth at home, always make sure to keep a good row for seed to replant and to use in baked bread, muffins, pancakes or biscuits. The highly nutritious seeds are the size

Sandy Roberts The Herbal Centre Hartbeespoort 071 161 6441

FURTHER READING: Indigenous Heal ing Plants (reviewed in Afr ican Wi ldl i fe & Envi ronment # 71).

NEW BOOKS FROM STRUIK NATURE

LOOK OUT FOR THESE

POCKET GUIDES

NEW EDITION

OUT IN AUG

OUT IN SEPT

Identification at a glance of all known gladioli species in South Africa

Comprehensive field guide – the first of its kind for the region

Uncovers the remarkable diversity of animal and plant life in the arid regions of SA, Namibia & Botswana

OUT IN AUG

25 | African Wildlife & Environment | Issue 79 (2021) A V A I L A B L E A T L E A D I N G B O O K S T O R E S N A T I O N W I D E & O N L I N E