This group of plants, similar to Sutherlandia (the cancer
bush group), is reported to be useful medicinally and also good
Lessertia species are mainly perennials with a few annuals.
The genus consists of erect, prostrate or decumbent herbs and shrubs.
It has compound or rarely unifoliate leaves, paired stipules, an
elongated or subcapitate raceme, paired bracts. All these features
are similar to Sutherlandia. The group differs from Sutherlandia
in flower and fruit. In Lessertia flowers are small and they
range from 6-10 mm long. They are pink, yellow or purple in colour.
Fruits are either linear, compressed or subcompressed and few are
inflated. In Sutherlandia (cancer bush group), flowers are
very big, red in colour about 15 to 30 mm long. Fruits are also
big, inflated and bladder-like in form. The name of the genus Lessertia
was established in 1802 and it was named in honour of Benjamin Delessert,
a Frenchman who edited the Icones selectae (1820-1846).
Lessertia DC. consists of about 50 species. The genus is
mainly restricted to Africa with most of the diversity (about 46)
centred in southern Africa, only four species extend into tropical
Africa and they are L. benguellensis, L. pauciflora, L. incana,
and L. stipulata. Species are found thoughout southern Africa:
24 species have been recorded in Western Cape, 18 in Eastern Cape
and Northern Cape, 14 in Free State, 12 in Namibia, 10 in KwaZulu-Natal,
seven in Lesotho, six in Gauteng, five in North-West and Botswana,
four in Mpumalanga and one in Swaziland. This group of plants is
found in rocky grassland areas, along streambanks and also in mountains.
Flowers are bird-pollinated and fruits are wind-dispersed.
Economic and cultural value
In the Western Cape few Lessertia species have been reported
by farmers to be palatable for sheep grazing, for example L.
diffusa, L. herbacea and L. excisa. An infusion of L.
argentea Harv. is used as an eye lotion and mixed with an infusion
of Stockholm tar, to relieve colic and flatulence. The leaf of L.
stenoloba and L. inflata is said to be a purgative. L.
tomentosa was applied by early Cape colonists to the eyeball
in the treatment of ophthalmic diseases. L. macrostachya
is used for stomach and liver pains. Dosage and regimen: one mug
of water boiled with roots is taken twice a day. L. perennans
is used for magic and it has the same common name as L. stricta
(musa-pelo-oa-matlapa-o-moholo), which is drunk to cure
some afflictions. L. benguellensis (a pulverized plant mixed
with fat used as a salve), is used in treating syphilis, angina
(hot root infusion is gargled) and bloody urine (root decoction
is drunk), and the root is reported to increase potency.
perennial, non-climbing herb, 0.2-0.5 m tall. Leaves 65-130
mm long, divided into 5-9 pairs of leaflets, hairless, strap-shaped,
pale-green, fleshy and squared off at the tip. The inflorescence
is, 8-12-flowered. Inflorescence stalks 6-20 mm long. The fruit
is a legume, 13-43 x 15-20 mm, oblong, hairless and 6-7-seeded.
Diagnostic characters: the plant has a very short inflorescence
stalk; the fruit is a broad, oblong legume, which at times becomes
whitish, with long flower stalk. Distribution: occurs only in
Namibia and Botswana. Flowering time: November to July.
perennial, diffuse or procumbent, 0.05-0.45 m tall. The stems,
leaf stalks, and inflorescence stalks covered with white, short,
spreading hairs. Leaves 35-72 mm long, divided into 8-12 pairs
of leaflets (often alternate) elliptic-oblong, rounded or emarginate,
with white soft hairs on one or both sides. Inflorescence densely
many-flowered, elongating, ± 20-flowered. Inflorescence
stalks 45-85 mm long. Fruit is a legume 18-20 x 15-17 mm, subcompressed,
hairless, elliptic-oblong or suborbicular (almost flat with
a ± circular outline), both margins more or less rounded.
Diagnostic characters: It is distinguished from L. excisa
by an elongating, densely-flowered inflorescence and the elliptic-oblong
or suborbicular legume. Distribution: in Northern and Western
Cape. Flowering time: May and July to October.
perennial, diffuse or procumbent herb, 0.2-0.4 m tall. The stems,
leaf stalks, and inflorescence stalks covered with white, short,
spreading hairs. Leaves 40-80 mm long, leaflets, closely 8-12
pairs, (often alternate) triangular, emarginate, hairless above,
sparse, white soft hairs beneath. Inflorescence loosely several
or many-flowered, ± 20-flowered. Inflorescence stalks
40-85 mm long. Fruit is a legume 21-30 x 10-12 mm, compressed,
hairless, half moon-shaped. Diagnostic characters: L. excisa
can be distinguished from L. diffusa by its half
moon-shaped legume, by its loosely flowered raceme and calyx
slightly covered with black, soft, short hairs. Distribution:
Northern and Western Cape. Flowering time: August to November.
annual non-climbing herb, erect or ascending, 0.3-0.5 m long,
with scattered, sharp-pointed, appressed (lying flat on the
surface), straight and stiff hairs,. Leaves 55-95 mm, few and
distant, 19-30 mm apart, divided into5-(7)-8 pairs of leaflets,
often infolded, narrow-linear, rounded or with a shallow notch
on a rounded apex, hairless above, with scattered, sharp-pointed,
appressed, straight and stiff hairs beneath. Inflorescence stalks
61-92 mm, often much longer than the leaves. Inflorescence a
loose raceme with many flowers, elongating, flowers purple.
Fruit is a legume compressed, often veiny, 12-20 x 12-14 mm,
hairless, shortly stipitate, obliquely ovoid-oblong, 2-6-seeded.
Diagnostic characters: It can be distinguished from L. diffusa
and L. excisa by hairiness, with scattered, sharp-pointed, appressed,
straight and stiff hairs and the legume which is obliquely ovoid-oblong.
Distribution: a Western Cape species, extending sparsely into
the Northern and Eastern Cape.
perennial, non-climbing herb, 0.1 -0.5 m tall, diffuse or decumbent,
with loose hairs. Leaves 35-50 mm long, divided into 8-10 pairs
of leaflets, short, obovate or obcordate, with loose hairs beneath.
Inflorescence loosely racemose, 5-8-flowered. Inflorescence
stalks 12-28 mm shorter than the leaf. Fruit is a legume 15-18
x 11-14 mm, hairless, obliquely round, bladdery. Diagnostic
characters: L. inflata is near to L. capitata
but it can be differentiated by its short inflorescence stalks
and bladdery, small, membranous, round legumes. Distribution:
Northern, Western and Eastern Cape. Flowering time: January,
April, June to July and September to October.
perennial, non-climbing herb, 0.01-0.8 m tall. Leaves 33-100
mm long, divided into 3-10 pairs of leaflets, elliptic oblong,
thinly silky on both sides, gradually smaller upwards. Inflorescence
distantly many-flowered, 20-30 per inflorescence. Inflorescence
stalks 30-62 mm long. Fruit is a legume 15-30 x 10-13 mm, elliptic-oblong,
rounded at the ends, with a short stipe, hairy. Diagnostic characters:
Oblong legume, thickly spotted with purple dots. Distribution:
Namibia, Botswana and Northern Cape. Flowering time: January,
February and November.
perennial, non-climbing small bush, 0.1-1.6 m tall. Leaves
35-120 mm long, divided into 6-11 pairs of leaflets, ovate
to slightly obovate or elliptic, apex rounded, base wedge-shaped,
either both surfaces with sparse hairs or hairy on one surface.
Inflorescence loosely racemose, 15-50-flowered. Inflorescence
stalks 50-140 mm long. Fruit is a legume 11-20 x 6-11 mm,
obliquely elliptic, sharply triangular at base, hairless.
Diagnostic characters: L.perennans var. perennans can distinguished
from L. stricta by its being hairy and silvery. Distribution:
North-West, Mpumalanga, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho
and Eastern Cape. Flowering time: September to February, April
perennial, non-climbing herb up to 0.3 m, erect or diffuse.
Leaves 50-75 mm long, divided into 5-10 pairs of leaflets, linear-oblong
or sublanceolate, variably hairy. Inflorescence shortly racemose
at the summit 10-30-flowered. Inflorescence stalks 25-120 mm
long, longer than the leaves. Fruit is a legume 46 x 9 mm, linear,
obtuse, nearly straight, four times as long as broad, with scattered,
sharp-pointed, appressed, straight and stiff hairs, many-seeded.
Diagnostic characters: Distinguished from L. brachystachya by
having long inflorescence stalks and short flower stalks. Distribution:
Western and Eastern Cape, extends sparsely into Northern Cape.
Flowering time: May, July to September and November to December.
p erennial, non-climbing herb, 0.5-1 m high. Stem prominently
ribbed, hairless. Leaves 40-75 mm long, divided into 4-8 pairs
of leaflets, hairless, oblong-lanceolate. Inflorescence loosely
racemose, 10-20-flowered. Inflorescence stalk 55-95 mm, much
longer than the leaves. Fruit is a legume 20-30 x 8-11 mm,
hairless, obliquely obovoid-oblong, slightly sickle-shaped.
Diagnostic characters: Close to L. perennans, can be distinguished
by its short and more apressed hairs; more loosely racemose
flowers; larger and longer legumes with many seeds (8-10).
Distribution: Northern Cape, North-West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga,
Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho. Flowering time: December
perennial, diffuse or procumbent, 0.2-0.4 m tall. The stems,
leaf stalks, and inflorescence stalks are covered with white,
soft, short, spreading hairs. Leaves 50-60 mm long, divided
into 8-12 pairs of leaflets, oblong, tapering gradually, rounded
or notched at the tip, hairless above, with white soft hairs
beneath. Inflorescence subcapitate, shortly 8-12-flowered. Inflorescence
stalks 45-130 mm long, hairy. Fruit is a legume 10-20 x 8-13
mm, swollen, ovoid, with white hairs and a short stalk. Diagnostic
characters: It is distinguished from L. capitata by a hairy
legume. Distribution: Western Cape. Flowering time: January
and from August to October.
These planrs are not grown in gardens at present, although
Sutherlandia frutescens, which is sometimes called Lessertia
frutescens, is a popular garden subject.
References and further reading
Balkwill, M.-J. & Balkwill, K. 1999. The genus Lessertia DC.
(Fabaceae-Galegeae) in KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa). South African
Journal of Botany 65: 339-356.
Bolus, L. 1915. Notes on Lessertia with descriptions of six new
species and a key. Annals of the Bolus Herbarium 1: 87-96.
Harvey, W.H. & Sonder, O.W. 1862. Flora capensis.
Nkonki, T. 2003. Lessertia DC. In G. Germishuizen & N.L. Meyer,
Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia
National Herbarium, Pretoria