The Marble Berry

This perennial herb is the world´s shiniest and most colorful organism on Earth and its color doesn´t fade! Researchers found samples in Herbariums which were collected in the XIX century, and they look just as bright as nowadays´ berries!
The shiny blue berries of the tropical Pollia condensata plant rely on their looks, not nutritional content, to attract birds to spread their seeds.
Unlike in most fruits in Pollia condensata the cellulose is layered and it reflecting more light (mainly blue) than any other living organism...Notably also, each individual cell generates color independently producing a pointillist effect! 
File:Pollia.jpg
It inhabits densely forested areas of Africa

The Black Fly Song


Vine Hawk or Silver Striped Hawk Moth: South Africa

south african caterpillar
Pupa of Hippotion celerio (lateral view), Malta. Photo: © Tony Pittaway
Hippotion celerio

The Fly King


GrEEn BoTTLe FLy: South Africa

Their larvae or maggots grow to full size in 2-10 days, then drop into the soil before pupating into adult flies. 
L. sericata larvae are used as a Biosurgery Agent (MDT: Maggot Debridement Therapy)  in cases when antibiotics and surgery aren´t possible.
Maggots can eat dead or necrotic tissue without harming the surrounding living tissue and its secretions aid tissue regeneration.
Finally, because L. sericata is one of the first insects to colonize a corpse, it´s favored over other species in determining an approximate time of death by forensic entomologists.

Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo


Cabbage Tree Emperor Caterpillar: South African

This incredible insect is 70 mm long and 15 mm in diameter
And this is the moth
Pupae are subterranean and emerge from the cocoon in the spring/summer

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric CarL


I´m Hungry by PaRRy GriPP


South African Vegetable Ivory or Real Fan: An African Palm

In Africa, Hyphaene ventricosa is known as the vegetable ivory, a product made from its incredibly hard seed´s endosperm or inner tissue. 
 Vegetable Ivory
The nuts of this palms have a sweet and juicy outer pulp which reminds of gingerbread, leading to the name of  "Gingerbread palm".  
 H. natalensis, the Lala or Llala palm from Tongaland in KwaZulu-Natal´s  fermented sap is a source of wine (kallu) but this process eventually kills the plant...
Ilala nuts are a delicacy for elephants who swallow them whole, digest the flesh and excrete the seeds. 
This process cracks the hard outer shell and leaves the seed ready to germinate or carve.
Finally with the palm leaves locals weave beautiful baskets...
ILLALA_PALM_BASK_4e533f480171f.jpg

South African Wild Cucumber

The 10 mm long fruit of this perennial herb, contains calcium, vitamin C, nicotinic acid and iron.
In South African traditional medicine the fruit, leaf or root of is used as a purgative for various illnesses. 
The boiled leaf is eaten eaten and used as a skin cataplasm and as an animal medicine
The fruit has been pickled since the 17th century and taken to the West Indies by the slaves from West Africa. 

Jack & The BeanStalk


Amadumbe: South African Indigenous Crop

Colocasia esculenta is a tuber under many common names, such as Amadumbe (South
Africa), Taro (Pacific islands) or Cocoyam (West Africa).
It is a traditional food crop grown  in the KwaZulu-Natal
(KZN) province of South Africa.

This “potato of the tropics” is cooked much like a yam.  It is believed that amadumbe has been cultivated for over 6 000 years and originated in Oceania and South East Asia.
Nutritional evaluation showed  anti-nutritional properties that reduce the availability of nutrients to animals and humans. 
Amylase, present in Amadumbe prevents starches from being digested and absorbed by the body and this could be useful for treating obesity and diabetes mellitus.