Common Name:

General Information

Rafnia acuminata is a prostrate, much-branched, trailing perennial plant with stems that become more or less woody; it can grow up to 30cm tall and 100cm wide[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southern Africa - southern S. Africa

Habitat

Sandy flats, hill slopes and plateaux[]. Coastal, montane and grassy fynbos, growing on gentle or steep, dry rocky slopes, often associated with stony shale, dry, sandy soils, clays and granitic soils[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	0.25 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a sunny position in a well-drained soil.
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

An infusion of the leaves is used as a diuretic[].

Agroforestry Uses:

We have had no specific information for this species, but members of this genus are generally useful for soil building and as ground covers[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -