Tswaing - Voëlent
The parasitic plant is commonly known as “voëlent” which translates to “birdlime”. In late spring the parasitic plant produces small yellow flowers, which will develop into small bright red berries. The berries may be gathered and processed to become sticky glue, which is applied to branches often frequented by small birds. When the birds sit on the sticky branch, they can’t fly off and are caught by hand.
Birds eat the small red berries and the seeds are then deposited on trees. The fruity part of the seeds consists of very sticky substances, which make the seeds, stick to the bark of trees for a long time. The seeds germinate; form some type of root, which penetrate the bark and in some mysterious way make use of the host plant’s root system to survive and thrive.
