bitter Karoo, noun phrase

Forms:
Also with small initials.
Origin:
AfrikaansShow more Afrikaans bitter bitter + Karoo.
In full bitter Karoo bush, formerly bitter Karoo boschje: the pernicious shrub Chrysocoma ciliata of the Asteraceae; bitterbossie; bitter bush. See also Karoo sense 2.
1896 R. Wallace Farming Indust. of Cape Col. 94The bitter Karoo bosje, Chrysocoma tenuifolia Berg..is only eaten in times of scarcity, as it produces stomach and biliary disorders.
1910 A.B. Lamont Rural Reader 258Bitter karoo spreads rapidly, and is not eaten by stock except when other food is scarce.
1913 A. Glossop Barnes’s S. Afr. Hsehold Guide 316Extirpate the bitter Karoo boschje, Rhenoster bush,..lalybloem, ‘drink-gras’, [etc.].
1933 G.A. Gill in Farming in S. Afr. May 190Bitter Karroo is now also recognised to have poisonous properties.
1937 Handbk for Farmers (Dept of Agric. & Forestry) 396Overstocking should be avoided, as this induces a strong growth of steekgras and bitter Karroo.
1948 H.V. Morton In Search of S. Afr. 257There is the bitter Karoo bush, which has a yellow flower, and the Vaal Karoo, which is a greyer version of the bitter.
1971 Golden Fleece (S. Afr. Wool Board) June (Suppl.)Where grassveld is overstocked or grazed injudiciously with sheep, shrubs such as Karroo bush, (pentzia spp.) and bitter Karroo (Chrysocoma tenuifolia) often form the dominant vegetation.
In full bitter Karoo bush, formerly bitter Karoo boschje:the pernicious shrub Chrysocoma ciliata of the Asteraceae; bitterbossie; bitter bush.
Entry Navigation

Visualise Quotations

Quotation summary

Senses

18961971

Browse Related Words

By Category

Bushes and Shrubs

By Origin

Afrikaans
bitter-ender, nounn.bitter-melon, nounn.
Copyright © 2025 Dictionary Unit for South African English