elandsboontjie, noun
- Forms:
- Formerly also elands bontje, elands boontje.
- Origin:
- Afrikaans, South African DutchShow more Afrikaans (earlier South African Dutch elandsboontje), eland see eland + linking phoneme -s- + boontjie bean; see quotation 1966.
The plant Elephantorrhiza elephantinea of the Fabaceae, having seeds which are used as a coffee substitute, roots as a source of dye, and underground stems as food for stock.
1868 W.H. Harvey Genera of S. Afr. Plants 92Glabrous undershrubs, with large fleshy roots (Elandsboontjes).
1966 C.A. Smith Common Names 209Elandsboontjie, The plants have a thick, underground, rootlike stem...Burchell reported that the underground stems were a favourite food of elephants. The pods are eaten by the eland antelope.
The plant Elephantorrhiza elephantinea of the Fabaceae, having seeds which are used as a coffee substitute, roots as a source of dye, and underground stems as food for stock.
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