Khoisan food plants: taxa with potential for future economic exploitation

Abstract

The information presented in this paper is based on a broad literature review of knowledge of all plants used as sources of food and water by the Khoisan people, namely, the Hottentots or Khoi-Khoin and the San or Bushmen (Schapera 1963, Bruwer 1972), who inhabit the arid and semi-arid areas of Namibia, Botswana and southern Angola (mean annual rainfall 50–700 mm). The literature survey is supplemented by nutritional data, most of which has not been previously published.