This is Thunderbolt Flower. I love that name and I think it makes it sound a little like a super-hero. But It’s also known as Lady’s Slipper and Wild Sesame and probably 42 other things, which is why you can’t get away with not knowing the scientific names of plants. Grrrrrrr.  So this is Sesamum triphyllum.  Often standing 2 meters tall, it quite literally stands out on the Kalahari dunes. I have a plant book that says you’ll get a ‘flavour-filled surprise’ if you add its oily seeds to a bowl of pap. I’m truly intrigued! So i’m adding it to my list of plants that I want to try to eat.

The stem and leaves of Sesamum triphyllum also work nicely as a soap, so I like to carry a piece whenever i’m travelling across the Kalahari. When you add water to it and rub, It leaves your hands feeling all clean and soft and organic-ish. Once you’ve wiped off all the green ooze…