Economic and cultural value The use of Ballota africana as a medicinal plant has a long history at the Cape. The Khoi and Nama often used the leaves in combination with Salvia species, for fevers and measles. Africans used it for relieving severe colic and as a snakebite remedy. Other than learning from the local Khoi, the early colonists must have recognized the similarity between B. africana and the closely related European herb, B. nigra. In France, B. nigra was used for insomnia and coughs, while in England it was used as an antispasmodic, stimulant and vermifuge.

Traditionally, fresh or dry, the leaves of Ballota africana were used as a tea to treat coughs, colds, sore throats, influenza, asthma, bronchitis, colic, typhoid fever, hysteria, and over-excitement. Margaret Roberts still recommends it for the treatment of coughs and chest conditions. She gives a recipe for a cough syrup in which she boils brown sugar, cloves, lemon juice and water with a few sprigs of kattekruie (Roberts 1990).

The traditional use of making a brandy tincture with Ballota africana is still popular today, especially for the treatment of haemorrhoids. A single tot taken in the evening is said to be good for colds and influenza, asthma, bronchitis, hoarseness, heart trouble, hysteria, insomnia, typhoid fever, headaches, liver problems, piles and as a foot bath for arthritis (Van Wyk et al. 1997).

Ballota africana must be one of the first indigenous plants involved in a court case in South Africa. Pappe, a physician and botanist at the Cape, recorded a trial in 1838 in which B. africana was presented as a narcotic (erroneously) and used in the proceedings against the accused, C.A. van der Merwe for the murder of his wife. (Watt & Breyer-Brandwijk 1962). In spite of its bitter taste, there is however no record of B. africana being poisonous.

On a lighter note, children along the West Coast used to dance around the plant, singing 'kattekruie, kattekruie, daar staan die kattekruie, dis 'n lekker kruie'. The song translated means, 'kattekruie, kattekruie, there is the kattekruie, what a lovely herb!