The !Nara bush (Acanthosicyos horridus)

The exclamation mark in this name indicates that it should be pronounced with a click. With the exception of the Welwitschia, the !nara bush may be the most characteristic plant of the coastal Namib, both in Namibia and in southern Angola. It is a member of the pumpkin family and grows in sand dunes in the vicinity of ephemeral rivers where its roots can reach into underground water. These thick tap roots have been found to reach a length of up to 40 m. Numerous pale green to grey-green, longitudinally grooved stems branch from the rootstock. Trapping sand, they continue to grow out above the sand, thus stabilizing sand hummocks, which may eventually reach a height of several meters. The !nara bush is often the only plant species found in an area.

It appears as an untidy tangle of leafless arching branches, armed with paired strong, sharp spines of 2 - 3 cm long. The absence of leaves reduces water loss and is an adaptation to this plant's very arid area of distribution. Photosynthesis occurs in the greenish stems, the spines and even the greenish yellow flowers instead of the leaves.
Male and female flowers grow on separate plants. The female flowers are easily identifiable by the warty inferior ovary, which develops into green spherical fruits, resembling melons and turning yellowish when ripe. The fruits have a diameter of about 15 cm and are covered in hard, thick, spine-like protuberances. Male flowers of course have no ovary. Numerous cream-coloured pips are embedded in the fruit pulp. The structure of the flowers and fruits show that this plant belongs to the pumpkin family [Cucurbitaceae].
Uses: !Nara fruits used to be the staple diet of the Topnaar people living in the lower Kuiseb Valley, who were consequently known as the !Naranin or 'people of the !nara'. Individual plants are the property of certain families and are inherited by their descendants. Even today certain Topnaar families camp out near their !nara plants between November and May to harvest and process their fruits. The ripe fruits are covered in sand or left to lie in the sun for several days to soften.

Then they are peeled and boiled until the pips can be separated from the pulp, which turns a deep orange colour during cooking. The seeds are removed from the pulp, dried in the sun and packed in bags. They can be eaten raw like nuts or pounded and added to other dishes. They taste similar to almonds, contain 31% protein and up to 57% oil, high in unsaturated fatty acids. Peanuts in comparison have an oil content of 42 - 52%. !Nara pips, locally known as 'butter pits', can be stored for later consumption and there is a small market for them in Walvis Bay.

The remaining pulp is poured out on the slope of a dune or on sacks or plastic sheeting and dried in the sun for a few days. These dried cakes can be chewed as they are or they can be added to porridge and other dishes. In this way the !nara plant can be stored for many months and is a very welcome and healthy addition to the Topnaars' diet.
The archaeologist Dr Beatrice Sandelowsky during excavations at the "Mirabib Shelter" in the central Namib found the remains of !nara peels indicating that these fruits had been utilised in an identical manner as much as 8000 years ago.
The !nara bush is protected under Namibian law.
The succulent young shoots of the !nara bush provide nourishment and moisture for ostriches and certain lizards. Oryx, rhino and black-backed jackals enjoy the fruit while many small mammals eat the seeds once the tough outer shell is broken. However, the bulk of the plant is effectively protected against browsers by its strong sharp spines.
Apart from being an important food source, the !nara plant also has medicinal uses. A very bitter decoction of the root is used to cure many illnesses such as venereal diseases, stomach pains, nausea, kidney problems, arteriosclerosis and chest pains. The root can also be chewed to treat these ailments. According to some sources it cures all ills and heals you within a day! The crushed root, mixed with fat is rubbed into wounds to hasten healing. Pounded boiled seeds from which the shells have been removed are said to restore hair growth. The seeds are rich in vitamins. They are crushed either raw or cooked and the exuding oil is used for cosmetic purposes. The peels of the fruit are fed to donkeys and goats while chickens enjoy the pips.

Names: E. !nara, butterpits; G. Narapflanze; A. nara, botterpitte; H. omungaraha; N&D. !nara
The botanical name Acanthosicyos is made up of two Greek terms "akantha" for thorn or spine and "sikuos" for cucumber, gherkin, thus a perfect description of this spiny cucurbit, while horridus is derived from the Latin verb "horrere" to shudder and refers to the rough and spiny appearance of the plant.