Definition

1. Noun:
   • A large South African shrub: A plant species native to South Africa, characterized by many noticeably hairy branches, large hairy leaves, and clusters of prominent white flowers.
   • A source of bowstring hemp: A plant from South Africa that yields a fiber suitable for making bowstrings.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The garden featured a beautiful African hemp with its distinctive white flowers.
  • Traditionally, the strong fibers from African hemp were used by local communities.

Advanced Usage

• Botanical Context: In botanical or horticultural writing, "African hemp" is used to specify this particular species within discussions of South African flora or fiber plants.
  • The study compared the fiber strength of African hemp to other traditional cordage materials.

Variants and Related Words

• Sparmannia africana: The scientific botanical name for the plant commonly called African hemp.
• Bowstring hemp: A general term for plants yielding cordage fiber; is one specific type.

Synonyms

• South African hemp: A direct synonym referencing its geographic origin.
• Cape hemp: Another regional synonym, referring to the Cape region of South Africa.

Notes

• This is a compound noun. The primary definition and usage pertain to the specific plant entity named "African hemp." It is not typically used in idiomatic expressions or phrasal verbs.

Noun

1. large shrub of South Africa having many conspicuously hairy branches with large hairy leaves and clusters of conspicuous white flowers
2. bowstring hemp of South Africa