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CANNABIS FEATURE
Figure 1: Male cannabis Figure 2: Female flowers
flowers are borne on a are borne on separate
separate plant and large plants and are called
numbers are released in colas. The hairy stigmas
pollen by the wind for of the female flowers are
pollination. designed to catch wind-
born pollen.
Figure 3: Trichomes on a female inflorescence or cola. Figure 4: Two individual plants from the same Figure 5: The stem of a hemp plant. The bark is
Trichomes are the sticky hairs that look like a sugary landrace. There are marked differences in their plant partially removed and frayed out to show the bast
coating on the leaves within the cola. morphology. fibres (fibres present on the bark of the stem).
About the author
Explanatory notes
1. A landrace is a traditional cannabis
variety developed by a local farmer Dr Willem Jansen van Rensburg holds a
over time. It is normally more PhD (Plant Breeding) from the University
adapted to local conditions and of KwaZulu-Natal and is a researcher in
sometimes referred to as ‘farmers’ the plant breeding division of the ARC
varieties’. (Agricultural Research Council) Vegetable,
Industrial and Medicinal Plants. He
2. Industrial hemp, medicinal and has undertaken research on cannabis,
recreational cannabis are all indigenous and traditional vegetables and
variants of cannabis. Hemp is essential oil plants. This research includes
mostly Cannabis sativa with good the gathering of baseline information,
quality fibre in the stalks (Figure 5). collation and maintenance of germplasm,
In order to cultivate hemp in South germplasm characterisation, participatory
Africa, the THC content (delta-9 evaluation, breeding and genotype by
tetrahydrocannabinol) must be environmental interaction. He has also been
below 0.2 %. involved in the development of production
Dr. Willem Jansen van Rensburg manuals, pamphlets and training modules.
n
Landscape SA • Issue 115 2022 25
