Turkey Rhubarb

Rumex sagittatus, also known as turkey rhubarb, rambling dock, potato vine, arrowhead vine and climbing sorrel, is a herbaceous perennial native to southern Africa, from Malawi and Zambia south to South Africa. It has become a weed in Australia and New Zealand. It is a soft-stemmed climbing plant with arrow-shaped leaves, small pinkish flowers, and a tuber that may be up to 10 centimetres long. Wikipedia's article on African traditional medicine gives its Zulu-region name as iBhathatha and says a cold water infusion of the roots is used as a body wash, because it is believed to cleanse the body of misfortunes and evil. This entry rests on those two articles, one for the plant and one for the use.