Eswatini's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses
Compiled by Chris Long, © December 2005
SiSwati names and uses, arranged by alphabetically by botanical name:
| Annona | |
| senegalensis (Wild Custard Apple) ematelemba, ematembe, matelemba, pofugwane, umtelemba, umtelembu, | |
| Firewood: | Firewood |
| Medicinal: | Roots are used medicinally as a cure for dizziness & as a cure for madness.. Bark for burns & wounds. Also emetic. |
| Food: | Edible fruit. Smells like a pineapple and tastes like an apricot. |
| subsp. oulotricha var. areolata | |
| subsp. oulotricha var. oulotricha | |
| subsp. senegalensis | |
| Argemone | |
| mexicana forma mexicana * (Yellow Mexican Poppy) ugudluthukela, | |
| Medicinal: | For wounds, warts, eczema, itch & skin disorders. |
| ochroleuca subsp. ochroleuca * | |
| Medicinal: | For wounds, warts, eczema, itch & skin disorders. |
| Agrimonia | |
| procera (Scented Agrimony) umakhuthula, | |
| Medicinal: | Herb anti-diarrhoel, mild diuretic, coughs & intestinal worms. |
| Albizia | |
| adianthifolia var. adianthifolia (Poison-pod Albizia) inhlangushane, inhlangutjane, ligowane, sivangatana, sivangatane, umkhabamkhombe, usolo, | |
| Timber: | Timber for construction. Parquet blocks for flooring |
| Cultural: | Clarifies dreams and stops bad spirits. Helps ancestor communication |
| Household: | Leaves sometimes used as washing sponge. |
| Medicinal: | Bark & roots for skin diseases, scabies & for uterine problems, but is also poisonous. Leafy twig used to treat abcesses. Stembark used for epilepsy, gonorrhea & eyesight. |
| Food: | Sauce can be made from seeds. |
| anthelmintica (Worm-cure Falsethorn) ligola, sivangatane, umnala, | |
| Timber: | Wood used for timber. |
| Firewood: | Firewood |
| Medicinal: | Bark & roots for tape worms. An anthelmintic. Lowers cholesterol. |
| forbesii (Broad-pod FalseThorn) sivangatane, umnala, | |
| Household: | Wood used for carving. |
| harveyi (Common Falsethorn) inkhambane, umtfongwane, | |
| Medicinal: | Pods & leaves poisonous to cattle & sheep. |
| versicolor (Large Leaved Falsethorn) halibhona , imfiayezi, inhlaba, mhlakaza, sivangatana, sivangatane, umvangatana, | |
| Timber: | Timber for construction |
| Cultural: | Used to make mischief with others. Acquistion of metaphysical powers. Used by sangoma in washing ceremonies. |
| Household: | Drums & furniture & carving. Root & bark for a soap substitute. |
| Medicinal: | Poisonous in blood but not if eaten. Hence used in arrow poisons. But pods and seeds reported to be poisonous to stock at a certain stage of development. Used medicinally for backache and cough. |
| Acacia umgamba, | |
| ataxacantha (Flame Thorn) funuzumhole, lugagane, magucu, migamandi, sitfwetfwe, umkhaya, | |
| Timber: | Fencing |
| Household: | Branches for basketry and other crafts. |
| Medicinal: | Bark used for treating abcesses |
| baileyana * | |
| Dyes: | Probably tannin |
| borleae (Sticky Thorn) lubibi, sitfwetfwe, | |
| Timber: | Fencing |
| brevispica (Prickly Thorn) lugagane, | |
| Firewood: | Firewood |
| Timber: | Timber & fencing |
| subsp. brevispica | |
| subsp. dregeana | |
| burkei (Black Monkey Thorn) sikhayane, umbambampala, umbambamphala, umkhaya, | |
| Firewood: | Fuelwood |
| Household: | Handicrafts & furniture |
| caffra (Cat Thorn) isinga, lisinga, lugagane, singa, umtfolo, umtfololwane, | |
| Timber: | Fencing |
| Dyes: | Dyes & tanning. |
| Fodder: | Leaves & pods are grazed but suspected of causing poisoning. |
| Firewood: | Fuelwood |
| Household: | Tobacco pipes |
| Medicinal: | Bark emetic for blood cleansing |
| davyi (Corky Thorn) mshipha, umcamba, | |
| Timber: | Timber |
| Firewood: | Fuelwood |
| dealbata * (Silver Wattle) umtfolo wesilungu, | |
| Timber: | Timber |
| Dyes: | Wattle & tannin |
| Firewood: | Fuelwood |
| decurrens * (Green Wattle) umtfolo wesilungu, | |
| Dyes: | Wattle & tannin |
| Firewood: | Fuelwood |
| elata * (Pepertree Wattle) umtfolo, | |
| Dyes: | Probably tannin |
| gerrardii (Red Thorn) liphute, liphuze, mbote, mngamandi, singa, | |
| Timber: | Building |
| Firewood: | Fuelwood |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for gastroenteritis |
| subsp. gerrardii var. calvescens | |
| subsp. gerrardii var. gerrardii | |
| grandicornuta (Horned Thorn) sitfwetfwe, | |
| Timber: | Timber |
| Firewood: | Firewood |
| karroo (Sweet Thorn) isinga, lisinga, singa, umgamatsi, umunga, | |
| Timber: | Construction |
| Honey: | Frequented by honey bees. Sometimes called the "bee tree". |
| Dyes: | Tanning leather red. |
| Cultural: | Traditional |
| Fodder: | Leaves & pods make excellent fodder. |
| Firewood: | Fuelwood |
| Household: | Bark for baskets & ropes & wood for furniture. |
| Medicinal: | Gum for mouth ulcers & throat thrush. Bark & leafs for diarrhoea & dysentery. Gum reputed to delay puberty. |
| Food: | Edible gum. Seeds roasted for coffee. |
| longifolia * | |
| Dyes: | Wattle & tannin |
| luederitzii var. retinens (Belly Thorn) lukhakho, sibanbimphala, | |
| Timber: | Timber |
| Fodder: | Forage & fodder |
| Firewood: | Firewood |
| Food: | Edible gum & fruits. |
| mearnsii * (Black Wattle) umtfolo, umtfolo wesilungu, | |
| Timber: | Timber |
| Dyes: | Wattle & tannin |
| Firewood: | Firewood |
| Household: | Used for a wide variety of products. Fibre board, cellophane etcetera. |
| melanoxylon * (Australian Blackwood) ingucukane, ingulukane, ngulukane, umtfolo, | |
| Timber: | Excellent timber & introduced to South Africa for that purpose. |
| Firewood: | Fuelwood |
| Household: | Fine furniture. |
| mellifera subsp. detinens | |
| Honey: | A good "bee tree". |
| Fodder: | Valuable fodder tree for game or stock. |
| Firewood: | Firewood |
| Medicinal: | Roots used medicinally for stomach complaints. Gum delays puberty. |
| Food: | Edible leaves and gum. |
| natalitia (Pale-bark Sweet Thorn.) singa, umunga, | |
| Household: | Seeds for necklaces & trinkets. |
| Medicinal: | Bark used as a diuretic. |
| nigrescens (Knobthorn) mkhaya, ukhaya, umhlofunga, umkhaya, umkyayo, | |
| Timber: | Timber |
| Cultural: | Traditional |
| Firewood: | Excellent firewood. |
| Household: | Handicrafts & furniture. Favourite wood for making "jukskeie". |
| Medicinal: | Leaves used for asthma. Bark to treat fatigue. |
| nilotica subsp. kraussiana (Scented Thorn) inshagu, inshakwe, lugagane, sitfetfe, sitfwetfwe, umncawe, | |
| Timber: | Timber |
| Dyes: | Dye |
| Firewood: | Fuelwood |
| Medicinal: | Bark for coughs. Gum may delay puberty. Bark & roots are an emetic. |
| Food: | Edible gum. Suitable for confectionary. |
| podalyriifolia * | |
| Dyes: | Probably tannin |
| polyacantha subsp. campylacantha (White Thorn) umtfolo, umtfolowesiganga, umtfolowesintfu, | |
| Cultural: | Magical properties. |
| Insecticidal: | Deterrent to snakes & crocodiles. |
| Firewood: | Firewood burns well. |
| Medicinal: | Bark is medicinal. |
| reficiens subsp. reficiens | |
| robusta (Brack Thorn) imgamba, singa, umgamazi, umngamazi, umngamti, | |
| Honey: | Honey |
| Household: | Handicrafts & furniture. Inner bark makes twine. |
| Medicinal: | Roots & bark medicinal |
| Timber: | Fencing. |
| Dyes: | Tannin leather |
| Firewood: | Firewood |
| Medicinal: | Roots medicinal. Bark for hernia and to increase stamina. |
| subsp. clavigera | |
| subsp. robusta | |
| schweinfurthii var. schweinfurthii | |
| senegal (Three-hook Thorn) ambambimphala, sibanbimphala, umbambimphala, | |
| Cultural: | Traditional |
| Fodder: | Forage |
| Firewood: | Firewood |
| Timber: | Timber |
| Medicinal: | Gum treats bacterial & fungal skin & mouth infections. Antibiotic |
| Food: | Edible gum. The best gum arabic of commerce. |
| var. rostrata | |
| var. senegal | |
| sieberiana (Paperbark Thorn) inkhambane, sitfwetfwe, umkhambane, umnganduzi, | |
| Fodder: | Pods eaten by game and stock but fruit may be poisonous. |
| Household: | Furniture |
| Medicinal: | Bark is used as an analgesic and for vomiting. |
| Timber: | Fencing |
| swazica (Swazi Thorn) khalimela, lubibi, sasane, sitfwetfwe, | |
| Timber: | Timber |
| Cultural: | Traditional |
| Firewood: | Firewood |
| Household: | Bark used for making ropes. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal roots. |
| tortilis subsp. heteracantha (Umbrella Thorn) lisasa, sasanelomncane, sitfetfe, sitfwetfwe, umsasane, | |
| Timber: | Timber & fencing. |
| Fodder: | Pods are very nutritious for cattle and game. |
| Firewood: | Fuelwood |
| Medicinal: | Leaves used for asthma. |
| Cultural: | Traditional |
| xanthophloea (Fever Tree) umhlafunga, umhlafutfwa, umhlosinga, umkhanyakudze, | |
| Timber: | Good tmber when seasoned. |
| Firewood: | Firewood |
| Medicinal: | Wrongly associated with malaria. Bark is medicinal for fevers. Used as an emetic. |
| Adenopodia | |
| spicata (Spiny Splinter Bean) lugagane, | |
| Afzelia | |
| quanzensis (Pod Mahogany) mkolikoli, umbola, umkholikholi, umkhwalikhwali, umshafunti, | |
| Timber: | Timber & construction. Red-brown timber for panelling and floor blocks. |
| Cultural: | Traditional. Magical properties to ward off attack. Washing in an infusion bark & roots brings good luck to huntsman. |
| Fodder: | Fodder & forage |
| Household: | Seeds for necklaces & trinkets. Wood for furniture and canoes. |
| Medicinal: | Roots & bark for bilharzia, the eyes, sores and eczema. |
| Argyrolobium | |
| marginatum | |
| Food: | Edible tuber. |
| tomentosum (Velvety Yellow Bush Pea) umadlozana, umlomomnandi, | |
| Cultural: | Used by sangomas to sharpen divining powers |
| tuberosum (Little Russet Pea) ulubomvu, uvemvane, | |
| Food: | Edible leaves & tubers. |
| Alysicarpus | |
| rugosus subsp. perennirufus (Pioneer Fodder Plant) imkonazana, untshiphintshiphi, | |
| Medicinal: | Chest complaints |
| Abrus umphitsi, | |
| laevigatus | |
| Medicinal: | Poisonous seeds. |
| precatorius subsp. africanus | |
| Cultural: | Love charms |
| Household: | The poisonous seeds used as ornaments on ceramics or necklaces. |
| Medicinal: | Roots & leaves for chest complaints, contraceptive & abortifacient. |
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