Eswatini's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses
Compiled by Chris Long, © December 2005
SiSwati names and uses, arranged by alphabetically by botanical name:
| Cyphostemma | |
| cirrhosum (Droog-my-keel) mopho, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal. |
| subsp. cirrhosum | |
| subsp. transvaalense | |
| schlechteri | |
| Food: | Edible fruit. Three or four leave unpleasant taste. Maybe poisonous. |
| segmentatum | |
| Food: | Juicy, sweet fruit but three or four leave unpleasant taste. |
| simulans | |
| Food: | Vegetable |
| subciliatum inkhokhabovu, likhambiletilondza, | |
| Medicinal: | Leaves for peptic ulcers. Bulb for cancer and abscess. |
| woodii (Hairy Grape Bush) inkhonyane, | |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| Corchorus bubati, ligusha, luklolo, | |
| asplenifolius | |
| Medicinal: | With other plants as an aphrodisiac and for impotence. |
| Food: | Edible leaves |
| confusus | |
| Food: | Edible fruit & leaves |
| schimperi | |
| Food: | Edible leaves |
| tridens * | |
| Food: | Edible leaves |
| trilocularis * | |
| Food: | Edible leaves |
| Cassipourea | |
| malosana (Common Onionwood) umchafutane, ummemezi-lobovu, | |
| swaziensis | |
| Medicinal: | Bark used medicinally. |
| Combretum imbondvo, | |
| apiculatum subsp. apiculatum (Red Bushwillow) imbondvo lemhlophe, imbondvo lemnyama, umbondomnyama, | |
| Timber: | Fence posts & construction timber. Termite resistant. |
| Cultural: | Used in Royal cattle-kraal at Incwala ceremonies & funerals. |
| Fodder: | Fodder |
| Firewood: | Fuelwood |
| Medicinal: | Decoction of leaves for stomach disorders. Ash paste treats conjunctivitis. Roots & bark for treating wounds. |
| collinum (Weeping Bushwillow) imbondvo lemhlophe, | |
| Cultural: | Used for Royal cattle-kraal at Incwala ceremonies & funerals. |
| Food: | Produces an edible gum. |
| subsp. collinum | |
| subsp. suluense | |
| erythrophyllum (River Bushwillow) imbondvo lemhlophe, umdvubu, | |
| Timber: | Timber & construction |
| Dyes: | Brown dye obtained from roots. |
| Firewood: | Fuelwood |
| Household: | Handicrafts. Cattle troughs. Hoe handles. |
| Medicinal: | Cure for venereal disease from roots. Roots for assisting abortion. |
| hereroense (Russet Bushwillow) livimbela, sihlalavane, umdvubu, umklalavane, umphulumbu, | |
| Timber: | Hard, tough,durable wood. Termite and borer proof. Used in hut roofs |
| Fodder: | Leaves browsed by cattle. Useful fodder. |
| Firewood: | Excellent firewood. |
| Household: | Furniture. |
| Medicinal: | Infusion of roots for stomach disorders. |
| Food: | Edible fruit eaten fresh. Leaves for tea substitute. |
| imberbe (Leadwood) impondozendhlovu, liphodva lendlovu, luphondvo lwendlovu, mpondozendlovu, phondotendlovu, ummono, umphulumbu, | |
| Timber: | Exceptionally hard wood for fencing, mine props & railway sleepers. |
| Cultural: | Hereros believe the trees are ancestors. |
| Firewood: | Excellent firewood. Extensively used as braaiwood. |
| Household: | Handicrafts & furniture but difficult to work. Fruits used for necklaces. Ash used as toothpaste. |
| Medicinal: | Roots medicinal to reduce fever. Smoke from burning leaves for coughs & colds. |
| Food: | Produces an edible gum. |
| kraussii (Forest Bushwillow) imbondvo lemhlophe, umdvubu, | |
| Household: | Handicrafts. Hoe handles. |
| microphyllum (Flame Climbin Bushwillow) umhlalanyosi, | |
| molle (Velvet Bush Willow) imbondvo lemhlophe, imbondvo lemnyama, inkhukutwane, umhlakuvane, | |
| Timber: | Timber and fencing posts. Termite resistant. Construct King's kraal. |
| Dyes: | Red dye |
| Firewood: | Branches & stem for firewood. |
| Household: | Furniture & implement handles |
| Medicinal: | Leaves for wounds. Leaf & root is snakebite antidote. Root used to treat abortion and constipation. Bark infusion as enema. |
| paniculatum | |
| Medicinal: | Root used medicinally. |
| sericeum | |
| Firewood: | Firewood |
| woodii (Large-leaved Bush Willow) imbondvo lemhlophe, imbondvo mahlatsi, umbhondvo sehlatsi, | |
| Timber: | Timber and fencing posts |
| Household: | Trunk used for cattle yokes. |
| zeyheri (Large-fruited Bush Willow) imbondvo lemhlophe, immbondvo lemhlophe, | |
| Timber: | Fencing posts & construction. All round termite resistant timber. |
| Cultural: | Used in Royal cattle-kraal at Incwala ceremonies & funerals. |
| Firewood: | Firewood |
| Household: | Fibrous roots for baskets and fishing traps. |
| Medicinal: | Roots for nose bleeds & with fat make an ointment. |
| Cussonia | |
| natalensis (Simple-leaved Cabbage Tree) imphikayiboni, msenge, umbudzi, umsenge, | |
| Cultural: | Used to provoke rain. Bark, fruit & roots used during inyanga & sangoma ceremonies. Bark used foir luck in law cases or war. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal. An emetic |
| nicholsonii (South Coast Cabbage Tree) umsenge, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal. An emetic |
| paniculata subsp. sinuata (Mountain Cabbage Tree) umsenge, | |
| Fodder: | Fodder |
| Medicinal: | Emetic. Leaves for mental problems |
| Food: | Edible roots. Fruit edible when ripe. |
| sphaerocephala (Forest Cabbage Tree) umsenge, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal. An emetic |
| spicata (Cabbage Tree) umsenge, umtsentse, | |
| Fodder: | Fodder |
| Firewood: | Firewood |
| Medicinal: | Roots & bark as emetic & malaria. Roots for vomit. Leaves medicinal. |
| Food: | Roots are edible and thirst quenching. |
| zuluensis (Zulu Cabbage Tree) umsenge, | |
| Medicinal: | Emetic |
| Centella | |
| asiatica (Indian Pennywort) letintfwala, licubudwane, likhomisi, likhomisle, | |
| Medicinal: | Fruit for skin conditions, pubic lice, leprosy, cancer, & fever. Bulb for new born babies health |
| Food: | Edible leaves |
| glabrata var. natalensis (Persiegras) isiwisa, | |
| Cultural: | Charm against hail |
| Medicinal: | Traditional medicine |
| Ciclospermum | |
| leptophyllum * | |
| Food: | Edible stalks. |
| Curtisia | |
| dentata (Assegaai Tree) isinwati, lincayi, lisinwati, umboyi, | |
| Dyes: | Bark used for tanning |
| Medicinal: | Bark is medicinal and widely used. Spp. has 8 different Zulu names. |
| Food: | Edible but bitter fruiit. Species has 8 different Zulu names. |
| Chrysophyllum | |
| viridifolium (Fluted Milkwood) amasethole ehlathi, umemezi, umgwinya, | |
| Food: | Edible apple-like fruit |
| Chionanthus | |
| foveolatus (Bastard Ironwood) isandletshe, sandletje, | |
| subsp. foveolatus | |
| subsp. major | |
| peglerae (Large-leaved Ironwood) isizimane esimhlophe, ithintane elimhlophe, | |
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