Eswatini's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses
Compiled by Chris Long, © December 2005
SiSwati names and uses, arranged by alphabetically by botanical name:
| Diospyros | |
| dichrophylla (Poison Peach) umchafutane lomnyama, | |
| Firewood: | Firewood |
| Household: | Root is used as a substitute for toothpaste. Fighting sticks. |
| Food: | Edible fruit according to some - poisonous according to others. |
| galpinii (Dwarf Hairy Jackalberry) indodemnyama, siphiphabantfwana, umchafutane, | |
| Fodder: | Forage & fodder |
| Household: | Stems used to clean teeth. Infant anus wiper. Leaves used for sweeping brooms. |
| Medicinal: | To determine male sex in pregnancy. Roots medicinal. |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| lycioides (Quilted Bluebush) lomhlophe, umcafudane, umchafutane, umchafutane lomhlophe, | |
| Honey: | Excellent bee plant. |
| Dyes: | Dye & tanning. |
| Fodder: | Fodder for stock and game. |
| Household: | Roots & twigs as chewing sticks. Dental care. Fighting sticks. Leaves used for sweeping brooms. |
| Food: | Edible fruit but unpalatable. Seeds roasted as a coffee. |
| subsp. guerkei | |
| subsp. lycioides | |
| subsp. nitens | |
| subsp. sericea | |
| mespiliformis (Jackal Berry) umtfoma, umtoma, | |
| Timber: | Strong, hard, durable timber |
| Cultural: | Fruit eaten away from home leads to possession by spirits. |
| Household: | Wood for furniture and flooring. |
| Medicinal: | Leaves & bark for ringworm, leprosy, fevers, dysentery. Antiseptic? |
| Food: | Edible fruit. Also used for beer or preserves. |
| nummularia (Small-leaved Jackal Berry) masindza, mnamamhlophe, santinyana, | |
| Cultural: | Forbidden at home. Roots make a potion to ensure marital fidelity. |
| whyteana (Bladder Nut) santinyana, silevusembuti, | |
| Cultural: | Forbidden at home. |
| Household: | Wood is used for tool handles & yokes |
| Medicinal: | Bark for impotence & infertility. Leafs for rashes.Roots for wounds. |
| Food: | Seeds as coffee substitute. Insipid but edible fruit. |
| Duvalia | |
| polita (Hottentot's Toes) tililo lomncane, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| Food: | Edible underground stems. A source of water. |
| Duranta | |
| erecta * | |
| Medicinal: | Poisonous properties. |
| Datura | |
| ferox * | |
| Firewood: | Fuelwood |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for swellings. Leaves for psychosis. Poisonous. |
| stramonium * (Common Thorn Apple) lijowe, lijoye, liljowe, umkhuna, | |
| Dyes: | Blue-gree dye from leaves. |
| Cultural: | Diviner's aid & asthma & headaches. Leaves smoked in Caribbean. |
| Medicinal: | Seeds & leaves to induce halucinations & delusions. Poisonous. |
| Diclis | |
| reptans (Dwarf Snapdragon) isinama, | |
| Food: | Edible parts |
| Dicerocaryum | |
| senecioides subsp. senecioides | |
| Household: | Produces slime used as soap substitute. |
| zanguebarium subsp. zanguebarium | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal in Zimbabwe for measles. |
| Dicliptera | |
| clinopodia | |
| Food: | Young leaves used a spinach. |
| divaricata | |
| Honey: | Honey |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for sore eyes. |
| Denekia | |
| capensis | |
| Household: | Making hats. Aromatic |
| Dicoma | |
| anomala imbenukela, inkosiyewithi, inyongana, mahlabane, mangwe amancane, | |
| Cultural: | Roots are used to make good luck charms. |
| Medicinal: | Roots for fever, sore throats, diarhoea, dysentary & abdominal pains. |
| Food: | Leaves used for tea. |
| subsp. anomala | |
| subsp. gerrardii | |
| capensis | |
| Food: | Leaves used as spinach. |
| tomentosa (Doll's Protea) somaheva, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| Dryopteris | |
| athamantica | |
| Medicinal: | Rhizome used as a general anthelmintic. |
| lewalleana | |
| Medicinal: | Rhizome used as a general anthelmintic. |
| pentheri | |
| Medicinal: | Rhizome used as a general anthelmintic. |
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