Eswatini's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses
Compiled by Chris Long, © December 2005
SiSwati names and uses, arranged by alphabetically by botanical name:
| Erythrina umdvumbulu, | |
| abyssinica * | |
| Household: | Seeds used as decorations on trinkets, bracelets & necklaces. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| crista-galli * | |
| humeana (Dwarf Coral Tree) umnsinsana, | |
| Medicinal: | Root & bark extract used for tuberculosis, bronchitis & sprains. |
| latissima (Broad-leaved Coral Tree) inhlangu, siphama, siphamba, umgcwabagcwaba, umgewabagewaba, | |
| Household: | Seeds for Necklaces |
| Medicinal: | Bark burnt and powdered used for open sores |
| lysistemon (Sacred Coral Tree) siphama, umsinsi, | |
| Cultural: | Sacred qualities. Planted on graves. Soaking bark in water and then washing with it gives the respect of people to a chief. |
| Household: | Seeds for necklaces. Wood for carving, fishing floats & troughs. Musical instruments. |
| Medicinal: | Bark for open wounds & stomach purger. Leaf infusions for earache. Seed contains substances that prevent blood clotting. |
| Eriosema | |
| cordatum (Heart-leaf Eriosema) umonoankunzi, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal. Roots to treat impotence & frigidity. |
| Food: | Tubers eaten by Bushmen. |
| ellipticifolium | |
| Food: | Edible legume |
| nutans | |
| Food: | Root eaten by Venda. |
| psoraleoides (Yellow Seed) inhlaba, inhlula, madoda, | |
| Cultural: | Lightning protection |
| Medicinal: | Internal disorders. Roots are emetic and poison antidote. |
| Food: | Cooked fruits eaten by Zulus. |
| salignum (Brown Bonnets) ubangalala, uluphondongozi, uqonsi, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal to treat impotence, as expectorant & diuretic. |
| transvaalense inhlaba, madoda, | |
| Erythroxylum | |
| delagoense (Small Leaved Coca Tree) ijobe, izaza, lijobe, likhikhu, luphehlwane, umneyana, | |
| Cultural: | Used by sangoma for washing ceremonies. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal as emetic and herb booster. Related to the E. coca, the cocaine plant of the Americas. |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| emarginatum (Common Coca Tree) umneyana, | |
| Food: | Edible fruit. |
| Entandrophragma | |
| caudatum | |
| Timber: | Construction timber. |
| Dyes: | Bark is used for tanning & dyeing |
| Firewood: | Fuelwood |
| Household: | Furniture |
| Ekebergia | |
| capensis (Cape Ash) inyamanti, inyamati, magwedla, manyatsi, matsatse, sindziyandziya, sndiya ndiya, umnyamatsi, | |
| Timber: | Construction timber described as light and handsome. |
| Dyes: | Bark used for tanning. |
| Cultural: | Bark and trunk used as charm to protect homesteads. |
| Fodder: | Used as fodder in times of drought. |
| Household: | Wood makes attractive furniture. |
| Medicinal: | Bark is emetic & for dysentary. Roots for headaches. Leaves for intestinal worms. |
| pterophylla (Rock Ash) magwedla, umnyamatsi, | |
| Medicinal: | Bark emetic and for dysentary. |
| Erythrococca | |
| menyharthii | |
| Food: | Fruits & leaves are edible. |
| natalensis | |
| Food: | Edible parts |
| Euphorbia umhlonhlo, | |
| angrae | |
| Medicinal: | Stomach medicine. |
| clavigera (Euphorbia) sihlonhlwana, | |
| Medicinal: | Stomach medicine. |
| cooperi | |
| Medicinal: | Stomach & bladder medicine. Roots for warts. Poisonous |
| var. calidicola | |
| var. cooperi | |
| cyathophora * | |
| Medicinal: | Stomach medicine. |
| epicyparissias | |
| Medicinal: | Stomach medicine. |
| ericoides | |
| Medicinal: | Stomach medicine. |
| grandicornis (Rhino Thorn) sinhlonhlwane, | |
| Cultural: | Lightning protection. |
| Medicinal: | Stomach medicine but also poisonous. Also used for cow parasites. |
| subsp. grandicornis | |
| subsp. sejuncta | |
| grandidens | |
| Cultural: | Traditionally associated with twins. |
| Household: | Sap has been used as glue. |
| gueinzii | |
| Medicinal: | Stomach medicine. |
| var. albovillosa | |
| var. gueinzii | |
| hirta * | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for sore eyes. A garden weed. |
| hypericifolia | |
| Medicinal: | Stomach medicine. |
| inaequilatera var. inaequilatera | |
| Medicinal: | Stomach medicine. Problem weed in citrus orchards. |
| indica * | |
| Medicinal: | Stomach medicine. |
| ingens (Common Tree Euphorbia) inshumpha, inshupa, umkloklo, | |
| Timber: | Can be used as planks after burning off sap and latex. |
| Cultural: | Lightning protection. |
| Insecticidal: | Fish poison. |
| Medicinal: | Stomach medicine, also poisonous. Honey made from it is harmful. Roots for toothache and decay. Toxic latex but used for cancer. |
| keithii | |
| Medicinal: | Stomach medicine. |
| knobelii | |
| Medicinal: | Stomach medicine. |
| knuthii (Euphorbia) sihlohlwana, siklonklwana, | |
| Medicinal: | Stomach medicine. |
| neopolycnemoides | |
| Medicinal: | Stomach medicine. |
| prostrata * | |
| Medicinal: | Stomach medicine. Problem weed in citrus orchards. |
| pulvinata (Prickle-leaved Euphorbia) sihlohlwana, | |
| Medicinal: | Stomach medicine. |
| schinzii (Schinz's Euphorbia) sihlohlwana, | |
| Medicinal: | Stomach medicine. |
| striata var. striata | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for stomach disorders |
| Food: | Edible parts added to sour milk. |
| tirucalli (Rubber Euphorbia) umdvute, umnduze, | |
| Dyes: | Dye for black cattle to lighten them. Black cattle King's perogative! |
| Insecticidal: | Insect repellent, insecticide & fish poison. |
| Medicinal: | Fruit for sexual impotence. (Can be poisonous, especially the latex). Roots are a cleanser. |
| transvaalensis | |
| Medicinal: | Stomach medicine. |
| triangularis | |
| Cultural: | Planted outside huts for protection of twins. |
| Medicinal: | Stomach medicine but also poisonous |
| zambesiana var. zambesiana | |
| Medicinal: | Stomach medicine. |
| Englerodaphne | |
| ovalifolia (Fibre Bush) uhlosa, | |
| pilosa (Silky Fibre Bush) intfocwane, | |
| Eugenia | |
| capensis subsp. capensis inhlele, | |
| Medicinal: | Boiled leaves used as poultice for pneumonia. |
| Food: | Edible fruit. |
| natalitia (Natal Myrtle) ijobe, inchitsamuti, lijobe, lijoye, | |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| woodii (Hairy Forest Myrtle) mabelenjongosi, umabelenjongosi, | |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| Epilobium | |
| hirsutum (Salt of the Shepherds) icikiciki, itswayi lentaba, | |
| Medicinal: | Herb. For warts, bathing sick babies, benign prostrate hyperplasia |
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