Eswatini's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses
Compiled by Chris Long, © December 2005
SiSwati names and uses, arranged by alphabetically by botanical name:
| Gloriosa | |
| superba (Flame Lily) lesimnyama, simiselo, | |
| Medicinal: | Rhizomes for skin problems, impotence & fertility but poisonous. |
| Gasteria | |
| batesiana var. batesiana (Cow-tongue Cactus) indvololwane, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for hysteria and a protective charms |
| Food: | Edible flowers |
| Gladiolus anyanisi wesiganga, sidvwana, | |
| antholyzoides | |
| Fodder: | Corms eaten by bushpigs |
| Household: | Leaves made into ropes |
| Medicinal: | Diarrhoea & chest ailments |
| appendiculatus | |
| aurantiacus | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for fevers. |
| brachyphyllus | |
| crassifolius | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for headaches. |
| densiflorus | |
| ecklonii | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for rheumatic pain. |
| Food: | Corms eaten raw or cooked |
| ferrugineus | |
| hollandii | |
| leptosiphon | |
| longicollis subsp. platypetalus | |
| papilio | |
| Cultural: | Used as lucky charm. |
| permeabilis subsp. edulis | |
| Food: | Edible corms. |
| pubigerus | |
| scabridus | |
| sericeovillosus subsp. sericeovillosus | |
| Cultural: | Used as fertility charm and for good harvest. |
| Medicinal: | Dysentary, sprains, menstrual pain, & sterility |
| serpenticola | |
| varius | |
| woodii | |
| Girardinia | |
| diversifolia | |
| Food: | Edible as spinach. |
| Gomphrena | |
| celosioides * (Batchelor's Button) intandangulube, unyawo-lwengulube, | |
| Gisekia | |
| pharnacioides var. pharnacioides | |
| Food: | Vegetable |
| Geranium | |
| flanaganii | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal in Zulu households. |
| Greyia | |
| radlkoferi (Transvaal Bottlebrush) inhlazane, lidlebe-lembila, | |
| Household: | Wood for carving handicrafts & household utensils. |
| sutherlandii (Natal Bottlebrush) inhlazane, umwatsawatsa, | |
| Household: | Household utensils & handicrafts |
| Medicinal: | Root infusions for nausea and induce vomiting |
| Grewia umsiphane, | |
| bicolor | |
| Household: | Inner bark provides fibre for ropes and baskets. Wood for axe handles. |
| Medicinal: | Roots as emetic & for chest complaints. |
| Food: | Fruit is edible when ripe or if dried. |
| caffra (Climbing Raisin) likholo, liklolo, lukholo, lukhwolo, uklolo, wkhuolo, | |
| Household: | Stems for making traps for monkeys & crocodiles. |
| Food: | Edible leaves & fruit |
| flava (Velvet Brandybush) liklolo, | |
| Cultural: | Wooden pegs ward off lightning. |
| Household: | Bark for fibre and branchlets for bowls, baskets & toothbrushes |
| Medicinal: | Roots as emetic |
| Food: | Edible fruit used for porridge and fermented for brandy. |
| flavescens (Rough-leaved raisin) labhojane, lambonjane, ligusha-lemahlatsi, likloko, liklolo, | |
| Timber: | Hard useful wood. |
| Fodder: | Fodder & forage. Leaves browsed by game and livestock. |
| Medicinal: | Multiple medicinal uses. Impotence, sterility, wounds. |
| Food: | Edible fruit & leaves |
| hexamita (Giant Raisin) umsiphane lomkhulu, | |
| Household: | Crafts. Sticks, bows & arrows. |
| Medicinal: | Roots as emetic, for vomiting & as a male aphrodisiac. |
| Food: | Edible fruit. Also for alcholic beverage. The largest Grewia fruit. |
| hornbyi | |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| micrantha (Golden Raisin) umsiphane lomkhulu, | |
| Medicinal: | Roots as emetic |
| Food: | Edible pleasant fruit. |
| monticola (Silver Raisin) umsipune, | |
| Household: | Wood used for walking sticks and assegai handles. |
| Medicinal: | Roots as emetic. |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| occidentalis (Cross-berry Raisin) likloko, liklolo, | |
| Fodder: | Fodder & forage |
| Household: | Wood used for walking sticks and assegai handles. |
| Medicinal: | Multiple medicinal uses. Impotence, sterility, wounds. |
| Food: | Edible fruit & leaves. |
| var. litoralis | |
| var. occidentalis | |
| olukondae (Rough-leaved raisin) liklolo, | |
| Food: | Edible fruit & leaves. |
| subspathulata | |
| Medicinal: | Roots as emetic |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| villosa var. villosa (Mallow Raisin) labhojane, | |
| Medicinal: | Roots as emetic. |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| Gossypium | |
| herbaceum (Wild Cotton) kotini, kotini wesiganga, litjinda, | |
| Household: | Indigenous species for clothing, other species may be cultivated. |
| Medicinal: | Roots used for toothache. |
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