Eswatini's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses
Compiled by Chris Long, © December 2005
SiSwati names and uses, arranged by alphabetically by botanical name:
| Hyphaene | |
| coriacea (Lala Palm) lilala, nnala, | |
| Household: | Seeds used to make necklaces, trinkets & curios. Leaves for basketry. |
| Food: | Source of palm wine. |
| Haworthia | |
| limifolia (Fairy Washboard) indvololwane, | |
| Cultural: | Protective charm against lightning. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for stomach complaints. |
| var. limifolia | |
| var. ubomboensis | |
| Haemanthus | |
| albiflos (White Paintbrush) lichisa-mililo, liclshamlilo, | |
| Cultural: | Protective charm against lightning. |
| Medicinal: | Chronic coughs. Also increases male sperm production. |
| carneus (Paintbrush) liclshamlilo, | |
| humilis subsp. hirsutus | |
| Medicinal: | Stomach complaints, wounds & asthma |
| pauculifolius (Paintbrush) intseleti, | |
| Hypoxis imfuce, inkhofe, zifozonke, | |
| acuminata | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| angustifolia | |
| Cultural: | Making a good luck charm. |
| var. angustifolia | |
| var. buchananii | |
| argentea var. argentea | |
| Food: | Edible corms or bulbs |
| costata | |
| exaltata | |
| filiformis | |
| Food: | Edible corms or bulbs |
| galpinii | |
| gerrardii | |
| hemerocallidea (African Potato) iboya, imbita, inkhofi, inkhomfe, liboya, lilabatseka, | |
| Dyes: | Black dye produced from leaves |
| Household: | Leaves make rope. Bulb to blacken flowers. |
| Medicinal: | Corm for prostatic hypertrophy, immune systems & as a tonic. Also diarrhoea in children & infective dermatitis. Reputed effective for HIV/AIDS |
| iridifolia | |
| kraussiana | |
| limicola | |
| membranacea | |
| multiceps | |
| Cultural: | Protective charm against lightning. |
| parvifolia | |
| parvula var. parvula | |
| rigidula | |
| Household: | Making Ropes |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal. |
| var. pilosissima | |
| var. rigidula | |
| villosa var. obliqua | |
| Food: | Edible corms or bulbs |
| Hesperantha | |
| baurii subsp. baurii isidwa, | |
| Food: | Vegetable. Edible corms. |
| Habenaria | |
| dives (Death Orchid) inhluthi yotshani, | |
| Cultural: | Tubers used as evil charm |
| dregeana | |
| Cultural: | Protective charm against lightning |
| epipactidea uklamkleshe, umabelebuca omkhulu, unokleshe, | |
| Cultural: | Protective charm against lightning |
| falcicornis subsp. caffra uklamkleshe, | |
| Hydnora mavambuka, | |
| africana (Warty Jackal Food) mavumbuka, | |
| Dyes: | Tanning leather |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for diarrhoea |
| Food: | Underground fruit pulp is edible. |
| johannis var. johannis | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for diarrhoea. Roots for acne, genital warts & colic. |
| Hermbstaedtia | |
| odorata var. odorata (Wild Cockscomb) ubuphuphu, umlwandle, uvelabahleke, | |
| Cultural: | Love charm |
| Medicinal: | Cleansing stomach |
| Food: | Edible leaves |
| Heliophila | |
| rigidiuscula (Grassland Blue Cross Flower) uvemvane oluncane, | |
| Food: | Edible leaves |
| Heywoodia | |
| lucens (Stink Ebony) umndebele, umndzebelele, | |
| Timber: | Heavy, hard & strong but smelly timber. |
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