Eswatini's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses
Compiled by Chris Long, © December 2005
SiSwati names and uses, arranged by alphabetically by botanical name:
| Harpephyllum | |
| caffrum (Wild Plum) umgonyogonyo, umgwenya, umgwenyobovu, | |
| Timber: | General purpose timber |
| Dyes: | Dye |
| Firewood: | Wood used for fuel. |
| Household: | Wood used for furniture but not very durable |
| Medicinal: | Bark for cosmetics, as blood purifer, for skin problems & chest ailments. Roots & bark for menstrual problems. |
| Food: | Edible fruit. Good for jams & jellies. |
| Hippobromus | |
| pauciflorus (False Horsewood) luphephetse, lutwile, siphahluka, | |
| Cultural: | Root regarded as love-charm. |
| Household: | Walking sticks. |
| Medicinal: | Leaves for headaches and eyes, poisonous roots for dysentery. |
| Helinus | |
| integrifolius (Soap Creeper) ubhubhubhu, uphuphuphu, uxuphukwekwe, | |
| Cultural: | Roots used to wash away bad luck. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for hysteria & backache. |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| Hibiscus | |
| aethiopicus (Dwarf Wild Hibiscus) ibunda elimpofu, ihlalanyosi elimhlophe, uvemvane, | |
| Medicinal: | Swolen joints, sprains & colic |
| var. aethiopicus | |
| var. ovatus x H. saxatilis | |
| var. ovatus | |
| calyphyllus | |
| Fodder: | Browsed by antelope |
| cannabinus (Hemp-leaved Hibiscus) umhlakanye, | |
| Household: | Rope and twine. Substitute for hemp. |
| Food: | Leaves & flowers edible. |
| pedunculatus | |
| Household: | Bark used for twine in hut building. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for urinary complaints |
| physaloides | |
| Food: | Edible flowers. |
| pusillus (Dwarf Hibiscus) uguqukile, uvuma, | |
| Cultural: | To avoid bad dreams and as love charm by men |
| surattensis (Prickly Wild Hibiscus) isigezo, ucathucathu, uvemvane, | |
| Medicinal: | Treats penile inflammation and venereal disease |
| tiliaceus subsp. tiliaceus (Coast Hibiscus) ulola, umlolwa, | |
| Household: | Fibre for string & rope used for hut building. |
| trionum (Bladder Hibiscus) uvemvane olukhulu, | |
| Medicinal: | Treat worms and internal parasites |
| Food: | Vegetable |
| Hermannia | |
| auricoma isincamncame, | |
| depressa (Creeping Red Hermannia) itshesizwe, umphuphuthelo, | |
| Medicinal: | Roots for abdominal pain during pregnancy. |
| glanduligera | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| grandistipula (Yellow Granny Bonnets) ishongwe, | |
| Hypericum | |
| aethiopicum (Small Hypericum) nsukumbili, unsukumbili, | |
| Medicinal: | Backache, kidney infections, sores & venereal diseases. |
| subsp. aethiopicum | |
| subsp. sonderi | |
| perforatum * | |
| Cultural: | In Europe has religious significance but this not confirmed in Africa. |
| Medicinal: | Widely used for 2000 years for depression, anxiety & insomnia. |
| revolutum | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal. Strong curry smell. |
| subsp. keniense | |
| subsp. revolutum | |
| Homalium | |
| dentatum (Brown Ironwood) lakalaka, lilakalaka, umhlolampunzi, | |
| Timber: | Trunk used for construction. |
| Household: | Wood takes a good polish |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for stomach disorders. |
| Heteropyxis | |
| canescens (Bastard Lavender Tree) inkunzana, | |
| natalensis (Weeping Lavender Tree) incundze, incuze, inkunzi, uhuzu, umvanga, umvanya, | |
| Timber: | Fencing, poles & timber |
| Firewood: | Firewood |
| Medicinal: | Leaves are aromatic used for nose bleed. Bark as medicine mixer and to treat wounds. |
| Food: | Leaves for tea |
| Heteromorpha | |
| arborescens (Parsley Tree) imvusankunzi, umbangandlala, umjumbula, umvusankunzi, | |
| Cultural: | Forbidden in home |
| Medicinal: | Infusion of leaves as enema for abdominal conditions& intestinal worms. Used for mental conditions. Smoke will relieve headaches. Roots used to help weight gain in children. |
| var. abyssinica | |
| var. arborescens | |
| var. frutescens | |
| Huernia tililo lomncane, | |
| hystrix var. hystrix (Toad Plant) lozililo, nomaliliza, | |
| Medicinal: | Stem is medicinal for sexual stimulation. |
| stapelioides | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| zebrina | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| subsp. magniflora | |
| subsp. zebrina | |
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