Eswatini's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses
Compiled by Chris Long, © December 2005
SiSwati names and uses, arranged by alphabetically by botanical name:
| Littonia | |
| modesta (Climbing Bells) luhlamvu, | |
| Cultural: | Ensures birth of girl child. All parts of plants are toxic. |
| Medicinal: | Infertility. All parts of plant are toxic. |
| Ledebouria mangulesi, | |
| apertiflora (Common Squill) ingudvudvu, | |
| Fodder: | Heavily grazed |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| cooperi | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal in pregnancy. |
| floribunda | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal. |
| marginata | |
| ovalifolia | |
| ovatifolia (Cooper's Squill) sigadlana, umhlabelo, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for diarrhhoea, flu, & backache. Some say poisonous. |
| revoluta | |
| Medicinal: | Skin irritations, wounds, lumbago |
| Liparis | |
| bowkeri | |
| Cultural: | Good luck or love charm. |
| Laportea | |
| peduncularis (River Nettle) bubati, lubati, | |
| Food: | Edible leaves |
| subsp. latidens | |
| subsp. peduncularis | |
| Lepidium | |
| africanum | |
| Food: | Used as a potherb. |
| subsp. africanum | |
| subsp. divaricatum | |
| bonariense * | |
| Food: | Leaves for salads |
| capense | |
| Food: | Used as a potherb. |
| Leucosidea | |
| sericea (Oldwood) umchitsi, | |
| Timber: | Durable fence posts for waterlogged soil |
| Firewood: | Used extensively as firewood in Lesotho. Slow burning. |
| Medicinal: | Leaves for ophthalmia |
| Lotononis | |
| corymbosa ihlamvusenhla, incinci, umamatheka, umhlambululi, umusa, uvelabahleke, | |
| Medicinal: | Tonic for women who lost a baby. |
| eriantha | |
| Cultural: | Traditional charm |
| foliosa (Bookleaved Lotononis) isisinini sentaba, | |
| Cultural: | Traditionally used to ensure good crops. |
| laxa | |
| Medicinal: | Poisonous for sheep |
| Lotus | |
| discolor subsp. discolor (Coral Plant) isiphunga, umhlambaluku, umhloboluku, | |
| Lablab | |
| purpureus | |
| Fodder: | Feed & fodder plant |
| Food: | Edible leaves & young pods but must be properly cooked. Toxic. |
| subsp. purpureus | |
| subsp. uncinatus | |
| Linum | |
| thunbergii (Wild Flax) ithalelimpofu, | |
| Cultural: | Charm to prevent accidents. |
| Medicinal: | To purify blood & for fever, pain & snakebites. |
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