Eswatini's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses
Compiled by Chris Long, © December 2005
SiSwati names and uses, arranged by alphabetically by botanical name:
| Lannea | |
| antiscorbutica (Pink-haired Lannea) bulibati, intfokolovu, intokolovu, sikhanganyane, singanganyane, umganunkhomo, | |
| Cultural: | Roots used to protect hometead from witchcraft. |
| Food: | Edible fruit, but with little flesh. |
| discolor (Wild Grape) isiganganyane, sigaganjane, siganganyane, tintfoholoon, tintokolovu, umntfokolovo, umntfokolovu, umtfukolovo, | |
| Timber: | Poles and posts |
| Firewood: | Fuel wood |
| Household: | Stripped bark for twine. Wood used for utensils. Children's pop-guns. Soft wood pounded into plates & spoons. |
| Medicinal: | Bark & roots used for childrens ailments, convulsions, dizziness, bladder & bowel ailments and for vomiting and female sterililty Roots also for diarrhoea. |
| Food: | Edible black fruit. |
| edulis var. edulis (Wild Grape) sigaganjane, | |
| schweinfurthii var. stuhlmannii (False Marula) umgabunkhomo, | |
| Timber: | General purpose timber. |
| Dyes: | Bark for tanning & a purple dye. |
| Cultural: | "Tree of forgetfulness". Harbours benevolent spirit to protect & heal. |
| Medicinal: | Roots as sedative snuff. Paste from leaves as a dressing for sores |
| Food: | Edible purple fruit. |
| Lantana bukhwebeletane, | |
| camara * (Lantana) mehlwakati, | |
| Honey: | Visited by bees. |
| Medicinal: | Leaves for malaria. |
| Food: | Edible fruit when ripe. Plant a common cause of`livestock poisoning. |
| mearnsii var. latibracteolata | |
| montevidensis * | |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| rugosa (Bird's Brandy) bhubhubhu, inkhobe, inkobe, khitchukhurwani, khushukhushwana, | |
| Medicinal: | For abdominal pain, sore eyes, coughs, napkin rash & rheumatism. Tops & roots treat night terrors. Roots for angina pectoris. |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| trifolia * | |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| Lippia | |
| javanica (Lemon Bush) luhlanga, msutane, musutane, mutshwane, mutswane, umsutane, umswazi, | |
| Cultural: | For ritual cleansing after contact with corpse & for protection from dogs, crocodiles & lightning. |
| Insecticidal: | Leaves are a mosquito replellent. Fumes from crushing used to drug bees. |
| Household: | Stems used as toothbrush. |
| Medicinal: | Tea from leaves for coughs, bronchitis, fever & colds especially in children. Poisonous properties. Top used for napkin rash & night terrors. Crushed leaves, roots & branchesd inhaled for headaches. |
| Leonotis | |
| leonurus (Lion's Ear) imunyane, umcwili, utshwala-bezinyoni, | |
| Insecticidal: | Charm as snake repellent. |
| Medicinal: | Leaf & root concoctions used internally for colds, flu, coughs, bronchitis, headaches & asthma & externally for stings, bites, & boils. |
| nepetifolia | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for reproductive, respiratory and gastric system. Diuretic. |
| ocymifolia (Wild Dagga) tjwalabenyoni, | |
| Leucas | |
| glabrata var. glabrata | |
| Fodder: | Browsed by game |
| Household: | Used for toothbrushes |
| Food: | Edible leaves |
| martinicensis (Tumble Weed) amandetshi, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for colds. |
| Food: | Vegetable |
| Lycopersicon | |
| esculentum var. cerasiforme * | |
| Medicinal: | An antioxidant |
| Food: | Edible fruit. But plant has toxic properties. |
| Lindernia | |
| parviflora | |
| Fodder: | Annual grazed by cattle. |
| Lagenaria | |
| siceraria (Wild Melon) inshubaba, iselwa, liselwa, ntshubaba, shubaba, | |
| Honey: | Visited by bees. |
| Cultural: | Used in ceremonies after death of a chief. |
| Household: | Gourds used to make containers, utensils and musical rattles. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for stomach ache & glandular swellings. |
| Food: | Edible fruiit & young leaves after much boiling to eliminate toxicity. Mushroom like taste. Seed also said to be edible when roasted. |
| Lobelia | |
| erinus (Edging Lobelia) impenjana, incamathela, isidala esiluhlaza, | |
| Cultural: | To wash divining bones |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for colds |
| flaccida (Wild Lobelia) isidala esiluhlaza, | |
| Food: | Vegetable. |
| subsp. flaccida | |
| subsp. mossiana | |
| Lopholaena | |
| platyphylla (Large-leaved Fluff Bush) livenge, | |
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