Fauna - Vertebrates

Eswatini's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses

Compiled by Chris Long, © December 2005

SiSwati names and uses, arranged by alphabetically by botanical name:

Passerina
   filiformis subsp. filiformis    (Brown Gonna)  unwele oluncane,
      Firewood: Fuelwood.
      Household: Very strong fibre from bark.
      Medicinal: Early white settlers soaked leaves & used to bandage wounds.
   montana   
      Firewood: Very flammable firewood.
Psidium
   guajava *    (Guava)  emagwava,  ligwava,  mguwa,  mkguwa,  mkhiwa,  ugwava,  umgwava,
      Household: Very hard wood used in Caribbean for spinning tops.
      Medicinal: Leaves for fever, coughs, boils, diabetes & menorrhagia. Stem and bark for stomach ache.
      Food: Edible fruits. Source of vitamin C. Source of infestation of fruit flies.
Pimpinella
   caffra   
      Food: Leaves cooked and eaten.
Peucedanum
   caffrum    (Wild Parsley)  isingcina,  nhlashane,
      Medicinal: Medicinal for darrhoea.
   capense var. capense   
      Food: Edible leaves
   magalismontanum    (Wild Carrot)  sibhadze,
      Food: Edible leaves & shoots.
   upingtoniae   
      Medicinal: Medicinal
Pastinaca
   sativa *   
      Medicinal: Root & fruit are diuretic & carminative.
      Food: Edible root
Plumbago
   auriculata    (Cape Leadwort)  umasheleshele,  umasweliisweli,  umatshwilitshwili,
      Cultural: Protective charm and emetic to dispel bad dreams.
      Medicinal: Root & leaf remedies for headaches, wounds & to remove warts.
      Food: Edible flowers used as cake decorations and in salads.
   zeylanica   
      Medicinal: Medicinal
Pachypodium
   saundersii    (Impala Lily)  ligubaguba,  nukankhulu wemanyeva,  sisilasemphala,
      Medicinal: Bulb used for toothache
Pachycarpus   indzema,
   appendiculatus    (Soccerball Pachycarpus)  lichogina,
      Cultural: For dogs that steal food
   asperifolius    (Large Red Milkwort)  ishongwe elibomvu,  ishongwe elincane,
      Cultural: Charm against evil
      Medicinal: Medicinal for hysteria, stomach complasints, headaches
   campanulatus   
      Food: Roots are a famine food for Zulus.
          var. campanulatus
          var. sutherlandii
   concolor    (Astral Pachycarpus)  lichogina,
      Cultural: For dogs that steal food
      Food: A vegetable but bitter
   decorus    (Ghost Pachycarpus)  lichogina,
      Cultural: For dogs that steal food
   galpinii     lichogina,
      Cultural: For dogs that steal food
   scaber    (Large White Pachycarpus)  lichogina,
      Cultural: For dogs that steal food. Protective charm against evil.
   stelliceps   
      Cultural: For dogs that steal food
   transvaalensis     lichogina,
      Cultural: For dogs that steal food
Pentarrhinum
   abyssinicum    (African Heartvine)  umdzandzabuka,
      Food: Edible leaves & fruit. Widely used food source in Southern Africa.
          subsp. abyssinicum
          subsp. angolense
Pergularia
   daemia var. daemia    (Trellis Vine)  umdzandzabuka,
      Medicinal: Roots for arthritis, asthma & venereal disease. Blood pressure.
      Food: Edible leaves
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