Eswatini's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses
Compiled by Chris Long, © December 2005
SiSwati names and uses, arranged by alphabetically by botanical name:
| Phyla | |
| nodiflora * | |
| Soil Conservation: | Good ground cover for exposed areas |
| var. nodiflora * | |
| var. rosea * | |
| Priva | |
| cordifolia var. abyssinica isinama, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for sores, wounds & ophthalmia. |
| Premna | |
| mooiensis (Skunk Bush) chachambane, sidadada, | |
| Timber: | Durable fence posts and used for construction.. |
| Firewood: | Branches used for firewood. |
| Food: | Berries are reported by some to be edible. |
| Pycnostachys | |
| reticulata (Slender Pycnostachys) mvuthuka, umvuthuza, | |
| Medicinal: | Used as mouthwash. Helps stop body lice in humans. |
| Plectranthus umnyamawempunzi, | |
| amboinicus | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal tea for dry cough. |
| Food: | Leaves boiled for tea. Seasoning for food. |
| barbatus | |
| Medicinal: | Roots used for heart failure, glaucoma, bronchitus & hypertension. |
| ciliatus (Speckled Spur-flower) umsuthuza, | |
| Household: | Used for washing clothes. |
| cylindraceus | |
| Insecticidal: | Aromatic & pesticidal |
| ecklonii | |
| Medicinal: | Leaf remedy for headaches and hayfever. |
| esculentus (African Potato) mhlata, umhlata, | |
| Food: | Edible stem tubers |
| fruticosus (Forest Spurflower) cabhozi, | |
| Cultural: | Used for purification before talking to ancestors. |
| Insecticidal: | Crushed stems or leaves repel flies. |
| Medicinal: | Bark a remedy for mouth ulcers in children & for headaches. |
| hadiensis (Wild Purple Salvia) ilozane, | |
| Cultural: | Sprinkling charm against evil spirits. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal enema. |
| var. hadiensis | |
| var. tomentosus | |
| var. woodii | |
| laxiflorus (Citronella Spur-flower) ubebebe, ufuthane, umadolwane, umsuthuza, | |
| Medicinal: | Abdominal, fevers, coughs, colds & as a mouthwash. |
| Food: | Tubers eaten by Zulus. |
| madagascariensis (Madagascar Spur-flower) ilozane, | |
| Medicinal: | Remedies are made for coughs & colds. |
| var. madagascariensis | |
| var. ramosior | |
| neochilus | |
| Household: | An air purifier. |
| Physalis gcumugcumu, | |
| angulata * | |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| peruviana * | |
| Medicinal: | Leaves medicinal. Antidandruff. Prevents swellings from sprains. |
| Food: | Edible fruit. Delicious jam. Leaves and unripe fruits are poisonous. |
| viscosa * | |
| Medicinal: | Root for dressing wounds and for headaches & stomach problems. |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| Phygelius | |
| aequalis | |
| Cultural: | Charm against hail damage to crops. |
| Medicinal: | Used in traditional medicine. |
| Phaulopsis | |
| imbricata umhlonyane, | |
| subsp. imbricata | |
| Plantago | |
| lanceolata | |
| Medicinal: | Herbal leaves are anti-inflammatory & expectorant also for earache. |
| Food: | Seeds are eaten and are rich in starch |
| longissima lidzambigo, | |
| Medicinal: | Leaves used to treat skin swellings. |
| major (Broadleaf Ribwort) indlebeka-tekwane, | |
| Medicinal: | Herbal leaves. Mouth & ear ailments & diarrhoea. Diuretic. |
| Food: | Leaves and roots are eaten in Lesotho. Seeds rich in starch. |
| Pentodon | |
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