Eswatini's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses
Compiled by Chris Long, © December 2005
SiSwati names and uses, arranged by alphabetically by botanical name:
| Rhipsalis | |
| baccifera (Hanging Wild Cactus) ugebeleweni, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for chest complaints. |
| subsp. baccifera | |
| subsp. mauritiana | |
| Rapanea | |
| melanophloeos (Cape Beech) dzilidzili, gcolo, gcolokhulu, gcolokhulu, gcolokulu, ikhubakhula, ligcolo, ludzilidzile, luqolokulu, maphipha, | |
| Timber: | Branches used for hut building. |
| Cultural: | Charm to ward off evil. |
| Household: | Wood used for cabinets & violins. |
| Medicinal: | Decoction of bark as emetic & expectorant. To strengthen blood and treatnerves and bad dreams. For pains in lower abdomen. To treat diabetes. |
| Rauvolfia | |
| caffra (Quinine Tree) umfomamasi, umhlambamanzi, umkhamamasi, umtfomasi, | |
| Cultural: | Used by healers to give good communication with ancestors. Gives good dreams and visions |
| Household: | Wood for drums & kitchen utensils |
| Medicinal: | Sap, roots & bark for high blood pressure, heart arrhythmia & cholera. Popular traditional medicine but fruit is poisonous to humans. |
| Raphionacme indzema, | |
| galpinii (Galpin's Raphio) lubhuku, | |
| Fodder: | Browsed by animals |
| Medicinal: | Tuber used to treat rashes. |
| Food: | Edible fruit & roots |
| hirsuta | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for chronic ulcers. |
| Food: | Edible fruit & tubers. Aids fermentation. Maybe poisonous. |
| procumbens (Creeping Raphio) imfuce, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| Riocreuxia | |
| picta umdzandzabuka wemahlatsi, | |
| Food: | Edible leaves eaten as spinach. |
| profusa umshunko, | |
| Food: | Edible leaves eaten as spinach. |
| Rhigozum | |
| zambesiacum (Eastern Rhigozum) iqaquamba, | |
| Ruellia | |
| cordata | |
| Cultural: | Love charm and to make someone invisible. |
| Ruttya | |
| ovata (Ruttya) unhalwana lomfula, | |
| Rothmannia | |
| capensis (Candlewood) intumbamadlozi, sikhokho, | |
| Timber: | Poles for huts |
| Cultural: | Roots are a panacea for evil spirits. |
| Firewood: | Wood for hot fires |
| Medicinal: | Roots for rheumatism & leprosy. Juice from fruit for wounds & burns. |
| Food: | Edible but unpleasant fruits |
| globosa (September Bells) sikoba, | |
| Medicinal: | Powdered roots for leprosy. |
| Food: | Edible fruits. |
| Rubia intila lubombo, | |
| cordifolia subsp. conotricha | |
| Dyes: | Dye |
| Cultural: | Used by diviners for insight & protection. Love charm emetic. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for colic, sore throat, impotence & menstrual problems |
| horrida | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| petiolaris | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| Page: 1 2 3 | |
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I |
| J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R |
| S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
Search for flora information: Enter any name or part of a name in the appropriate box:
Search for photos/illustrations: Enter any name or part of a name in the appropriate box:
Website hosting sponsored by the Natural History Society of Eswatini
